Audio of Joe Bonsall at growingbolder.com

Posted on November 27th, 2010 at 6:28 am

For nearly 40 years, he has been a lead voice in one of most successful bands in history -- the Oak Ridge Boys.

With his bandmates, Joe Bonsall tours at least 150 days a year and has sold millions of albums.

And he's become a best-selling author. He's just released his eighth book, "From My Perspective," and in it, he shares what he's learned about music, this country and life in general.

Joe has been a member of the Oak Ridge Boys since 1973. He shares stories about the band's unique history, which dates back to World War II.

Now 62, Joe has been a member of the band since he was 25 and says why would he ever want to stop? He says they're living out their childhood dreams. Surrounded by like minds and forward-thinking people, the Oak Ridge Boys are still singing good, still feeling good, still making new music and are still being relevent.

"I take a lot of pride that we're still performing at a high level," Joe tells Growing Bolder.

His writing career started with a series of children's books in the 1990s called the Molly the Cat books. But perhaps his biggest success so far was his book, "GI Joe and Lily," a story about his parents during World War II. Joe says the book, which was inspired by a song he wrote for his parents, tells the stories of the Greatest Generation and how they endured and the price they paid afterword.

"From My Perspective" is a series of short stories, focusing on a variety of topics including the guns Joe owns, Thursday night picking circles, the Oak Ridge Boys and even tornadoes and barn swallows.

Joe says he wanted to share what he learned about the importance of being quiet and listening to God and the voice of nature.

Spend a few minutes with one of the most interesting minds in music.