THE ET CETERA CHRONICLES - LITTLE STEVE

Little Steve made his first stage appearance in Laurens County with a concert at Dudley High School on September 23, 1961.  The Warner Robins boy had just turned nine years old and was singing with the best of local and state Gospel groups.

On Saturday night, May 23, 1964, Little Steve appeared on the stage of the Dublin High School Auditorium.  He was there to sing Gospel music.  The top billed act was Naomi and the Sego Brothers, a regionally popular Gospel singing group. 

On November 9, 1964, Little Steve returned to Laurens County for concert at Cadwell Elemenary School.

As a teenager, Steve's father adamantly and his principal reluctantly agreed to allow him to grow his hair long for his new acting career.  Steve appeared in an episode of Gunsmoke in 1967 and in Hurry Sundown, an Otto Preminger film, starring Michael Caine and Jane Fonda.

Steve's last appearance in Laurens County came at the Shamrock Bowl on May 2, 1968.

Many of you probably don't remember Little Steve Sanders singing Gospel songs some fifty years ago.

But you might remember Steve Sanders, who replaced William Golden, as the baritone singer of the iconic country music group, the Oak Ridge Boys.  Steve, who joined the band in 1981 as a rhythm guitarist,  sang with the group from 1986 to 1995.  He tragically died at the age of 45 in 1998.