Joe Bonsall, a member of the famed Oak Ridge Boys for a significant amount of time and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, has passed away. He was 76 years old.
The singer passed away on Tuesday, July 9, due to complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as stated in a press notice that was shared with PEOPLE. Those who are left behind after his passing include his wife Mary Ann, his daughters Jennifer and Sabrina, his granddaughter Breanne, his grandson Luke, two great-grandsons named Chance and Grey, and his sister Nancy. The family would want to honor their desire to keep their privacy at this time.
Donations may be sent to the ALS Association or the Vanderbilt Medical Center ALS and Neuroscience Research Center. Although we will not be holding Bonsall’s funeral as he asked, both organizations will be grateful for your support.
It was many months after Bonsall, who was born Joseph S. Bonsall Jr., announced his retirement from touring with the Oak Ridge Boys that he passed away. Despite the fact that he had been fighting for his health for years, the tenor singer informed people that he was taking a break in order to concentrate on his health, but he did not disclose his precise condition at the time.
As many of you are aware, I have been dealing with a neuromuscular ailment that has progressively progressed over the course of the last four years. “I am now to the point where walking is impossible, so I have essentially retired from the road,” he noted in January. “Over the past four years, I have been dealing with this illness.” “The situation has just gotten too challenging. We have had a fantastic fifty years, and I would want to express my gratitude to the whole Oak Ridge Boys band crew and personnel for their unflinching love and support during this entire journey.
After that, the artist stated, “I will never forget, and for those of you who have been constantly holding me up in prayer, I thank you and ask that you continue to pray for me.”
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Bonsall had been a member of the Oak Ridge Boys for more than half a century prior to his passing. He had been a member of the band until his death. After beginning his singing career when he was just four years old, he “fell in love with Southern Gospel music harmony” while he was in his mid-teens, as stated on the website of the band.
He joined the legendary group in 1973, before they made their debut on the country music scene. During their time together, they not only produced dozens of hits, such as “American Made” in 1984, but they also won a multitude of awards, which led to them being inducted into the prestigious Grand Ole Opry, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Bonsall was one of the members of the group. During the year 1994, Bonsall was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Hall of Fame.
In addition to being a steadfast member of one of the most successful bands in the country music industry, Bonsall has accomplished a number of significant things outside of the realm of music. According to the press release, he has written eleven books, one of which is an upcoming memoir titled “I See Myself,” which is scheduled to be released in November.
A farewell tour was planned for the singer-songwriter’s band in order to commemorate their 50th anniversary before the singer-songwriter began his retirement. According to a press statement released by William Lee Golden, the band is going on a farewell tour because they feel that they owe it to their fans to say goodbye. They have never failed to be there for us, during both the good and the terrible times. I will be forever thankful to everyone who came out to see us perform, bought a T-shirt, played our music, and generally loved us enough to spend their own money whenever they had the opportunity to do so. “This tour is for you,” I will say.
“You could have never convinced 25-year-old Joe Bonsall in 1973 that in fifty years the four of us would still be singing together and still loving every second of it,” Bonsall said in a message to the people. “You could have never convinced me that we would still be singing together.”
“Let’s Sing has been our motto from the very beginning. “It is still the case!” he said. In spite of the fact that we have had our fair share of difficulties over the course of all these decades, we have never given up because we are guys who have always been concerned with doing things the right way, and God has rewarded us for that.