When The Oak Ridge Boys released “American Made” in 1983, they likely never predicted the song would become a country music staple, still played and performed 40 years later. The song, which was written by Bob DiPiero and Pat McManus, was the title track of their eighth studio album, and their seventh No. 1 hit.

“It’s hard to believe that ‘American Made” has been going strong for 40 years,” Joe Bonsall says. “Every night the audience still sings every word with us. It’s a fun song to sing!”

Ironically, it was another cut by DiPiero, “I Can See Forever In Your Eyes,” or rather the money earned from the Reba McEntire hit single, which inspired “American Made.”

“All of a sudden, I got this royalty check, and it was the biggest I’d ever seen, so I just went out and spent it all, which is how ‘American Made’ sort of came about,” DiPiero previously said (via The Boot). “I bought a Sony color TV, I bought a Nikon camera, a video game, and then realized I hadn’t paid my taxes, so [I] thought, ‘I need to write another song.'”

“I guess my process then [was] pretty much the same process [as it is] now, which is: I was and always have tried to be open to any kind of musical stimulus, whether it’s a chord change, a guitar riff, a title, or whether it’s just a concept — an idea for writing the song,” he continued. “There’s no one way for me, there are many different ways, and I think that’s part of why I’ve had this long career, is I’m just always open to picking up whatever’s out there. … ‘American Made’ was one of those that was kind of born out of necessity.”

Last year, The Oak Ridge Boys celebrated another 40th anniversary, this time for their sentimental “Thank God For Kids” track. The song was on their first holiday album, Christmas, released in 1982.

“There are a number of songs in The Oak Ridge Boys’ repertoire that fans insist on hearing,” Bonsall says ”One of those is obviously ‘Elvira,’ and another one is ‘Thank God For Kids.’ It is hard to imagine a set list without it. Eddy Raven wrote it and William Lee Golden’s heartfelt rendition always makes for a special moment.”

The Oak Ridge Boys are currently working on a new album, amid their busy concert schedule. Find updates and a list of all of their shows at OakRidgeBoys.com.

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