Pretty simple I turned fifty and wrote this!! I will be 55 years old on May
18, 2003 I am still amazed and still very much Blessed (JSB)

(edited and updated 1-20-99)

After a show in Missouri a few months back The Boys and buses headed home to
Hendersonville and I stayed on in Springfield for an extra night. It so
happened that I had to fly to Chicago early the next morning for a Molly Book
author event. At 6:30 AM the following morning I boarded the Holiday Inn
shuttle van for the airport. I sat in the back of the van, somewhat incognito
as six twenty something business men climbed aboard. They began some small
talk about what they all had done the night before in Springfield.
"Hey, I went to see The Oak Ridge Boys last night!" My ears perked.
"How were they?"
"Man, they were great, I hadn't seen them in years and they were Rockin!"
"Geees," answered one young man. "Aren't those dudes like, IN THEIR FIFTIES?"
Some lighthearted laughter as we arrived at the airport.
I sat in the back of the van, cap on backwards, sunglasses on and a smile on
my face. "Yeah." I thought. "Those dudes are definitely in their fifties! I
am the youngest Oak and I actually faced the Big Five-0 on May 18th, 1998. My
partners were already swimming in those waters and it seems just fine by to
me to go ahead and jump right in!
Now time is a unique partner who jogs a few yards up ahead of us, constantly
peeking back over the shoulder to make sure that we are still in the picture.
The passing of time also inspires us to occasionally look back over our own
shoulder so that we might study the pathways that we have taken to this point
and therefore help us ascertain perhaps just a glimpse of what may lie ahead,
providing that God, in his infinite wisdom allows us to stay in this picture
I have a framed picture of myself on a country music magazine cover from
around 1983. I am in a semi curly headed state, dressed up in a black suit
and a pink shirt. I am in some sort of a motion pose. The cover reads "The
Oaks Mr. Energy..... Joe Bonsall!" I was thirty five and feeling strong as a
bull, however, if you would have asked that smiling "Boy" if he thought that
he would still be doing this at fifty, I am quite sure that he would have
pulled a laugh muscle. Yet, here I am and here we all are still burning up
the road and having a royal blast. God has truly blessed The Oak Ridge Boys.
Our hands are still in the cookie jar and we haven't been caught yet!
A DJ in California called us The Rolling Stones of Country Music and after
seeing The Stones last year, I kind of liked that. I think that he meant
"Older guys, still cutting it!" At least I hope that is what he meant. I like
to think we look a bit better. I mean, no one is going to confuse us with Tom
Cruise or The Clark Family boys, but face it, The Stones are one ugly band!
Much has been said about the state of Country Radio these days. Who they are
playing and who they are NOT playing as we enter the next century. The Oaks
last radio hit was Lucky Moon in early 1992 which ended a successful streak
of 15 consecutive years of hit records. Fourteen gold albums, three platinum
and one double platinum hang on my wall. Therefore you will never hear me
complain. Times change and then change some more. It is true that many young
record company and radio executives do not want to deal with older artists,
however, I have never detected a hint of disrespect toward our group. Let's
face it, no artist has ever been guaranteed hit records for life except maybe
Elton John. When was the last time that you heard Frank Sinatra on top forty
radio. Anyhow, that's my opinion and as Dennis Miller says, "I could be
wrong."
However, we ARE going to get a shot at it. We have just signed a new contract
with Platinum Records and Entertainment in Nashville. We will record TEN new
songs produced by our legendary producer and good friend Ron Chancey. New
music IS the heart and soul of any recording artist and we are digging up
some incredible songs. Platinum has the vision to creatively market The Oaks
and take a shot at radio as well. But are we ready?? This group has always
faced every challenge that has ever come our way and I'll admit that I am
proud of us.
This has been a great time period to have been alive. Like I said, God has
truly blessed me. I have seen everything from the birth of Rock and Roll to
the microprocessor. Vietnam to the great Disco scare. The Bull Market to
Garth Brooks. My Phillies even won The World Series in 1980! (priorities!)
My parents aren't well, but they are still with me. I have a great sister,
Nancy, two wonderful daughters, Jennifer and Sabrina, a sweet granddaughter,
Breanne, a grandson, Luke, five superstar Cats and a beautiful loving and
supportive wife, my Mary Ann. I get to host Prime Time Country once in a
while, my third Molly Book "OUTSIDE" came out this summer and Book #4
BREWSTER will release in August of 99.
I still get to travel and sing all year long with my three best friends,
Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban. A group of talented,
intelligent, diverse men who never lie, always give every opportunity their
best shot and laugh a lot! So then, an Oak looks at fifty with a lot to be
thankful for and as long I never look out of place onstage, I hope that God
continues to just let me keep on singing. As for "Mr. Energy?" Oh, I'm still
in pretty good shape. I may pace myself a little differently these days, but
rest assured, I can still Rock your socks off!
The Big Five-0? Bring it on. I see the half century mark as a celebration and
a new challenge. There are only so many springtimes, so many summers, so many
shows. I hope to enjoy every single one of them!
Makes me wonder what I'll be doing at sixty?

(Hmmmmmmmm, 60 is NOT that far away anymore!! JSB!)