The Osborne Brothers, Sonny (October 29, 1937 – October 24, 2021) and
Bobby
Bobby or Bobbie may refer to:
People
* Bobby (given name), a list of names
* Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh
* Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea
* Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwriter
* Bobby, old slang for a constabl ...
(born December 7, 1931), were an influential and popular bluegrass act during the 1960s and 1970s and until Sonny retired in 2005. They are probably best known for their No. 33 1967 country hit song, "
Rocky Top
"Rocky Top" is an American country and bluegrass song written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant in 1967 and first recorded by the Osborne Brothers later that same year. The song, which is a city dweller's lamentation over the loss of a simpler a ...
", written by
Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
Felice Bryant (born Matilda Genevieve Scaduto; August 7, 1925 – April 22, 2003) and Diadorius Boudleaux Bryant (; February 13, 1920 – June 25, 1987) were an American husband-and-wife country music and pop songwriting team. They were best ...
and named after a
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
location.
Biography
The Osbornes were born in Roark, Kentucky, on Jack's Creek, but they moved to Hyden, after their house burned down. They then moved near
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...
, where they grew up and performed as entertainers in southwestern Ohio.Tribe 2006, p. 237. In 1952, during the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, Bobby was drafted and served in the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
. Sonny went to work with the "Father of Bluegrass Music"
Bill Monroe
William Smith "Bill" Monroe (; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the " Father of Bluegrass".
The genre take ...
. Following Bobby's discharge, the Osbornes teamed up with
Jimmy Martin
James Henry Martin (August 10, 1927 – May 14, 2005) was an American bluegrass musician, known as the "King of Bluegrass".
Early years
Martin was born in Sneedville, Tennessee, United States, and was raised in the hard farming life of rural ...
, performing at radio stations WROL in
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Tennessee, Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Di ...
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
.Tribe 2006, p. 238.Osborne 1964, p. 2. At their only session together, on November 16, 1954, the Osbornes and Martin recorded six songs for RCA Victor. In late 1955, the Osbornes left Martin and moved to
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the county seat, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and also contains a tiny portion extending ...
, where they performed on
WWVA Jamboree
The ''Wheeling Jamboree'' is the second oldest country music radio broadcast in the United States after the ''Grand Ole Opry''. The Jamboree originated in 1933 in Wheeling, West Virginia on WWVA (AM), WWVA, the first radio station in West Virginia ...
until Christmas, together with Charlie Bailey.Rosenberg 2005, p. 155. They returned to Dayton in early 1956 playing the local clubs with guitarist Enos Johnson. When Johnson left, the Osbornes added guitarist
Red Allen
Henry James "Red" Allen, Jr. (January 7, 1908 – April 17, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose playing has been claimed by Joachim-Ernst Berendt and others as the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Armstr ...
and fiddler Art Stamper to form a new group.
The Osborne Brothers and Red Allen (under the pseudonym Stanley Alpine) recorded for Gateway Records in February or March 1956 cutting eight instrumentals. In the spring of 1956, Tommy Sutton, a local disc jockey, helped the Osborne Brothers get a recording contract with
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...
.Goldsmith 2004, p. 67. The new group, with the Osbornes on banjo and mandolin, Allen on guitar, Ernie Newton on bass, Tommy Jackson and Art Stamper on fiddles, made their MGM recording debut on July 1, 1956.Booklet, Bear Family Records BCD 15598 Their first released 45 RPM single for MGM containing "Ruby Are You Mad" became a huge success and led to the Osbornes being signed on as regular members of the WWVA Jamboree in October 1956.Goldsmith 2004, p. 68. The "Jamboree version" of the group comprised Ricky Russell on dobro, Johnny Dacus on fiddle and Ray Anderson on bass. "Ruby Are You Mad" marks the first time twin banjos were used on a bluegrass recording. On October 17, 1957, at their third session for MGM, the Osbornes, always experimenting with their sound, added a dobro and drums, also for the first time on a bluegrass recording. In April 1958, Red Allen, who was the last musician to receive billing next to the Osborne Brothers, left the group.Goldsmith 2004, p. 69.
