Some songs implant themselves inside listeners’ brains upon first listen. That’s certainly the case with “Elvira,” originally penned and recorded in the ’60s by songwriter Dallas Frazier. Nearly 20 years later, country-gospel foursome the Oak Ridge Boys turned their 1981 version into the classic we all recognize today. As the story goes, the hit practically fell into the Boys’ laps thanks to a “song plugger” for Acuff Rose Music. That song plugger, a man named Ronnie Gant, heard a band perform “Elvira” in a Texas bar.
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Immediately feeling it was destined for Joe Bonsall and Richard Sterban’s voices, Gant approached the quartet’s producer, Ron Chancey. The Boys needed only a couple of takes to perfect the recording. “Elvira” enjoyed crossover success in the Hot 100 Top 5.
On this day (Jan. 4) in 2014, Ronnie Gant died at age 69 at the Centennial Medical Center in Nashville. The Oak Ridge Boys paid homage to the man who helped make their career with a post to X/Twitter.
“It was RONNIE GANT a song plugger for ACUFF ROSE who first thought that ELVIRA should be recorded by the OAK RIDGE BOYS….” the post read. “RIP Ronnie.”
It was RONNIE GANT a song plugger for ACUFF ROSE who first thought that ELVIRA should be recorded by the OAK RIDGE BOYS… RIP Ronnie
— The Oak Ridge Boys (@oakridgeboys) January 6, 2014
Ronnie Gant Was a Quiet Force Behind the Scenes
Notably, the Oak Ridge Boys are far from alone in their debt to Ronnie Gant. During his 22 years at Acuff-Rose, Gant signed the likes of Skip Ewing, David Chamberlain, Patty Loveless, and Donny Kees.
The country music mogul seemingly had a preternatural knack for matching songs with artists. He also pitched another Top 5 hit for the Oak Ridge Boys, “Thank God For Kids.” Additionally, he sent “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” to George Strait. However, perhaps his greatest triumph came in 1990. Two years after opening his own publishing company, Gant helped pair a virtually unknown singer named Garth Brooks with a song called “Friends in Low Places.” Spending four weeks atop the Hot Country Songs chart, it launched one of the most successful country music careers of all time.
Featured image by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
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