# Chris Golden on Oak Ridge Boys Legacy, Presidents, Elvis, and 478,000 Miles :: Ep 40 Circling the Drain Podcast

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/circling-the-drain-7467223/chris-golden-on-oak-ridge-boys-legacy-presidents-elvis-and-478-000-miles-ep-40-circling-the-drain-podcast
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/circling-the-drain-7467223/chris-golden-on-oak-ridge-boys-legacy-presidents-elvis-and-478-000-miles-ep-40-circling-the-drain-podcast.md
Podcast: [Circling The Drain](https://stenobird.com/podcast/circling-the-drain-7467223)
Published: 2026-05-27T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/11e3a6f7
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/11e3a6f7/9dfa3264.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/circling-the-drain-7467223/episodes/chris-golden-on-oak-ridge-boys-legacy-presidents-elvis-and-478-000-miles-ep-40-circling-the-drain-podcast
Duration seconds: 4756

## Resource

Award-winning artist and multi-instrumentalist Chris Golden joins Johnny B and Jay Harper to swap stories from a lifetime in music. From growing up in the Golden family dynasty (son of Oak Ridge Boys’ William Lee Golden), to playing for every living U.S. president, to singing with his kids and racking up 478,000 miles on the road, this episode is loaded with behind-the-scenes tales, faith, family, and a lot of laughs. Chris talks about: – Growing up on the Alabama–Florida line in a deep musical family – The Oaks’ gospel-to-country transition and backlash from the “church crowd” – Forming The Goldens and Golden Spear, Muscle Shoals sessions, and label drama – Playing the White House, One America Appeal, and hanging with multiple presidents – Touring life, that red sparkle Ludwig snare, and his monster hybrid drum kit – Voiceover work (Heinz 57, ad auditions, and chasing the “Sam Elliott” spec) – Recording 34 songs with his dad and brother, and now sharing the stage with his kids – His upcoming album “A Better Man” and the song “Where My People Are” 03:18 Growing up on the Alabama–Florida state line 07:58 Golden family music roots and Inspirational Country Music Awards 09:56 Rusty Golden, Beatles, Elton John, and brotherly rivalry 10:47 Dad hands Chris a guitar: three chords and “Home on the Range” 13:42 Early bands: Boys Band, Cedar Creek, and Golden Spear 17:19 Muscle Shoals sessions and CBS developmental deal 22:14 The Goldens, label cuts, and touring with William Lee Golden 27:49 Pandemic records: 34 songs with Dad and Rusty, three albums of covers 29:29 Chris’s kids join the show: the next Golden generation 30:48 Opening for Ricky Skaggs with daughter Elizabeth on fiddle 37:14 Glen Campbell, hairspray, and backstage heroes 38:50 Roy Clark, Jim Halsey, and the Oaks’…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/circling-the-drain-7467223/episodes/chris-golden-on-oak-ridge-boys-legacy-presidents-elvis-and-478-000-miles-ep-40-circling-the-drain-podcast/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/circling-the-drain-7467223/chris-golden-on-oak-ridge-boys-legacy-presidents-elvis-and-478-000-miles-ep-40-circling-the-drain-podcast.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.