Country music legends and American music icons The Oak Ridge Boys bring their “Front Porch Singin’ Tour” to the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) 7 p.m., Sunday, May 8. The Oak Ridge Boys have one of the most distinctive and recognizable sounds in the music industry, combining classic gospel, country and patriotic music. The New York Times hails them as “a singular phenomenon, a ‘crossover act’ that has broken several barriers.”
The performance will include selections from their newest album, “Front Porch Singin’” such as “Love, Light, and Healing,” “Old Ways” and a cover of “Life Is Beautiful” by ‘Keb ‘Mo, plus classic audience favorites including “American Made,” “Y’all Come Back Saloon,” “Elvira” and more.
Pictured: The Oak Ridge Boys Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, Duane Allen and Richard Sterban
Originally a gospel quartet, The Oak Ridge Boys (aka The Oaks) switched their focus to secular country music in the mid-1970s, releasing a string of hit albums and singles that lasted into the early ‘90s. Their discography comprises 31 studio albums and 53 singles. Their highest-selling album is 1981's “Fancy Free,” which is certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
The group — Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban – are members of the prestigious Country Music Hall of Fame (2015 Inductees) and the Grand Ole Opry (since 2011). In addition to their awards and accolades in the country music field, The Oaks have garnered five Grammy Awards, nine GMA DOVE Awards and two American Music Awards. They have charted more than 30 Top 10 hits, including No. 1 chart-toppers “Elvira,” “Bobbie Sue,” “Thank God for Kids,” “American Made” and “Y’all Come Back Saloon.” They have collaborated with Kenny Rogers and the Gatlin Brothers and count Blake Shelton and Gwen Stafani among their diverse legion of fans.
Tickets
The Oak Ridge Boys bring their “Front Porch Singin’ Tour” to the McAninch Arts Center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, 7 p.m. Sunday, May 8. Tickets are $75-$85. For tickets or more information, visit www.AtTheMAC.org or call the MAC Box Office at 630.942.4000. The Box Office is open Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. and one hour prior to performance.
About the MAC
McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located at 425 Fawell Blvd., 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; versatile black box Studio Theatre), and outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programs. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season. The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. Visit ww.AtTheMAC.org or facebook.com/AtTheMAC for more information.
The MAC’s 2021-2022 Season is made possible in part with support by DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle/Naperville, WDCB 90.9 FM and the College of DuPage Foundation.
Established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit www.foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462.
Programs at the MAC are partially supported through a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.