TownTalk: Joe Bonsall Of The Oak Ridge Boys
The legendary quartet known as the Oak Ridge Boys will take the stage at McGregor Hall later this month for a concert filled with some of their most popular songs, from old-time Gospel favorites to the iconic “oom-pah-pah-mao-mao” hit “Elvira.”
Tickets for the Saturday, Jan. 28 show are available now at www.mcgregorhall.org. The show begins at 7 p.m.
Bill Harris spoke by phone Thursday with Joe Bonsall, who has been with the group close to 50 years. At 74, he’s the “baby” of the group; Duane Allen and Richard Sterban are both 79 and William Lee Golden – “the guy with the beard,” Bonsall said, is 84 years young.
First known as the “Georgia Clodhoppers,” the group was originally formed in 1943 – during World War II, to put it into historical context.
Over the years, the quartet has seen dozens of members come and go, but these four have been together for a good while, enjoying about half a century of producing music and touring as The Oak Ridge Boys.
“We we bring more history to the stage than any other act in the business,” Bonsall told WIZS’s Bill Harris during Thursday’s TownTalk. “We love finding new songs and we love singing the old stuff,” he said. And as long as the four vocalists are able to sing together and create a good sound, he said he hopes they keep right on touring. They may dial back their normal 150-shows-a-year rate back to 120 or so this year, but that’s no big deal.
“Right now, we’re excited about this year,” Bonsall said.
Whether they’re performing at fairs, festivals or smaller venues like the 1,000-seat McGregor Hall, Bonsall said the group just enjoys performing together.
“We love what we do – we love each other,” he explained. “I enjoy putting on a show…I don’t care where it is,” he added. Their attitude is “let’s go sing.”
And sing they will for the audience at McGregor Hall. The set list may change a bit from show to show, but expect some of their standards like “Elvira” and “The Y’all Come Back Saloon.” And for sure they’ll be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of “American Made,” he said. They won’t turn their backs on their Gospel roots either and listeners surely will enjoy some cuts from the “Front Porch Singing” album, released in 2021.
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