How many children does William Lee Golden have? The Oak Ridge Boys singer's son, Rusty passes away at 65

The Oak Ridge Boys member William Lee Golden's son Rusty, 65, recently passed away on July 1, 2024. The cause of death has not been confirmed until now. Rusty followed in his father's footsteps over the years, developing his career as a musician alongside joining a band, The Rambos.

Apart from Rusty, William is a father of three more sons, Craig, Chris, and Solomon. The news of Rusty's death was confirmed in a press release shared with People magazine.

William also expressed his grief in a statement through his social media pages, saying that it is tough for him to face everything that happened. He continued:

"I love my family more than anything. Rusty was a great musician, a talented songwriter, and a wonderful son. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers for the days ahead. I love you, son."

William Lee Golden later shared a tribute post on Facebook with a photo of Rusty and requested privacy as the family mourns the loss.

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William Lee Golden's sons have been involved with the music industry for a long time

As mentioned, the Brewton, Alabama native has raised four children over the years. Although detailed information about his fourth son Solomon remains unknown, his other three sons have built a career in the world of music, including that they have once worked on a project in 2022, titled Golden Classics.

William Lee Golden's second son Craig gave his voice to the song Multi-Colored Lady by Gregg Allman. However, he has maintained a distance from the spotlight. His third son Chris has eight albums under his credits and won the Inspitational Country Music Awards Entertainer of the Year in 2019.

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Rusty played Piano and Drums

Coming to Rusty, he was an expert in drums and other musical instruments such as piano. He even contributed as a songwriter to the album Bobbie Sue, released by his father's band, and received an RIAA Gold Record in 1984. He even gained recognition for his solo albums, Angels and Sober.

While he released many solo projects, Rusty joined his father and brothers on different occasions, including a family band called William Lee Golden and The Goldens. Rusty addressed his experience of working with his family in an interview with Billboard in 2022, saying that it is a "blessing" to be able to create music with them. He also stated:

"In any child's life, you start thinking about your parent's age and it's like, 'Will that be the last time I'm ever on the stage with my dad?' And it might not be him that goes. Every day is a blessing and if I'm blessed to make music with my family, that's a double scoop of blessing."

He was also the co-founder of groups: The Boys Band and Golden Speer. While the former discontinued in two years, Golden Speer included his brother Chris as a member.

In an interview with Billboard in 2022, William Lee Golden spoke up on the experience of collaborating with his sons, saying that he raised them in such a way so that they can "love all types of music." He further stated that his children are talented and continued:

"My grandson Elijah and granddaughter Elizabeth were both included on several songs throughout the project. You can truly feel the family dynamic throughout all three CDs, which is something you rarely hear these days."

Furthermore, Chris and Rusty also launched a country music duo called The Goldens. In 1987, the group released their self-titled debut album followed by two more projects, Live '89 and Rush for Gold. They even became popular for their singles such as Sorry Girls and Keep the Faith.