Joe Bonsall (born Joseph S. Bonsall Jr.), born and raised in Philadelphia and a longtime member of the legendary band The Oak Ridge Boys, sadly passed away this Tuesday. The 2015 Hall of Famer may be gone but he left behind a legacy that lives through his music that won’t make him forgotten. Bonsall retired from touring months before his death due to his debilitating illness which led to his sorrowful passing.
The Oak Ridge Boys’ Joe Bonsall’s Cause of Death
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was what led to Joe Bonsall’s death. It is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, which leads to loss of muscle control. No cause has been known for this fatal disease and, unfortunately, it has no cure. It eventually leads to loss of control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. The Oak Ridge Boys singer requested not to have a funeral, instead, he wants everyone to donate to the ALS Association or the Vanderbilt Medical Center ALS and Neuroscience Research Center. In 2022, Bonsall previously nearly died from pulmonary embolisms but it was sadly ALS that got him this year.
The Oak Ridge Boys’ Joe Bonsall’s Legacy
Bonsall joined the band in 1973 and has been with them for over five decades. The band, including Joe Bonsall, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban, won five Grammy Awards. Furthermore, the country superstar is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Additionally, he was also inducted into the Philadelphia Music Hall of Fame back in 1994. The group got famous for their 1981 smash Elvira which hit No. 1 on the country chart and reached No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Overall, the country band had 17 No. 1 country songs and landed 34 in country’s top 10.
Bonsall was able to participate in the initial dates of the “American Made: Farewell Tour,” in September of 2023. However, he retired from touring on January 3rd of this year from touring as he has come to a point that walking is impossible. Singer Ben James covered for the country star in the farewell tour as they proceeded without him. Bonsall has also written 11 books, including a memoir that will be published this November titled, “I See Myself.”
In Loving Memory of Joe Bonsall
“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.”
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