Bonsall was the group’s tenor throughout the peak years, releasing hit crossover tracks “Bobbie Sue” and “Elvira,” which climbed to No. 12 and No. 5, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100. There was also a string of singles that topped the Billboard country music charts, including “I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes,” “This Crazy Love,” “It Takes a Little Rain” and “No Matter How High.”
“Elvira” would earn them a Country Music Association award for single of the year and a Grammy for country performances by a duo or group with vocal. In all, during Bonsall’s tenure, the group earned four CMA awards, four Grammys and four Gospel Music Association Dove awards. Bonsall was inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015 as a member of the Oak Ridge Boys.
That same year, Bonsall also made headlines for his negative reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry in the United States. “It’s a sad day for those that care about spirituality and principles based on the Bible!,” he wrote in a tweet. “Move on and join the 21st Century? I choose Jesus!”
Alongside other longtime members Duane Allen (joined in 1966), Richard Sterban (joined in 1972) and William Lee Golden, who joined in 1965 and left for a period in the late 1980 and 1990s, Bonsall has toured virtually nonstop, aside from a brief hiatus in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group’s ongoing Farewell tour carries on throughout the summer.
“We’re the act that won’t go away,” Bonsall told The Times in 1996 after a performance in Glendale. “We’re not kids anymore, but we’re out there rockin.’ ”