NASHVILLE, TN (CelebrityAccess) — Bobby Osborne, the singer and mandolin artist who, along with his brother, Sonny, helped to bring Bluegrass into the modern era, died on Tuesday in a hospital the Nashville suburb of Gallatin, Tennessee. He was 91.
Osborne’s passing was confirmed to the New York Times by Dan Rogers, vice president and executive producer of the Grand Ole Opry.
A native of Tennessee, Osborne grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry and learned to play the electric guitar after his family moved to Ohio, where he began performing in local bands.
While the guitar was his first instrument, Osborne later switched to the mandolin after country legend Ernest Tubb suggested that the instrument would be a better accompaniment for Osborne’s high tenor voice.
Osborne’s musical aspirations were put on hold in 1952 when he was for military service during the Korean War. Osborne served in the United States Marine Corps, where he was wounded in combat and awarded a Purple Heart.
Following his military service, Bobby and his brother Sonny launched their own band, adding guitarist Red Allen, Tommy Jackson and Art Stamper on fiddle and bassist Ernie Newton
The Osborne Brothers soon landed a gig on the WWVA Jamboree in Wheeling, W.Va., as well as a recording contract with MGM, quickly gaining a reputation for their innovative harmony style, musical skill, and innovative instrumentation.
Hits include “Once More,” “Tennessee Hound Dog,” “Georgia Pineywoods,” and the group’s signature hit “Rocky Top,” which sold almost 200,000 copies in just a few weeks and became Tennessee’s state song in 1982.
In 1960, the Osbornes performed at Antioch College, becoming the first known Bluegrass band to perform on a college campus.
The Osbornes were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1964 and were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Honor in 1994.
While Sonny retired from music in 2004, Bobby continued to tour with his band Rocky Top X-press, which includes two of his three sons as well as teach at the Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music.
Osborne was preceded in death by his brother Sonny, who died in 2021. He is survived by his wife, Karen Osborne; sons, Bobby Jr., Wynn and Robby; a daughter, Tina Osborne; a sister, Louise Williams; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
