Why am I sad? He wasn't family. He wasn't a friend. I never met him in person. He never knew me... but I heard him sing and now I grieve.
Joe Bonsall of the Oakridge Boys passed away from ALS on July 9, 2024 at the age of 76.
I was first introduced to a love of the Oakridge Boys music because of an album that was in my parents LP collection. "Fancy Free" came out in 1981. It was the year before we left B.C. I don't know when my parents acquired the album, but there is a hand written price of $2.00 on it, so I am guessing that Dad picked it up at a thrift store. Mom doesn't remember the details about the acquisition.
I downloaded the album into my iTunes this week and the songs are still in my head. I can sing along to every one of them. I must have worn that album out back in the day. I had a crush on Richard Sterban, but who didn't. He was that good looking bass singer for the Oaks.
In the last few years, the Oaks music came back to me and I enjoyed watching them on Youtube. What amazed me this time was the energy that Joe Bonsall brought to the performances. His vibrancy and passion is attractive... and more so than my girlhood crush on the bass singer. Joe was the life of that group.
I think my sadness comes more from the hole in the group, than the loss of the man. I went through a similar loss feeling when I found out that Carlos from Il Divo died during Covid. I wasn't too attached to Carlos as a person, but the hole he left in his foursome was massive.
I will end this post by sharing some of my Oakridge Boyz favourite music videos.
And my favourite Oaks Album of all time is the one that I listened to over and over again as a teenager. The words to the songs still rest in my memory
And a remembering of the Oaks wouldn't be complete without some gospel, for that was their roots and the music they are most connected to. Some how, even now... I think their vocals shine the best when they are singing gospel music.
Remembering Joe Bonsall (Time has made a change in me, I love to tell the story)
"I want to sing just a little love song
I want to sing to you for a little while
Back up and toe the line for you
I want to be your all in all"
Lyrics of "Love Song" sung by Joe Bonsall of the Oakridge boys