Joe BonsallThe longtime tenor of the iconic country/gospel group The Oak Ridge Boys is dead.
Joe died on Tuesday from complications from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)… according to a statement from his band.
He had been battling ALS — also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — for over 4 years… and in January he announced he was pulling out of the group’s farewell tour.
Joe was the lead singer of The Oak Ridge Boys for half a century… and has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and the Philadelphia Music Hall of Fame.
A member of the Grand Ole Opry, Joe also played the banjo… and is the author of 11 books, including a memoir due out in November titled “I See Myself.”
Joe grew up in Philadelphia and joined The Oak Ridge Boys in 1973… and his family says he loved working on his farm in Tennessee and loved the Philadelphia Phillies.
CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Kyle Young is remembering Joe as the “spark” of The Oak Ridge Boys and “as exciting a performer as any who ever graced a gospel or country stage.”
Kyle adds… Joe’s “tenor voice was loud and clear, and his jovial spirit always provided a jolt of energy, immediately rousing the audience to come in and relax. He certainly eased our worries every time he sang.”
Joe leaves behind a wife, two daughters, four grandchildren and a sister.
He was 76 years old.
TO TEAR APART