Aaron McCune Keeps Bass Singing Alive with Oak Ridge Boys, Dailey & Vincent
It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, or what version of “country” music you may subscribe to, The Oak Ridge Boys are musical truth—a compass point to set your country music alignment to. Country Music Hall of Famers, Grand Ole Opry members, and, Gospel Music Hall of Famers, they walk out on stage like gods, and when their four-part harmonies are raised to the roof, the soul is filled.
This is exactly what happened at the inaugural Key Western Fest in Key West Florida Thursday night (2-2) when The Oak Ridge Boys headlined the Truman Waterfront Amphitheater on a day that also saw legendary songwriter Paul Overstreet perform, the incomparable Pam Tills take the stage, as well as 90s country rock outfits Blackhawk and Sawyer Brown.
The point of the new Key Western Fest is to put ’90s and other older country artists back on the stage with the resurgence of interest in the era. In truth, The Oak Ridge Boys date well past the 90s to the early 80s when they had most of their hits, but as country music royalty, who’s counting?
The most-recognized and longest-lasting lineup of the Oak Ridge Boys was cemented in 1973 when Joe Bonsall joined William Lee Golden, Duane Allen, and bass singer Richard Sterban in the lineup, but their legacy of the band as a Gospel quartet goes all the way back to the ’40s. On Thursday evening, Duane Allen had to help Joe Bonsall on and off stage, and Bonsall sat on a stool during the performance. “I’ve got a bad leg,” Bonsall explained. “It doesn’t hurt, it’s just … bad,” he told the crowd.
Also missing was bass singer Richard Sterban, who has been taking time away from the band on and off. Sterban is nothing short of a legendary voice in country and Gospel, and sang all those iconic Oak Ridge Boys bass parts on songs like “Elvira” and “American Made.” Just like Harold Reid of The Statler Brothers who passed in 2020, Sterban is part of a breed of bass singers in country music that unfortunately is slowly going the way of the dinosaur.
However, there are still a few around. Josh Turner is one of the few primary singers who can also go down to the bass register. Trace Adkins can as well, even if he’s not a traditional bass singer. Shane Smith & The Saints also feature four-part harmonies with bass. But Aaron McCune, who filled in for Richard Sterban Thursday night at Key Western Fest, is quickly coming up as one of the most important and appreciated bass singers in country music for our time.
Aaron McCune can not only can handle the bass parts to iconic country songs from The Oak Ridge Boys and others, he can go even deeper, and this is bringing the important element of four-part harmonies with bass in country music to a new generation.
Though he does fill-in work for The Oak Ridge Boys, Aaron McCune’s more permanent gig is with the bluegrass duo and Grand Ole Opry members Dailey & Vincent. On the duo’s recent country album Let’s Sing Some Country!, Aaron McCune and his bass voice were featured prominently on the songs “Feels Like That Again” and “Dig a Little Deeper”—the latter of which was recorded by the Oak Ridge Boys in 1979.
Originally from Clay, West Virginia, Aaron McCune previously performed with the Gold City Quartet for five years, and has also sung with Wynonna Judd and Willie Nelson. Both with The Oak Ridge Boys and Dailey & Vincent, he’s performed on the Grand Ole Opry scores of times. McCune is known especially for singing Merle Haggard songs like “The Way I Am” a full octave lower than Merle did, with the final note of the being unreachable for even the greatest bass singers (see below).
A good bass singer like Aaron McCune is an irreplaceable asset for country music, not dissimilar to a great steel guitar player, but even more rare. No matter the outfit he’s singing for, Aaron McCune is one of those irreplaceable singers. Put him right up there with the greatest ever to hold the position, and an important voice of country music moving forward.
To stay up-to-date with the doings at Key Western Fest, follow Saving Country Music on Instagram.
February 3, 2023 @ 10:39 am
GREAT article.
Great voice, & Wow, he’s a big ‘un isn’t he …
You lucky duck. Down in the Keys for two weeks.
Bet last nights performance by the Oak Ridge Boys was fabulous.
February 3, 2023 @ 11:46 am
Seen him many times with Dailey and Vincent and nails the low end every time. Would love to catch him with the Oak Ridge Boys.
February 3, 2023 @ 12:35 pm
I’ve mentioned him before. Glad you agree that he’s noteworthy. Real deal voice. Great vocal control he has as well, and a surprising range.
