‘We All Lost a Special Person Today’: Blake Shelton Pays Tribute to Joe Bonsall

Blake Shelton is mourning the loss of Joe Bonsall. After a spokesperson for his family confirmed Tuesday that Bonsall passed away on Tuesday, July 9 at the age of 76, a “heartbroken” Shelton joined the chorus of country music stars paying tribute to the late country legend.

“I’m heartbroken to hear of my friend Joe Bonsall’s passing. I’ve NEVER seen Joe when he wasn’t smiling and completely full of life. He absolutely loved singing like no one I ever met,” the “Sangria” singer, who collaborated with the Southern gospel group on his song “Doing It to Country Songs” in 2016 wrote on X (formerly Twitter) alongside a throwback photo of himself performing onstage with Bonsall and Oak Ridge Boys members Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his @theoakridgeboys brothers. We all lost a special person today.”

Bonsall passed away Tuesday from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a neurological disease he’d been battling for several years. His passing came just months after he announced his retirement from touring in January in order to prioritize his health, and just days after the passing of Golden’s son Rusty Golden at the age of 65.

Bonsall was a long-time member of legendary country and gospel group, first joining the Oak Ridge Boys in 1973, singing lead on some of the group’s biggest hits, including “Elvira,” “Bobbie Sue,” and “American Made.” The statement announcing his death not only commemorated him as “a 50-year member of the American music group The Oak Ridge Boys,” but also as “a member of the Grand Ole Opry and inducted into the Philadelphia Music Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and the prestigious Country Music Hall of Fame.”

Amid news of his death, many country stars turned to social media to pay their respects. On X, Trace Adkins wrote, “Joe Bonsall was one of the kindest people I ever met. He was a rock star, and he was a wonderful human being. RIP Joe.” Writing that his “heart is heavy,” Travis Tritt said Bonsall “had amazing talent and a wonderful personality and he will be missed terribly by everyone who knew him.” In a statement, Country Musica Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young said Bonsall’s “tenor voice was high and clear, and his jovial spirit always provided a jolt of energy, rousing audiences to come on in and take a load off.”

Bonsall is survived by his wife, Mary Bonsall, their daughters Jennifer and Sabrina, as well as two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.