The Oak Ridge Boys recently revealed that Joe Bonsall personally chose his replacement in the band before his tragic passing earlier this year. The band mourned the loss of Bonsall, who died in July from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Speaking with American Songwriter, The Oak Ridge Boys singer Duane Allen opened up about Bonsall and his death.
"Joe just didn't want any kind of pity party or anything like that happening," Allen said. "A few of us knew. He just wanted to address it as a muscle degenerative disease, which is what ALS is. And so that's the way we addressed it."
Allen told the outlet that he visited Bonsall the day before he died at his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee. "I went home to get some rest, and he breathed his last breath about 3 a.m.," Allen said. "He had a great life, and he's greatly missed. The guy (Ben James) who took his place looked at Joe as a hero, and he knew everything that Joe had ever sung."
Joe Bonsall Says Goodbye
Bonsall chose his replacement rather than letting the band retire with him. "We told him, 'Look, if you go down, we're going down. We'll just retire the group," Allen said. "We talked, and we talked."
Initially, Bonsall committed to 50 dates with the Oak Ridge Boys. Eventually, he settled on Ben James taking over his spot in the band. He played with James a few years ago when James was a part of the bluegrass duo Daily & Vincent.
Oak Ridge Boy Richard Sterban said Bonsall handed James the microphone. "We all looked at each other, went, 'Wow, this kid can sing,'" Sterban said. "He knew everything Joe had ever sung."
Ultimately, they brought James on tour with them. Bonsall bowed out at Christmas last year.
The Oak Ridge Boys brought James on tour with them. Bonsall made it through the last Christmas show
"Joe told us as we walked him over to his wheelchair on the edge of the stage, he told us, 'I'm done,'" Allen said. "He said, 'I got to go home and deal with my illness.'"
Bonsall personally called James to take over.
"He said, 'Ben, I'm done. Get on your singing britches,'" Allen quoted. "And Joe is the one that called Ben. So, Ben has been with us ever since. He's great to sing with."
