Osborne Brothers

Bobby and Sonny Osborne were born in Roark, Kentucky in 1931 and 1937 respectively. With the support of their father (an enthusiast of American roots music), Bobby and Sonny each began learning their instrument at a young age. Early on, the two were heavily influenced by Ernest Tubb, Earl Scruggs, and the country and folk music their father raised them on.

Sonny got his career in music off the ground during the elder Bobby’s drafted enlistment into Marines during the Korean War. Bobby received a Purple Heart for his service and was honorably discharged after taking an injury in 1953. By the time Bobby returned, Sonny was widely recognized as a virtuosic young talent on the banjo. The two then began their recording career together just as the youth music of rock & roll and R&B began dominating the charts and airwaves. While this new music’s popularity made things more difficult for bluegrass and folk artists, a unique spirit of innovation proved integral to the duo’s survival as they navigated the tough musical market.

Early on, the brothers alienated bluegrass purists when they unusually placed Bobby’s tenor lead above the rest of their vocal harmonies (as opposed to the typical approach that placed the melody in the center of a three-part arrangement). Likewise, Sonny’s banjo playing was, at a time, unlike any other’s due to his use of ornamentation and his soloistic approach. As if that wasn’t enough, the brothers were the first bluegrass group to use an electric bass as well as instruments like drums, pedal steel, rhythm guitars, and piano on recording and many were turned off when they insisted upon amplifying their banjo and mandolin with electric pickups at larger festivals and concerts. Eventually, however, it turned out that their commitment to trying new ideas and techniques helped confirm their position in bluegrass history and shaped the trajectory of bluegrass music throughout the decades.

The two had a surprise hit when they released “Rocky Top” in 1968 (the song was so celebrated that it was later named an official song of the state of Tennessee). Furthermore, The Osborne Brothers were the first bluegrass band to ever play The White House and were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1994. Over the course of their career, The Osborne Brothers released over 30 live albums and studio full-lengths. From 1976 to 1991 they recorded seven albums for CMH, which came to represent some of their final recorded output together.

Sonny Osborne retired from performing in 2005 due to health complications while Bobby continued playing music until the end of his long life. Sonny passed in 2021 while Bobby passed in 2023.