Junior Brown goes into the bass register sometimes as well, though not near as low as Aaron.
February 3, 2023 @ 2:52 pm
It’s so good to know that a bass singer is still considered a great asset to country. I wrote an article for a local paper about 25 years ago about the lack of upcoming bass singers. 4 Runner only had a minor hit with “Cain’s Blood” and to my knowledge there hasn’t been a group come around who have tried to keep 4 part harmonies alive. There have been a couple of Statler Brothers tribute bands, and Dailey and Vincent even have done a whole tribute album to them. If there is a group up and coming or that I don’t know about who performs in the same vein as the Statlers or the Oaks (original material not just covers) I would love to know about it. I do like Josh Turner’s “Long Black Train”. I would also love to find someone who sings like Lew DeWitt of the Statlers.
February 3, 2023 @ 3:15 pm
There is another guy named Adam Lee that is a natural bass. He acted in the Million Dollar Quartet stage production for a while, and then put out a country album or two. These days he’s doing more singer/songwriter stuff, but he’s definitely one to check out. As Kevin Smith mentioned, Junior Brown is another, though he’s not exactly an “up and comer.”
February 3, 2023 @ 3:35 pm
Thank you for telling my about Adam Lee. I’ll look into him. Also, I think Junior Brown is a national treasure and that it’s downright criminal that he is not bigger than what he is. He, Dale Watson and Robert Earl Keen led me to discover TRUE country.
But on the other end of the harmony spectrum, my all time favorite was Lew DeWitt of the Statler Brothers. I grew up loving Slim Whitman and Roy Orbison. I love Jimmie Dale Gilmore and thanks to this site I discovered Nick Shoulders.
But I’ve always liked 4 part harmonies. And I keep hoping one day to discover a new group inthese vein as The Statlers. Keep up the excellent work Trigger, you and Doug Davis keep my musical soul singing.
February 3, 2023 @ 6:30 pm
Hey Brian, man I was a huge fan of Lew’s as well.
My dad also loved his style. If you get a chance, check out on YouTube the statlers singing “one less day to go” live in their gray suits. Lew shines on that. Also, “the woman I still love” from their carry me back album.
I love great bass singers too…Aaron is definitely a great one. He makes it look effortless. JD sumner and Tim Riley are also a couple of the best in my opinion, though they’re not in the country genre. But worth checking out.
Good article trigger. Cool to see you shine some light on Aaron, Richard sterban, and Harold Reid. I agree great bass singers like them are rare.
February 3, 2023 @ 7:10 pm
My Dad loved JD Sumner, as well.
My Dad also had a great bass voice.
February 5, 2023 @ 5:07 am
If you like JD and Tim Riley you should check out the Cathedral Quartet and George Younce. He was the best, IMHO, bass singer whoever picked up a mic.
February 5, 2023 @ 2:21 pm
I agree Gary! Love him on “echos of the burning bush”. Especially the low notes in the 3rd chorus….There’s a live version of him singing it with the cathedrals on YouTube that is really great.
February 3, 2023 @ 7:49 pm
I hadn’t heard of Junior Brown before seeing him open for Old Crow Medicine Show. As good as OCMS was I spent the rest of the show excited to go listen to more Junior Brown on the way home. That guit-steel blew my mind, seeing him play was like watching a master craftsman at work but with the best soundtrack possible. The man came on stage using a walker and left the stage carrying it over his head. One set and even a guy who’d never heard of him could tell he was seeing a legend in action.
February 4, 2023 @ 6:48 am
Brian
I’ve always loved Larry Gatlin and the Brothers. Their 3 part harmony is superb. Can you imagine if they had got a bass singer in their band?
February 5, 2023 @ 9:27 pm
For four part harmony, check out Brothers of the Heart. Including Jimmy Fortune, Mike Rogers, Ben Issacs and Bradley Walker. The very best harmonies out there in my opinion.
February 3, 2023 @ 6:01 pm
We saw Aaron with Dailey & Vincent last year and he definitely has the gift of a stellar bass boice and knows how to use it! Fun to watch him perform and happy to see him getting recognition!!
February 3, 2023 @ 6:35 pm
Don’t forget about Christian Davis, who preceded Aaron with D&V. He is a great bass, too.
February 3, 2023 @ 8:27 pm
I have met and talked to Willie Wynn, the tenor singer of the ORB before Joe Bonsall. A sweet man.
