Joe Bonsall, tenor singer for The Oak Ridge Boys, has announced his plans to retire from touring.
Bonsall, 75, shared in a statement posted on X: “Many of you know I have been battling a slow onset (over four years now) of a neuromuscular disorder. 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. There is a young man named Ben James singing for me out there, and he needs your love and encouragement … his sound is different than mine, but he brings a ton of talent to the table! The Oak Ridge Boys will finish the Farewell Tour without me, but rest assured, I am good with all of it! God’s Got It!!!”
Bonsall, who hails from Philadelphia, has lived in Nashville for nearly 40 years, joining The Oak Ridge Boys in 1973. Ben James was announced as Bonsall’s replacement during a concert in Greenville, Mississippi, on Dec. 30, 2023 by fellow-members Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, and Richard Ster. The 27-year-old James has previously performed with Quicksilver and Dailey & Vincent, and was introduced to Oak Ridge Boys’ fans in 2022. The Oak Ridge Boys are planning a full touring calendar through June and anticipate returning to the studio in late January.
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