AFTER 8 YEARS OF BEING FIRED FROM HIS OWN GROUP, WILLIAM LEE GOLDEN WALKED BACK ON STAGE — AND THE OAK RIDGE BOYS SANG “ELVIRA” LIKE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME. In 1987, The Oak Ridge Boys did the unthinkable: they fired William Lee Golden — the man whose iconic beard and deep voice had helped define their sound for over two decades. For eight long years, Golden watched from the outside as the group he’d helped build kept performing without him. The silence, he once said, was worse than any song he’d ever sung. Then in 1995, the call came. No apology. No explanation. Just four words: “It’s time. Come home.” The night Golden stepped back on stage, the band opened with “Elvira.” When the crowd heard that unmistakable bass voice rumble through the speakers again, 10,000 fans erupted into tears and cheers. What Golden whispered to his bandmates after that first song back still remains their best-kept secret.
Watch the video at the end of this article. Introduction After eight years away from...