The singer was 76
Joseph S. Bonsall of Hendersonville, Tennessee passed away on July 9th at the age of 76, from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). 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. He is preceded in death by his parents Joseph S. Bonsall Sr. and Lillie Bonsall.
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.
At the request of Joe, there will be no funeral. Instead of flowers, donations may be made to The ALS Association or to the Vanderbilt Medical Center ALS and Neuroscience Research Center.
The family is requesting privacy.
Bonsall joined The Oaks as the group’s tenor in 1973 and remained in the role through his retirement earlier this year. The group was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
Bonsall had suffered from the disease for four years. In January, Bonsall announced his retirement from touring, stating “I am now at a point where walking is impossible, so I have basically retired from the road. It has just gotten too difficult. It has been a great 50 years, and I am thankful to all the Oak Ridge Boys, band, crew, and staff for the constant love and support shown to me through it all. I will never forget, and for those of you who have been constantly holding me up in prayer, I thank you and ask for you to keep on praying.”
Bonsall was active on Twitter/X with his most recent post being on July 4th. “Hard to believe but a year ago today we picked up the little Maggie kitten and brought her home. She’s been here a year. She’s a great little cat,” he shared.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. “When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost,” the ALS Association states. “When voluntary muscle action is progressively affected, people may lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe.”
