On This Day in 1981, the Oak Ridge Boys Were at No. 1 With a Song Meant for Roadtrip Sing-Alongs

On this day (May 30) in 1981, the Oak Ridge Boys were at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart with “Elvira.” It was their fourth single to reach the top of the chart. It was also their only release to break into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 5. More than four decades later, it remains one of the group’s most popular songs.

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Dallas Frazier wrote “Elvira” and was the first to release it in 1965. It was a minor hit for him. Then, Rodney Crowell released his version, which landed at the bottom of the country chart in 1978. The Oak Ridge Boys came along two years later and released the definitive and most successful rendition of the tune. Along with its chart success, the single was certified Platinum by the RIAA. It also brought them the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. It won Single of the Year at the ACM and CMA Awards.

Frazier didn’t write “Elvira” about a woman in his life. Instead, he got the name from a street sign in East Nashville. According to Songfacts, Ray Baker was driving around Music City with Frazier riding shotgun. Baker almost ran a red light at the corner of Gallatin Road and Elvira.

“I stopped in time, and while we were sitting there drinking beer and having a good time, Dallas looked up and noticed the street sign,” Baker recalled. After seeing the street sign, Frazier began singing what would become the chorus of “Elvira.”

The Oak Ridge Boys Recorded “Elvira” with Family Fun in Mind

According to the Oak Ridge Boys’ website, Duane Allen heard “Elvira” for the first time when Dallas Frazier played it on WSM radio in 1966, and it stuck with them. “I heard it once and never forgot it. That’s when you know a song is a hit,” he said.

Part of what made the Oaks’ version of the song so popular is that it was made for sing-alongs. More specifically, they arranged it for families to belt together. “We wanted ‘Elvira’ to be a summer record for families of four–two kids, a mother, and a father–on vacation in an automobile,” Allen revealed. “Mom’s singing the verses, the kids sing the ‘giddy up’ hook, and the dad comes in with the ‘oom papa’ chorus,” he explained. “It’s the best planning we ever did.”

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