Strangely enough, the nostalgic autobiography of an Oak Ridge Boy provides a cutting-edge look at whats going on right this second in the music world.

William Lee Golden recently published Behind the Beard, a memoir of his life from his childhood in Brewton, Ala., through the long grind leading to the Oak Ridge Boys breakthrough to big-time success, a series of divorces, his split from the band and eventual reunion, and his development of a family musical enterprise with The Goldens.

It is, by design, mostly a look back for the benefit of those who think fondly of the Oaks and who want to hear the inside story from the groups hairiest member. Itll be of interest mostly to fans who want to revisit those days in the early 80s when the Oaks, The Statler Brothers and Alabama regularly cracked the pop Top 40 with voices that were distinctly Southern, harmonies often rooted in gospel and songs that were usually, aside from Alabamas sultrier numbers, unimpeachably wholesome.

More on those bygone-era charms in a minute. In the last pages of the book, Golden reveals that the book was a project undertaken by the COVID-19 shutdown. But he also talks about the cost of that shutdown.

Early in 2020 the baritone was laid low by a respiratory ailment that left him bedridden for two weeks, in pain like hed never felt before, and that then required an ICU stay and further recuperation. A backup filled in for him as the Oaks continued to tour. Golden says thats standard procedure: Band members can step up to fill in for any of the four front men.

The whole band and crew depends on those concert dates. Our big money comes from concert performances, but the show must go on, in order for everyone to get paid, Golden says. I appreciated Michael Sykes covering for me. He helped save the show and they didnt have to cancel the concerts. Its a good thing they did the shows while I was sick, because just a few months later, almost every show for the rest of the year was cancelled due to the virus lockdowns.

He rebounded and was healthy for the remainder of 2020. His experience left him with an impression, right or wrong, shared by many who were bushwhacked by severe flu-like symptoms in early 2020: While I was told that I had the flu, a month after I got out of the hospital, we started hearing about the first cases of the Corona virus starting to hit the U.S. But I feel like I might have had it before anyone knew what it was.

As the shutdown fades into memory, the concert business is booming back to life, with new announcements coming every day. (The Statlers have ended their group touring days, but the Oaks have a full calendar from now through February 2022, and Alabama is back to playing arenas, with appearances Aug. 6 in Orange Beach and Aug. 7 in the Birmingham area.)

Golden says in the book that pandemic lockdowns canceled 100 Oak Ridge Boys concerts in 2020. While the hiatus was a godsend in that it allowed him to pursue some passion projects, he includes glimpses of how tough it was. One comes from fellow singer Duane Allen:

During our shutdown with the Covid virus, we had just 7 shows in 7 months. That was barely enough to pay our utilities. As a group, we said, We are not going to be able to have a salary. William told me, Duane, whatever you feel the Oaks need to do, I am there. We went through seven months without a full paycheck.

You see very few professional football or basketball players who are over the age of 40. They are usually long retired by then, writes Golden. Im more than double their age and Im still working hard! Of course, I love what I do, but Ive still got lots of bills to pay. If you go through 3 divorces, and get wiped out financially 3 times, youll find yourself working into your 80s too.

Financial considerations arent the only thing driving the concert industrys booming return to life. Theres also the hunger to perform. At 82, Golden says its still there.

But will the day come that the Oak Ridge Boys finally park the tour bus for the last time? Im sure it will. But for now, the bus still has a full gas tankand so do we, he says. We will continue as long as each guy can go. I can honestly say that we have never discussed what would happen if one of us couldnt go on. I plan to perform as long as I can, but if I couldnt perform, I would hope the group would go on without me, and I would expect them to.

2021 makes 40 years since Elvira became the groups signature hit. If a farewell tour is in the cards, Golden says, I hope that we make it a very long farewell.

Behind the Beard is, in its own way, a long farewell. Golden is open to a point about his faults and failings, from the infidelity that broke his first marriage to the hedonism that contributed to his firing in 1987. Its all told from the perspective of a man who has forgiven himself and moved on, so theres nothing titillating or controversial to be found. This is Behind the Beard, not Behind the Music.

The book, written with Scot England, is peppered with contributions from various friends, relatives and business partners, in addition to the other Oaks. The inclusion of other voices is undercut by their uniformity. These arent counterpoints or alternate perspectives, theyre tributes, ranging in tone from admiring to fawning. If you can overlook the sense that they were written to spec, they support the books thesis that Golden is a much-admired, well-liked man. If you cant, they make the book feel like a vanity project.

If Behind the Beard holds little to raise eyebrows, it does have its share of small delights. Golden writes at length about his idyllic youth in the Brewton area. He rather generously covers the Oak Ridge Boys long days of pre-fame struggle, when a frequently changing lineup of men scratched out a living on the gospel circuit. He gives these forerunners his respect, naming them and praising their work.

The book contains a cornucopia of photos, many showing a man who could have passed as a 70s movie idol before he decided to throw away his razor. Want to see the barefoot country boy, or the teen who aspired to the fame of hometown hero Hank Locklin? There they are. Want to see what his grandpas truck looked like after he rolled it? There it is.

Golden also gives some insight into the difficulty of the Oaks transition from gospel to country. It wasnt quick, it wasnt easy and it wasnt painless -- particularly as the band lost favor in the gospel industry and struggled for traction on the secular side. Hes similarly upfront about the setbacks along the way: Expensive divorces, the destruction of his home by a tornado, and other mishaps that show stardom doesnt guarantee a perpetual ride on easy street.

But even with our gold and platinum records and every kind of award, I am still not all that impressed with myself, he writes near the end. Thats why it took me so long to be talked into doing this book.

Behind the Beard is just that direct and is tinged throughout with the same self-deprecating humor. As he says right up front:

When you write your life story, and you decide to bare everything, its kind of scary. It feels a lot like getting naked in front of the entire world. Now that Ive committed to it, there is one thing going through my mind if I was going to get naked in front of everyone, I probably shouldnt have waited until I was 82 years old!

If nothing else, we can thank William Lee Golden for putting that image in our heads.

Behind the Beard can be ordered at http://www.williamleegoldenbook.com. The Oak Ridge Boys release their newest album, Front Porch Singin, on June 11.

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Oak Ridge Boy William Lee Golden tells his story in Behind the Beard - AL.com