Joe Bonsall, a Philadelphia native and tenor voice of the Oak Ridge Boys for more than five decades, died on July 9 at the age of 76, writes Bill Friskics-Warren for The New York Times.

The Oak Ridge Boys is one of the most popular and enduring vocal groups in country music’s history. While it started as a Southern gospel quartet, the group reinvented itself as a country act at the start of the 1970s. Over the years, the group had 17 Billboard No. 1 country singles and an additional 17 that made the country Top 10.

The Oak Ridge Boys sold over 41 million records around the globe. The group disbanded and reformed twice before Bonsall joined them in 1973.

“We were the first group to have our own band, the first drummer ever in gospel music,” Bonsall said during an interview.

Two of the group’s best-known No. 1 hits, “Elvira” and “Bobbie Sue,” featured Bonsall on lead vocals instead of their regular lead singer, Duane Allen.

“‘Elvira’ was a gigantic shock,” said Bonsall in a 2015 interview. “Everybody in this country was singing ‘oom papa mow mow.’ It was just unbelievable.”

Bonsall is survived by his wife of 41 years, two daughters, two grandchildren, and two great-grandsons.

Read more about Joe Bonsall and his legacy in The New York Times.

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