The Country Music Association announced three newly elected inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Jim Ed Brown and the Browns will be inducted in the Veteran’s Era category. The late Grady Martin will be inducted as a Recording and/or Touring Musician active prior to 1980. The Oak Ridge Boys will be the 2015 inductee in the Modern Era category. These artists will be inducted during a special Medallion Ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the CMA Theater later this year. During the Medallion Ceremony, friends and colleagues pay tribute to each inductee through words and song. Bronze plaques honoring each inductee are unveiled, to be displayed later in the museum’s Rotunda.ROCK OF AGES
2. In The Garden
3. Blessed Assurance
4. Oh Come Angel Band
5. Sweet Jesus
6. I Love To Tell The Story
7. Peace Within (with The Isaacs)
8. Father I Stretch My Hand To Thee
9. Time Has Made A Change
10. Farther Along
11. Have A Talk With Jesus
12. God's Unchanging Handv 13. Life's Railway To Heaven
14. Power In The Blood
15. Sweet By And By
ON THE ROAD WITH THE OAK RIDGE BOYS: FORTY YEARS OF UNTOLD STORIES AND MEMORIES
BY JOSEPH S. BONSALL MAY 1, 2015
As a boy, Joe Bonsall stood before the mirror in his bedroom pretending to be Elvis Presley, belting out tune after rockin' tune. With God's guidance and amazing open doors, Joe's dream of singing onstage with a top-notch quartet became a reality in October 1973 when he was invited to join The Oak Ridge Boys. For more than 40 years, Joe has lived that dream with his fellow Oaks, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban.
Here Joe recounts highlights of the Boys' past four decades of music and fun. You'll read about...
*the faith shared by all four Oaks
*the big question they're always asked
*what the Boys do on the tour bus
*stories about special fans they've met down through the years
*their surprise megahit, "Elvira," and how it came about
These on-the-road stories will bring laughter, insight, and heartfelt appreciation to young and old. Joseph S. Bonsall, tenor for The Oak Ridge Boys, lives with his wife, Mary Ann, and their seven cats on a 350-acre farm on the Tennessee/Kentucky border. He has two grown daughters and two grand-children. Joe has been an Oak Ridge Boy for more than forty years and is the author of nine previous books, including the Molly the Cat series, An Inconvenient Christmas, An American Journey, Christmas Miracles, G.I. Joe & Lillie and From My Perspective.
JOE BONSALL BIO:
Joe’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, background shows through clearly in his love of the Philadelphia Phillies. According to him, “I live and die with the Phillies, no matter where they are. 1993 was great for me; one of the highlights was going home to Philadelphia and taking my parents to two World Series games. That was so cool.” Now a Nashvillian for almost four decades, Joe is also a Tennessee Titans football fan. He and his wife Mary attend Titans’ games whenever he is in town.
Joe is an avid writer and songwriter. He became a published children’s book author in 1997 with The Molly Books, a four-book series published by Ideal’s Children’s Books. In 2003, New Leaf Press published G. I. Joe and Lillie: Remembering a Life of Love and Loyalty, an inspirational biography Joe penned about his parents. His song by the same name was included on the Oaks’ Colors album, released the same year. A music video of the song reemerged in the summer of 2009 and became a YouTube phenomenon with more than five million views. His new book, On the Road with The Oak Ridge Boys, will release from Harvest House Publishers in May 2015.
Joe also wrote the title song to the Oaks’ The Journey album, as well as the text for the Oaks’ coffee table book, An American Journey. New Leaf also published his Christmas story, An Inconvenient Christmas. In September 2010, Journey Press, a division of Sheaf House, released his latest hardbound book, From My Perspective, a collection of commentaries, stories and other writings. Christmas Miracles, a collection of short stories and commentaries, originally published in 2008, was updated in 2012.
For relaxation, Joe retreats to his farm on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line and can often be found on his John Deere tractor mowing part of his 350-acres—or sitting on his front porch and playing his banjo, an instrument he has played for almost eleven years! He plays a step-out lead on the Oaks’ new Rock of Ages CD.
Joe joined the Oaks in 1973. As with the other group members, much of his time is spent on the road performing, but Joe has found his own way to get the maximum possible enjoyment out of touring.
Joe has two daughters, Jennifer and Sabrina, and two grandchildren, Breanne and Luke. He and Mary also have seven cats, Sunny, Sally Ann, Ted, Baybe’, Blackie, Crockett, and Mitty.
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