[ad_1]
Joe Bonsall, of the legendary quartet The Oak Ridge Boys, is bidding adieu to his fellow bandmates, saying in an emotional assertion that he is stepping away from touring due to ongoing well being considerations.
“Many of you know I have been battling a slow onset (over 4 years now) of a neuromuscular disorder,” the tenor wrote on X. “I am now to a point that walking is impossible so I have basically retired from the road. It has just gotten too difficult.”
The group is at present on their farewell tour, the place Bonsall, 75, has been seen singing from atop a stool.
Joe Bonsall, left, raises his hand to the group in Nashville, Tennessee, from his stool whereas performing alongside The Oak Ridge Boys. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
“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,” he wrote. “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,” he added.
Joe Bonsall was pictured performing in 2022, atop a stool. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Bonsall shortly pivoted from his announcement, selecting to laud his alternative, musician Ben James.
“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! @oakridgeboys will finish the Farewell Tour without me but rest assured I am good with all of it! God’s Got It!!!”
The Oak Ridge Boys was initially based in 1943. They are pictured right here, performing in 1984. (Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
James, a 27-year-old musician, first appeared alongside the boys in 2022 throughout a live performance in West Virginia.
“Joe handed me the mic and said, ‘You’ve got the next verse,’ James remembered, per People magazine. “And I’m undecided I’ll ever recover from that second. ‘Elvira’ was all the time on repeat once I was rising up. It’s nonetheless a kind of timeless songs that by no means develop previous.”
The Oak Ridge Boys consisted of baritone William Lee Golden, tenor Joe Bonsall, bass Richard Sterban and Duane Allen, the lead vocalist. (Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The band, originally founded in 1943, consisted of baritone William Lee Golden, tenor Bonsall, bass Richard Sterban and Duane Allen, the lead vocalist, during its heyday in the 70s and 80s.
They were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
A representative for the group did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, although they have been reposting the news of Bonsall’s retirement to X.
[ad_2]
Source hyperlink