Have seen Aaron a few times some time back. A great talent.
Good article Trigger.
February 4, 2023 @ 1:07 pm
Aaron is fantastic definitely cool to see him carrying on the bass singing tradition. Another Fantastic bass singer which would probably be #1 on my rankings is Jeff Chapman. He doesn’t sing country, but has been with the Kingdom Heirs for 20 years. Most people know the group from being at Dollywood for the last 37 years.
February 4, 2023 @ 5:04 pm
So you’re saying he’s all about that bass?
I would also recommend listening to Geoff Castellucci from the acapella group VoicePlay. They do some very good Disney covers on YouTube. He also does multi-tracked bass vocal covers.
February 4, 2023 @ 7:46 pm
Watching the Oakridge Boys at the Opry tonight. They said Richard had a hand problem, and the docs wouldn’t let him perform. An Opry house guy filled in on bass. Joe mentioned his bad leg too. Those are some old “boys”.
February 6, 2023 @ 9:31 am
Most of these bass singers got their start in the Southern Gospel genre, which is known for male quartets. As mentioned, the Oak Ridge Boys began in Southern Gospel. The Statlers always mixed gospel in their repertoire as well. Those two groups were responsible for starting the trend in country music, taking a Gospel quartet and having them sing country music. Before them were the Jordanaires, who also were a quartet, that primarily provided background vocals for prominent solo country recording artists. But I think it’s safe to say that the Oaks and the Statlers paved the way for the country music quartet, both of whom were helped out in their careers by Johnny Cash. Other groups came along that tried the same formula as them. The Thrasher Brothers, also a Gospel quartet, crossed over in the 80’s and made two country albums. They had a bass singer by the name of John Gresham, just as low and talented as Richard Sterban, but never as well known among country music listeners. There were a couple of groups in the 90’s who followed the male quartet model, 4 Runner and the Branson Brothers, both very good, but often forgotten. There was a group years ago called the Four Guys, who I believe did performances for the Opry, which included some members who also came from the Southern Gospel field. Never forget the influence that Gospel quartets had on the music of Elvis, who actually hired two different professional Gospel groups to back him up in concert, the Imperials and the Stamps (JD Sumner’s group). Richard Sterban (of the Oaks) actually was once a member of the Stamps before joining the Oaks and was present backing Elvis during some of those years. In recent years, Dailey and Vincent have kept the quartet novelty going by actually hiring real bass singers to join their band, first with Christian Davis, then Aaron McCune, both of whom came from the Southern Gospel industry. Doyle Lawson was another bluegrass performer that was always known for incorporating 4 part harmonies in his music. He had great bass singers from time to time, but I don’t believe any were of the depth and caliber of Aaron McCune. The most recent example of which I’m aware of a country music group that was doing 4 part harmony music was a group called 4th + Main. I’m not sure if they are still together, but they were a legitimate quartet, performing country music in the modern style (not traditional). For those interested in hearing 4 part harmony male quartet singing, your best bet is tracking down the Southern Gospel groups that are still out there performing – Gold City Quartet, Legacy Five, Triumphant Quartet, The Inspirations, The Old Paths to name a few.
February 6, 2023 @ 9:39 am
And how could I forget Home Free? They have certainly helped bring about a revival in quartet singing in country music, although they do everything a capella. They are truly masters in harmony singing. Their vocal blend is phenomenal. A couple other gospel groups out there I failed to mention are the Kingsmen and the Kingdom Heirs, both master acts at quartet singing.
February 6, 2023 @ 5:21 pm
We can’t forget the influence of Bill & Gloria Gaither to the world of Gospel Music. The Homecomings that still perform in reruns features many excellent bass singers and harmony singing!
March 8, 2023 @ 6:25 pm
McCune is great, also did some stuff recently with William Lee Golden and the Goldens. Bass singers are definitely hard to
find these days outside of Southern Gospel.
My favorite of all-time is Armand Morales of
the Imperials. Close second is Ian Owens, who actually succeeded Morales.
March 12, 2023 @ 7:08 am
Aaron Lee is Amazing!
June 12, 2023 @ 1:28 pm
Saw Aaron Lee in Virginia Beach with the Oak Ridge Boys. He was great! Did some research and found the connection with Dailey and Vincent, who were coming to Hampton VA a couple months later. I saw that concert 3 days ago, and they rocked.