A Few Moments With Joe Bonsall of The Oak Ridge Boys
Gospel music promoter Wally Fowler, originator of the famous All Night Singin’s at the Ryman Auditorium, launched the Georgia Clodhoppers in 1943. Performing often for workers at the Manhattan Project plant at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, they became known as the Oak Ridge Quartet and then The Oak Ridge Boys. The current lineup dates back to 1973. They began recording country music in 1977, but these days fans can expect to hear their classic country hits and the best Southern Gospel.
Group member Joe Bonsall spoke to us from the Oaks’ tour bus en route to Bayfield, Wisconsin, where thousands of fans were waiting for them at the Big Top Chautauqua.
CMC: The recent 70th anniversary of D-Day must have brought back bittersweet memories for you because your father was in the D-Day landings.
J.B.: It really didn’t hit home until a few nights back when I watched D-Day in HD on the History Channel. I don’t mind telling you, I cried all the way through it. You hear about all the mistakes that were made, like my dad didn’t land where he was supposed to land. What a testament to those young men. And my dad was 19. They never stopped coming. They made a way where there was no way. Knowing my dad was somewhere in there choked me up. He was awarded a Bronze Star and a Silver Star and a Purple Heart. He always told me, “I wasn’t a hero. I was p*ssed off. They were killing my buddies.” I wrote a book about my mom and dad, G.I. Joe and Lillie. She was a WAC (Women’s Army Corps). They’re buried together at Arlington National Cemetery. Funny thing was, my dad was stationed in England near Bonsall Cross, where I guess we’re from, and I don’t think he ever knew it.
You grew up in Philadelphia in the ’60s. That was the time of Fabian, Frankie Avalon, “American Bandstand.” How did you get into Southern Gospel?
Philly was a mecca for that teenybopper music. In my early teens I was a half-assed hoodlum. Then a bunch of Christian kids came up to me. They knew I was interested in singing, I guess, and they invited me to a concert with the Blackwood Brothers. I liked these kids. I liked the way they lived their lives, and the concert was the greatest thing I’ve ever heard. That night was the turning point for me. Sixty-six years later, I’m still doing it.
You’re still a big Phillies fan. They’re propping up the NL East this season. Do you think they can make a run in the second half of the season?
I wish, but no. There’s something about this team. Seems like they don’t have it. It’s a young bullpen, and they just don’t cut it. And they can’t seem to beat teams in their own division. This year, I think the Marlins will be the dark horse team. Several of us are big baseball fans. [The Oaks bass singer] Richard Sterban was part owner of the Nashville Sounds [Nashville’s Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers] for 30 years.
How did you come to join The Oak Ridge Boys 41 years ago?
Richard [Sterban] and I became close friends, and he started this group called the Keystones. Richard left in the early ‘70s to join JD Sumner and the Stamps in Nashville, backing up Elvis for two years. Then in 1972, Richard joined The Oak Ridge Boys. I was still working with the Keystones, living in Buffalo, New York. I was promoting gospel shows up there, including The Oak Ridge Boys. I would bring them up there, and they’d bring the Keystones down South. We did a lot of work together. And then in 1973, when the Oaks’ longtime tenor, Willie Wynn, left, they offered me the job.
Does Richard talk much about his time with Elvis?
Talk about it! He’s going to write a book, “From Elvis to Elvira.” Elvis was really cool when Richard was with him. Thin, doing his karate moves. Just seeing Richard up there singing with him was cool!
The Opry is one of our partners on this cruise. You became members in 2011. Can you talk a little about what the Opry means to you?
Being inducted was the greatest honor ever. We would appear most any time they’d ask us if our schedule permitted, but it’s so different being a member. It feels like home there. It’s like people invite you dinner and then one time they invite you to stay the night and become part of the family. You really feel the history on that stage. The circle in the middle of the stage means so much more to me now. When we perform, the whole group makes sure to touch the circle. Being invited to join the Grand Ole Opry is an honor beyond words.
The Oak Ridge Boys have been one of the most successful groups in country music history. Do you ever give any thought to hanging it up?
The stock answer to that is that we love what we do, so why should we stop? We’re still in good health, why stop? People still want to hear us, so why stop? We’re still singing at a high level, so why stop? But it goes deeper than that. The Oak Ridge Boys is a THING. The big wheel is the Oaks, and we’re the spokes. We don’t want to see it end. It has been given to us to keep this name going, moving forward. Each of our middle names is “one of The Oak Ridge Boys.” I think only God will tell us when to stop.
We’re all looking forward to meeting you on the cruise. You’ve done cruises before. Did you enjoy the experience?
I thought I wouldn’t, but the folks on the cruise were wonderful. People were respectful. It was one of the greatest times I had, so I’m really looking forward to The Country Music Cruise. From what I understand, we’ll have the whole ship. It’s going to be a blast. We’re talking it up big-time on social media.
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