NASHVILLE – The room was full of singers, so it seemed only fitting that the conversation should start with harmony when The Oak Ridge Boys (Duane Allen, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban) and The Browns (Jim Ed, Maxine, and Bonnie) sat down with Country Music Association members Wednesday during the 12th Annual CMA Artist Luncheon.
The two are among the most distinctive – albeit different – vocal harmony groups in Country Music.
They talked about their craft following the announcement that they will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year along with late guitarist Grady Martin.
The Oaks, who all hail from different parts of the country, sing old-school, four-part harmony. The Browns offer an almost perfect example of sibling harmony.
“There is nothing in the world like hearing great harmony,” The Oaks’ Bonsall said. “And the only thing that’s better than that is being behind this microphone, being a part of something like this all those years, making that sound as brothers, as friends. We send it out there with all we got. We call it a power harmony.”
“I think it’s singing from our heart, singing from our soul and it’s kind of a spiritual thing sometimes,” added Golden.
The Browns, like existing Hall of Fame members The Everly Brothers and The Louvin Brothers, rely on the special bond between family members to align their voices.
“I can sing a song, put it on tape, and send it to my sisters and they will sing their part and not somebody else’s,” Jim Ed Brown said. “Bonnie would sing the third part, Maxine would sing the second part, and when you put it all together it would all fit. It was the timbre of the voices that brings us together, which is a little bit different from most groups. And that sound is part of The Browns. I don’t think anybody’s ever duplicated it.”
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About CMA: Founded in 1958, the Country Music Association was the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. In 1961, CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame to recognize artists and industry professionals with Country Music’s highest honor. More than 7,400 music industry professionals and companies from around the globe are members of CMA. The organization’s objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry and advance the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s core initiatives: the CMA Awards, which annually recognize outstanding achievement in the industry; the CMA Music Festival, which benefits music education and is taped for a three-hour special; and “CMA Country Christmas,” featuring Country artists performing original music and Christmas classics for broadcast during the holiday season. All of CMA’s television properties will air on the ABC Television network through 2021.
**Suggested Tweet**: New @CountryMusicHOF inductees Jim Ed Brown and The Browns & @OakRidgeBoys share stories with @CountryMusic members.