Singer Joe Bonsall was the tenor vocalist of the country and gospel vocal quartet, the Oak Ridge Boys. He performed with the group from 1973 until 2023, recording dozens of singles and albums and amassing countless fans. The group joined the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
The beloved star also went by the stage name “Cat Joe Bonsall” when he recorded a solo hit, “Out Goin’ Cattin’,” alongside the band Sawyer Brown.
Bonsall was a family man who loved his wife, Mary Ann; daughters, Jennifer and Sabrina; granddaughter, Breanne; grandson, Luke; two great-grandsons, Chance and Grey; and sister, Nancy. As the picture below shows, he also loved animals and had several family pets.
Sadly, Bonsall passed away on July 9, 2024. So what happened?
How did Joe Bonsall die?
On Jan. 3, 2024, Joe Bonsall released a statement on his X confirming his retirement from performing with the Oak Ridge Boys after “a great 50 years.” The statement said, “Many of you know I have been battling a slow onset (over 4 years now) of a neuromuscular disorder. I am now to a point that walking is impossible so I have basically retired from the road.”
It would be the disease that took his life on July 9, six months after his retirement. He was 76.
The disorder Bonsall referred to in his statement was posthumously revealed as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Bonsall’s publicist announced his death on his various social media accounts, including Instagram, with touching words: “Joe loved to sing. He loved to read. He loved to write. He loved to play banjo. He loved working on the farm. And he loved the Philadelphia Phillies. But Jesus and his family always came first—and we will see him again on the Promised Day.” The statement ended by saying, “The family is requesting privacy.”
Tributes were led by the likes of Blake Shelton, who wrote on X, “I’m heartbroken to hear of my friend Joe Bonsalls passing. I’ve NEVER seen Joe when he wasn’t smiling and completely full of life.”
May Joe Bonsall rest in peace.