Joe Bonsall (1948–2024), 50-year member of The Oak Ridge Boys
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2 min readJoe Bonsall was a singer and author who spent 50 years with the country music vocal group The Oak Ridge Boys.
- Died:efbfbde280afJuly 9, 2024 (Who else died on July 9?)c2
- Details of death:efbfbde280afDied in Hendersonville, Tennessee of ALS at the age of 76.
- We invite you to share condolencesefbfbde280affor Joe Bonsall in ourefbfbde280afGuest Book.c2
Joe Bonsalle28099s legacy
Joe Bonsall was the e2809cnew guye2809d in The Oak Ridge Boys. A vocal group formed in 1943 as the Oak Ridge Quartet, they were focused on Southern gospel music until the 1970s, when they began to focus more on country. Philadelphia-born Bonsall joined them in 1973 after spending time with the Keystone Quartet, the last full member to join the band. In fact, with the Quartet, Bonsall had already recorded and performed many Oak Ridge Boys songs.
Bonsall was an official Oak Ridge Boy tenor when they had their 1981 crossover hit, e2809cElvira,e2809d which reached No. 5 on the Billboarde28099s Hit 100 and No. 1 on the country charts. They repeated their crossover success the next year with e2809cBobbie Sue.e2809d Bonsalle28099s voice is prominent on many of the groupe28099s 17 No. 1-charting country singles, and he toured consistently with them until his retirement in 2023, when amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, robbed him of his ability to perform.
He was also an author, penning 11 books in all. They include e2809cOn the Road with The Oak Ridge Boys: Forty Years of Untold Stories and Adventures;e2809d his memoir, e2809cI See Myself;e2809d and short-story collections like e2809cChristmas Miracle.e2809d
Bonsall is in the Philadelphia Music Hall of Fame, Gospel Music Hall of Fame, Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Notable quote
e2809cWe love the music and have a ton of respect for each other and what each brings to the table.e2809d e28094 Interview with the Kerusso Blog, 2018
Tributes to Joe Bonsall
Full obituary: JosephBonsall.comc2
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