Joe Bonsall of The Oak Ridge Boys revealed he will no longer tour with the legendary band. Bonsall said he’s retiring because of a neuromuscular disorder that has impacted his ability to walk. Turing has “gotten too difficult,” he said.
Bonsall, 75, first confirmed with PEOPLE on Wednesday (January 3) that he would retire. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-born tenor vocalist also shared his personal statement in a post on X, also known by former name Twitter, on Wednesday morning. Bonsall said he’s battled “a slow onset” of his disorder in recent years, and “I am now to a point that walking is impossible so I have basically retired from the road. It has just gotten too difficult. 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.”
The Oak Ridge Boys — beloved country/gospel vocal group that also includes Duane Allen, Richard Sterban and William Lee Golden, in addition to Bonsall — reportedly introduced Ben James during their recent performance in Mississippi. James, who has previously performed “Elvira” on stage with the Country Music Hall of Fame members, is set to step in for Bonsall on the group’s farewell tour.
“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!” Bonsall said in his statement. “The [Oak Ridge Boys] 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 announced their “American Made: Farewell Tour,” marking their 50th anniversary milestone, in September.
“We are doing a farewell tour because we owe it to our fans to say goodbye,” Golden said in a statement at that time. “They have always been there for us through the good times and the bad. I will always be thankful to every person who came out to a show, bought a t-shirt, played our music, and overall, loved us enough to spend their hard-earned money whenever they could. This tour is for you!”