Joe Bonsall, the tenor vocalist for The Oak Ridge Boys for over 50 years, passed away at the age of 76 on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
Joe Bonsall had performed with The Oak Ridge Boys for five decades before announcing his retirement in January 2024 due to declining health. In a press release, it was confirmed that Bonsall’s cause of death was complications from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The Oak Ridge Boys broke their silence on the passing of their longtime friend and bandmate by releasing an official statement on their website.
“Joseph S. Bonsall (76) of Hendersonville, Tennessee passed on to Glory on July 9, 2024, from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. He leaves behind his precious wife, Mary Ann, daughters Jennifer and Sabrina, granddaughter Breanne, grandson Luke, two great grandsons, Chance and Grey, and a sister, Nancy…”
The statement continued, “As a 50-year member of the American music group The Oak Ridge Boys, Joe was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and inducted into the Philadelphia Music Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and the prestigious Country Music Hall of Fame… Joseph is also the author of 11 books including his latest, a memoir entitled I See Myself, which releases in November. Joe loved to sing. He loved to read. He loved to write. He loved to play banjo. He loved working on the farm. And he loved the Philadelphia Phillies. But Jesus and his family always came first—and we will see him again on the Promised Day.”
The news of Bonsall’s passing deeply affected many who knew and loved him, causing so much traffic to the band’s website that it temporarily crashed.
“Our website is currently overloaded and is temporarily crashed. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to get it back online as soon as possible,” the band wrote on their Facebook page shortly after announcing Bonsall’s passing.
In addition to mourning their beloved bandmate, The Oak Ridge Boys are also dealing with the unexpected passing of Rusty Golden, the son of member William Lee Golden. Rusty passed away just a week prior, on July 1, 2024, at his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, at the age of 65.
Due to Joe’s wishes, there will be no funeral services. Instead of flowers, those who wish to honor his memory may donate to The ALS Association or the Vanderbilt Medical Center ALS and Neuroscience Research Center.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bonsall’s extended family, friends, and bandmates as they navigate this time of grief.