Oak Ridge Boys’ Joe Bonsall Dies: Jesus, Family ‘Always Came First’
By Movieguide® Contributor
The Oak Ridge Boy’s Joe Bonsall has died. The 76-year-old tenor passed away on Tuesday from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis complications.
“Bonsall, of Hendersonville, Tennessee, passed on to Glory on July 9, 2024, from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,” his family said in a statement. “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.”
Bonsall joined the Oakley Ridge Boys in 1973. He also was a Grand Ole Opry member and “was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame,” per WKRN.
His family’s statement continued:
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 Mayo Clinic defines Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as “a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS causes loss of muscle control. The disease gets worse over time…ALS often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg, trouble swallowing or slurred speech. Eventually ALS affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. There is no cure for this fatal disease.”
Joe Bonsall’s memoir titled “I See Myself” is set to release this November.
“I have FINISHED MY BOOK,” he posted earlier this year. “Oh I finished writing it long ago but I have been editing and doing rewrites and such the last 2 months. It’s a process…from here it is crossed fingers and sincere prayer that a publisher will love it. The style IS a bit different but I am happy with it.”
His other books include “a children’s series, The Molly Books, plus G.I. Joe and Lillie, written about his parents, and From My Perspective, among others,” Everything Nash reported.
Keep Bosnall’s family in your prayers as they process his death.
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