Richard Sterban has been diagnosed with cancer. In a statement posted to The Oak Ridge Boys‘ website, the singer revealed that he’s battling the disease.
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“In March of this year, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,” he said. “But I am under the care of the best cancer doctors in the country and, with the help of the Good Lord above, I believe I will be able to get through this.”
“I want to thank everyone, especially the fans, for your concern, and I would appreciate your continued prayers,” Sterban, 82, continued. “Most days I’m feeling very good, and I hope to be back out on the road in several months.”
No other details about Sterban’s health were immediately available.
Sterban last appeared with The Oak Ridge Boys at the Academy of Country Music Awards in May. Since that time, Aaron McCune and Tim Duncan have been filling in for him on tour.
The Oak Ridge Boys have more than a dozen tour dates on the calendar through the rest of the year. They are currently scheduling shows into 2026. There is no word yet on if or when Sterban will rejoin the group on tour.
Richard Sterban’s Life and Career
Sterban began his career when he was just six by singing at his New Jersey Sunday school, per his official bio. He went on to play with J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, which afforded him the opportunity to sing with Elvis Presley.
In 1972, he joined The Oak Ridge Boys as a bass singer. Sterban’s bass notes are featured prominently in the band’s double platinum single, “Elvira.”
Outside of music, Sterban is a baseball fan and a fashion aficionado. He enjoys restaurants, collecting wine, traveling, sailing, snorkeling, and fitness. He is the voice of the National Weather Service and the Classic Country channel on Sirius Satellite Radio, and often does color commentary for the Nashville Sounds and Vanderbilt Commodores.
Sterban and his wife, Donna, have two daughters and two grandsons. The singer is also dad to three older sons and grandpa to their five kids.
Photo by Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images
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