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After a half-decade as an Oak Ridge Boy, singer Joe Bonsall has announced his retirement more than four years after being diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder.
The announcement, made during a concert Saturday in Greenville, MS, comes amid increased speculation about Bonsall among fans of the country music group. During the show at Harlow’s Casino Resort, Bonsall officially handed over the mic to his touring replacement, singer Ben James.
Since 1973, Bonsall’s tenor vocals and high harmonies have been an integral part of the Oak Ridge Boys sound, including on such crossover hits as “Elvira” and “Bobbie Sue.”
In a statement, Bonsall said: “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.”
He continued: “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.”
Bonsall offered his own encouragement to his replacement, saying that James’ sound is different from his own but “he brings a ton of talent to the table.”
The Oak Ridge Boys are on what is being billed as their final concert tour. Bonsall said the band will complete the tour, which is booked through June, and that he is “good with all of it.”
The vocal group, which has sold more than 41 million records, won five Grammys and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015, currently includes longtime members Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban. The group was founded in 1943 as the Oak Ridge Quartet, changing its name to the Oak Ridge Boys in the 1960s as it moved from its original bluegrass sound to gospel and eventually country.
James came to the group’s attention in 2022 when his previous band Daily & Vincent was on the same bill as the Oak Ridge Boys.
“Joe handed me the mic and said, ‘You’ve got the next verse,’ James said in a statement about Saturday’s concert. “And I’m not sure I will ever get over that moment. ‘Elvira’ was always on repeat when I was growing up. It’s still one of those timeless songs that never grow old.”
The group is expected to begin recording a new album later this month with their Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb.
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