THE OAK RIDGE BOYS SHARE LOVING TRIBUTE TO LATE BANDMATE JOE BONSALL IN 'PROMISED LAND' MUSIC VIDEO (EXCLUSIVE)

"His performance is unforgettable," Richard Sterban tells PEOPLE of the talents of his friend, who died on July 9 from complications of ALS

There were songs that only Joe Bonsall could sing.

One of those songs was a song called "Promised Land" which found a home on The Oak Ridge Boys’ 2021 album Front Porch Singin’. The gorgeously worded and delivered song that begins with the line — don't weep for me when I'm dead and gone, for I'll just be going home — now seems to be reverberating in the hearts of those who loved the late tenor vocalist.

"'Promised Land' is a great example of Joe Bonsall's ability to capture the message of a great song and communicate that message to the listener," Richard Sterban, 81, tells PEOPLE of the talents of his friend and The Oak Ridge Boys bandmate, who died on July 9 from complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). "His performance is unforgettable."

And now, that unforgettable performance will forever be illuminated in a brand-new music video for the soul stirring song. Premiering exclusively on PEOPLE, the recently created music video for “Promised Land” features countless memories from the incredible history of the legendary country group now made up of Sterban, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, and The Oak Ridge Boys’ newest member Ben James.

"[The video] is so very moving,” James, 28, tells PEOPLE. “It makes me smile to think that Joe is now with the one he loved to sing about. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — nobody can get the message of a song across like Joe Bonsall."

Certainly, the story of “Promised Land” has always been a special one, as it was written by fellow country artist Ashley Monroe at the request of The Oak Ridge Boys’ Duane Allen.

“I called Ashley Monroe and asked her to write a song for our Front Porch Singin’ album," remembers Allen, 81, in an interview with PEOPLE mere months after the passing of his dear wife Norah Lee Allen back in April. "Within a few days Ashley sent ‘Promised Land.’ I loved it immediately and sent it to [producer] Dave Cobb."

Not surprisingly, Cobb ended up loving the spiritual song, but that love just grew once The Oak Ridge Boys gathered in the studio to record it. "[That's] when the magic happened,” Allen remembers. "Dave voiced Joe in a lower key than normal so he could almost talk this message. I feel that David captured Joe’s heart and soul."

In fact, it was only at the end of the song that the other members joined in with their own distinct voices. "Our ‘ooos’ are only heard on the end of this masterpiece," explains Allen.

"With Dave Cobb's great production, it will be a way for us to remember Joe for a long time," adds Sterban.

Indeed, while the music will serve as a more than worthy remembrance of Bonsall and all that he loved and believed in, so too will the words found in his upcoming memoir I See Myself: Musings and Memories of a Blessed Life. Set for release in mid-November, the revealing book covers everything from Bonsall’s Philadelphia upbringing to headlining sold-out arenas with The Oak Ridge Boys to a faith that never seemed to falter, even while his health did in his later years.

And it's this underlying faith that will forever remain in Bonsall's incredible delivery of "Promised Land."

"Joe Bonsall's haunting performance seems pre-destined,” concludes The Oak Ridge Boys’ William Lee Golden, 85, in an interview with PEOPLE following the death of his own son Rusty Golden earlier this month. "Dave Cobb has a unique ability to pair the right songs with the right vocals. ‘Promised Land’ is another Joe Bonsall-treasured masterpiece."

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Read the original article on People.

2024-07-25T14:01:14Z dg43tfdfdgfd