Joseph Sloan Bonsall Jr. (May 18, 1948 – July 9, 2024) was an American singer who was tenor vocalist of

the Oak Ridge Boys The Oak Ridge Boys are an American vocal quartet. The classic and most well-known lineup of the group, which performed together for over 40 years, consisted of William Lee Golden (baritone), Duane Allen (lead), Richard Sterban (bass), and Joe ...

from 1973 to 2023. Besides charting numerous hits as a member of the Oak Ridge Boys, Bonsall had a solo hit guesting with

Sawyer Brown Sawyer Brown is an American country music band. It was founded in 1981 in Apopka, Florida, by Mark Miller (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard (keyboards, vocals), Bobby Randall (lead guitar, vocals), Joe "Curly" Smyth (drums), an ...

on their 1986 single "

Out Goin' Cattin' ''Out Goin' Cattin is the third studio album by American country music band Sawyer Brown, released in 1986. Its title track, along with "Savin' the Honey for the Honeymoon" and "Gypsies on Parade", were all released as singles. Track listing ...

, on which he was credited as "Cat Joe Bonsall".

Biography

Bonsall was born on May 18, 1948 in Philadelphia, to Joseph Sloan Bonsall Sr., and Lillie Maude Collins, who both served in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He also had a sister, Nancy Marie. Bonsall performed in the Keystones, a

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

group based in the

Northeastern United States The Northeastern United States (also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. Located on the East Coast of the United States, ...

until joining

in 1973. As an author, he released a four-part children's book series in 1997 titled ''The Molly Books'' and in 2003 published ''GI Joe and Lillie'', a book about his parents' lives during and after

. He also authored ''On The Road With The Oak Ridge Boys'', ''An American Journey'', ''From My Perspective'', and ''An Inconvenient Christmas''. His last book, ''I See Myself'', a memoir, was released posthumously in November 2024. Bonsall was inducted into the

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...

in 2015 as a member of the Oak Ridge Boys.

Illness and death

Bonsall missed tour dates in 2022 due to a

pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of an pulmonary artery, artery in the lungs by a substance that has moved from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream (embolism). Symptoms of a PE may include dyspnea, shortness of breath, chest pain ...

. Mobility issues required him to perform most of his 2023 tour dates while seated. On January 3, 2024, Bonsall released a statement announcing his retirement from The Oak Ridge Boys due to a "slow-onset

neuromuscular disease A neuromuscular disease is any disease affecting the peripheral nervous system (PNS), the neuromuscular junctions, or skeletal muscles, all of which are components of the motor unit. Damage to any of these structures can cause muscle atrophy and we ...

", posthumously revealed to be

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, Terminal illness, terminal neurodegenerative disease, neurodegenerative disorder that results i ...

, with which he was diagnosed in 2019. It had not initially affected his breathing or singing ability. Ben James had already replaced him in the group by the time of the announcement. Bonsall died from complications of

ALS Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and low ...

Hendersonville, Tennessee Hendersonville is the most populous city in Sumner County, Tennessee, on Old Hickory Lake. As of the 2020 census the city's population was 61,753. Hendersonville is the fourth-most populous city in the Nashville metropolitan area after Nas ...

, July 9, 2024, aged 76.

Discography

Singles

References

External links

* * * 1948 births 2024 deaths Singers from Philadelphia American country singers American gospel singers American tenors The Oak Ridge Boys members Country musicians from Pennsylvania 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American male singers Deaths from motor neuron disease in the United States Neurological disease deaths in Tennessee {{US-country-singer-stub