Oak Ridge Boys Sing for Ailing Former President George Bush

The Oak Ridge Boys were enjoying a well-deserved vacation over the holidays, when a special request prompted the iconic group to change their plans. Former First Lady Barbara Bush asked the country quartet to serenade her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, as he recovered in a Houston hospital.

"A flurry of emails flew around regarding the health and well being of the man we call our president, George Herbert Walker Bush No. 41," the Oaks' Joe Bonsall explains (quote via Today's Country Online). "I thought I had seen them all when Duane Allen called with the word that President Bush would love to hear a few songs from the Oak Ridge Boys, and his family all agreed that this just may lift his spirits as he has been hospitalized for over a month. The main request came from Barbara Bush, so Duane was calling around in hopes that everyone was in town during this off time. Well, he found us all and within about 45 minutes we had converged at our office and were calling our president. We asked what song he would like to hear and he said 'Elvira,' so we blasted some 'oom pop a mau mau's' in the direction of Houston, Texas."

The group also sang the hymn, "Amazing Grace," for Mr. Bush and filmed their speaker phone performance. (Watch below.) The brief phone call left an indelible mark on the Grand Ole Opry members.

"After hanging up, Duane Allen said, 'I am always proud to be an Oak Ridge Boy, but at a time like this I am really proud of us. We just did a good thing," Joe recalls. "We all smiled and went back home. We had just sung a few songs for our president. We have been doing so since 1982. Get well soon, sir. We love you. America loves you. The world loves you!"

"[My wife] Brenda and I consider President George H.W. Bush, Barbara and their entire family some of our most treasured friends," band member William Lee Golden adds. "My partners and I were so honored to help lift spirits by singing over the phone to him and his family. We wish him speedy recovery."

Bush has been in the hospital since Nov. 23, receiving treatment for severe bronchitis. He is said to be improving. The Oak Ridge Boys, whose first met the Bush family in 1982, offered the 88-year-old leader a brief respite from the difficulties of the past several weeks.

"Words cannot properly express how much The Oaks' special performance meant to the president and the Bush family," the former president's office said in a statement (quote via CNN). "This friendship goes back many years, and what happened yesterday gave the president a real shot in the arm as he, thankfully, continues to improve. The Bushes continue to feel so blessed to have so many friends like The Oaks, and wish to thank one and all for their prayers and good wishes."

The Oak Ridge Boys will hit the road on Jan. 19 for a series of shows, with stops in Texas, Arizona and Florida. See a list of the band's upcoming concerts here.

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