Oak Ridge Boys tenor Joe Bonsall dies at 76
Joe Bonsall, Grammy award winner and celebrated tenor of the country and gospel group the Oak Ridge Boys, died Tuesday, July 9. He was 76.
By News Channel NebraskaHENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. -- Joe Bonsall, Grammy award winner and celebrated tenor of the country and gospel group the Oak Ridge Boys, died Tuesday. He was 76.
Bonsall died from complications of the neuromuscular disorder Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, according to a statement from representatives of his family.
“Joe loved to sing. He loved to read. He loved to write,” the statement read. “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.”
A Philadelphia native and resident of Hendersonville, Tenn., Bonsall left his gospel group the Keystones in 1973 to join the Oak Ridge Boys, which originally formed in the 1940s. He saw the band through its golden period in the ’80s and beyond, which included its signature 1981 song, “Elvira,” its 1982 hit “Bobbie Sue” and 1983’s “American Made.” “Elvira” marked a massive crossover moment for the group, reaching No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100.