The Oak Ridge Boys' Joe Bonsall Is Retiring from Touring Due to Neuromuscular Disorder: 'I Will Never Forget' (Exclusive)

Ben James will now stand in for Bonsall on the band's farewell tour

Joe Bonsall of The Oak Ridge Boys is prioritizing his health and stepping away from touring.

The tenor singer announced to PEOPLE exclusively on Wednesday that he would no longer tour with the band.

"Many of you know I have been battling a slow onset (over four years now) of a neuromuscular disorder. I am now to a point that walking is impossible so I have basically retired from the road," Bonsall, 75, said. "It has just gotten too difficult. It has been a great 50 years and I am thankful to all the Oak Ridge Boys band crew and staff for the constant love and support shown to me through it all."

He added, "I will never forget and for those of you who have been constantly holding me up in prayer I thank you and ask for you to keep on praying."

Related: The Oak Ridge Boys to Celebrate 50th Anniversary with Farewell Tour: 'Still Loving Every Second'

At a Dec. 30 concert in Greenville, Mississippi, The Oak Ridge Boys — which consists of Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, and Richard Sterban — introduced Ben James, who will officially be stepping in for Bonsall.

"There is a young man named Ben James singing for me out there and he needs your love and encouragement … his sound is different than mine but he brings a ton of talent to the table," Bonsall added. "The Oak Ridge Boys will finish the Farewell Tour without me but rest assured I am good with all of it! God’s Got It!!"

James was introduced to the band in 2022 during a concert in Wheeling, West Virginia.

“Joe handed me the mic and said, 'You've got the next verse,’ James, 27, said. “And I'm not sure I will ever get over that moment. ‘Elvira’ was always on repeat when I was growing up. It’s still one of those timeless songs that never grow old.”

The Oak Ridge Boys will tour through September on their The Oak Ridge Boys American Made Farewll Tour, celebrating the 50th anniversary of when the band’s current lineup played their first show together.

Named after their hit song “American Made,” released 40 years ago in 1983, the Country Music Hall of Famers are playing fan-favorites from throughout their decades-spanning career at the farewell shows.

Related: The Oak Ridge Boys Release 'Love, Light and Healing' amid Pandemic: 'It Fits So Well Right Now'

Bonsall shared a statement exclusively with PEOPLE in September. “You could have never convinced that 25-year-old Joe Bonsall in 1973 that in 50 years the four of us would still be singing together and still loving every second of it,” the singer-songwriter said.

“Our mantra has always been LET’S SING… it still is!” Bonsall continued. “We have had our share of challenges over all these decades, but we have always persevered as men who have each always cared about doing things right and God has blessed us for it.”

The "Elvira" artist’s bandmates also expressed excitement for their final performances in a press release.

“We are doing a farewell tour because we owe it to our fans to say goodbye,” Golden, 84, said. “They have always been there for us through the good times and the bad. I will always be thankful to every person who came out to a show, bought a T-shirt, played our music, and overall, loved us enough to spend their hard-earned money whenever they could. This tour is for you!”

See the band's upcoming tour dates below:

Sat, JAN 20 The Grand 1894 Opera House Galveston, Texas

Sun, JAN 21 The Grand 1894 Opera House Galveston, Texas

Fri, FEB 02 Boot Barn Hall (Gainesville) Gainesville, Ga.

Sun, FEB 11 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo San Antonio, Texas

Thu, FEB 29 Florida Strawberry Festival 2024 Plant City, Fla.

Sat, MAR 02 Montgomery Performing Arts Centre Montgomery, Ala.

Fri, MAR 15 Foxwoods Resort Casino Ledyard, Conn.

Sat, MAR 16 American Music Theatre Lancaster, Pa.

Sun, MAR 17 American Music Theatre Lancaster, Pa.

Sat, MAR 23 Sugar Creek Casino Hinton, Okla.

Thu, APR 04 Oxford Performing Arts Center Oxford, Ala.

Fri, APR 05 City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium Morganton, N.C.

Sat, APR 06 Alabama Theatre North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Wed, APR 10 Clay County Agricultural Fair Green Cove Springs, Fla.

Fri, MAY 17 Peoples Bank Theatre Marietta, Ohio

Sat, MAY 18 The Oak Ridge Boys American Made Farewell Tour Defiance, Ohio

Fri, JUN 07 Hartville Kitchen Hartville, Ohio

Sat, JUN 08 Hartville Kitchen Hartville, Ohio

Sun, SEP 15 Kansas State Fair Hutchinson, Kansas

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