By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — If there is one thing noticeable about the Kentucky State Fair, it is consistency. Year after year people by the hundreds of thousands come back for the good food, the interesting exhibits, the show animals and – of course – the entertainment.

Of those entertainers, one group stands apart from the rest when it comes to being a regular attraction: This marked the 34th consecutive year in which the Oak Ridge Boys have been in Louisville at fair time.

“We started coming in 1976 and at that time we never dreamed we would have this many years of succession,” said longtime member Duane Allen. “It’s important to us to build and keep relationships. That’s what the music business is all about.”

That philosophy has worked well for the quartet, with more than 30 million records sold and tour dates that still number around 150 each year. The group even has a theater in Branson, Mo.

Allen and his fellow musicians, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban, have a combined 174 years as Oak Ridge Boys, a tenure unmatched in the music industry. Their recent show at the Kentucky State Fair brought thousands of fans to Cardinal Stadium to hear nearly two hours of their hits, a selection of new music and numerous gospel tunes – the music on which the group was founded in the 1940s.

As this year’s show began, the lights flashed as the band started and the roar of the crowd signaled the entrance of the four, one by one, singing the title song from their newest CD, “The Boys are Back.” While the song was new, the voices were unmistakably among the most recognizable in all of music.

Allen said of the new recording that he wanted the group to cut a CD that was “earthy and raw,” with music that would reach a whole new audience for the group. One of the songs caught his ear as different, much in the same way the huge hit “Elvira” did several years ago.

In fact, “Elvira” has been voted as the number-one catchiest song in country music history. “I would say that ‘Um Pop a Mow Mow’ is probably the catchiest phrase all around the world,” Allen said.

The new collection of songs also includes spiritual music, with one selection dating back to the turn of the 19th century, said Allen.

“We went from one end of the spectrum to the other, with stops all in between,” he said of the CD. “We cut country songs, gospel songs, we cut some rock-type songs, an old Neil Young song and a John Lee Hooker song.”

Allen said they even received a call from the writer of “Elvira” who had a new song, and they put that on the CD as well. His enthusiasm for the new music parallels the excitement he and the rest of the group have when they come together before an audience.

Moving all over the stage and always waving to the crowd, the group provided fairgoers with what seemed to be an endless supply of music and energy – no small feat for what are all now grandfathers. At one point, Golden introduced his granddaughter, who played the fiddle on one tune.

The event marked three generations of Goldens performing together at once, as his son has long played the drums for the Mighty Oaks Band.

Other members’ families came to the stage as Golden sang his memorable “Thank God for Kids” near the end of the show. It truly is a family affair now for the most popular quartet in the history of country music.

And, the audience had a chance to feel like part of the family. The show ended with the opening act, The Grascals, joining the Oaks on stage for an a cappella version of Amazing Grace. At one point Allen pointed to the crowd and asked them to join in. And they did.

“We have stretched our boundaries, but we haven’t forgotten our roots,” he said. “We know from where we have come. We like a lot of different kinds of things, and our fans like us for that.”

While the Oak Ridge Boys may not make it for another 34-year stretch, it is safe to say they will be coming back to the Kentucky State Fair for as long as they want.