Upon their breaking into the bluegrass scene, the Osborne Brothers quickly became known for their virtuoso instrumentation and tight, melodic vocal harmonies. They first made the country chart in 1958 with "Once More", performing as a trio with
Red Allen
Henry James "Red" Allen, Jr. (January 7, 1908 – April 17, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose playing has been claimed by Joachim-Ernst Berendt and others as the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Armstr ...
. The song featured a novel inverted stacked harmony. Bobby sang the lead line highest, with Sonny singing baritone, and the third singer (Red Allen) singing tenor as the lowest part. This made Bobby's distinctive voice the lead, and the third voice was somewhat interchangeable. As a result, they could hire others guitarist and singers without changing the overall sound. The "high lead" vocal trio became their signature, and they used to great effect in the country market with songs like "Blame Me", "Sweethearts Again", and a remake of the Carter Family's "Fair and Tender Ladies".
During the 1960s, the Osbornes caused minor controversy among Bluegrass music purists by incorporating electronic and percussion instruments in their live acts and studio work. In 1960 they became the first bluegrass group to play on a college campus, performing at Antioch College.Wolff, Duane 2000, p. 243. In 1963 they signed with
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
. On August 8, 1964, the Osborne Brothers were inducted as members of the
Grand Ole Opry
The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...
.
The Osborne Brothers recorded their hit “Rocky Top” in November 1967. Released on December 25, 1967, it sold 85,000 copies in only two weeks,Ledgin (2004), p. 30 and was named an official Tennessee
state song
Forty-eight of the fifty U.S. states have one or more state songs, a type of regional anthem, which are selected by each state legislature as a symbol (or emblem) of that particular U.S. state.
Some U.S. states have more than one official state ...
in 1982. In 1973 the Osborne Brothers became the first bluegrass group to perform at the White House.
In 1994, The Osborne Brothers were inducted into the
International Bluegrass Music Association
The International Bluegrass Music Association, or IBMA, is a trade association to promote bluegrass music.
Formed in 1985, IBMA established its first headquarters in Owensboro, Kentucky. In 1988 they announced plans to create the International ...
's Hall of Honor.
Hits
Their song "Ruby Are You Mad" came in 1956 after signing with MGM Records (1956) and began a string of hits through 1986. Among them were "Once More" (1958), "Up This Hill & Down" (1965), "Making Plans" (1965), "Rocky Top" (1967), "Tennessee Hound Dog" (1969), and "Midnight Flyer" (1972). The Osborne Brothers' final chart appearance came in late 1986 with a new version of "Rocky Top".
Current status
Bobby continues to perform with his band Rocky Top X-press, which includes two of his three sons. They performed May 31, 2013, at the rededication marking new ownership of The Gatlinburg Inn, where Boudleaux and Felice Bryant wrote "Rocky Top," and the couple's sons, Dane and Del Bryant, were on hand.
Sonny retired in 2005 and died in 2021.
Notable band members
*Johnathan Smith, Organ/Keys
*
Red Allen
Henry James "Red" Allen, Jr. (January 7, 1908 – April 17, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose playing has been claimed by Joachim-Ernst Berendt and others as the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Armstr ...
, guitar
*
Benny Birchfield
Benny or Bennie is a given name or a shortened version of the given name Benjamin or, less commonly, Benedict, Bennett, Benito, Benson, Bernice, Ebenezer or Bernard.
People Bennie Given name
* Bennie M. Bunn (1907–1943), American Marine of ...
, guitar/banjo
*Paul Brewster, guitar
* Jimmy D. Brock, bass
*
Grady Martin
Thomas Grady Martin (January 17, 1929 – December 3, 2001) was an American session guitarist in country music and rockabilly.
A member of The Nashville A-Team, he played guitar on hits such as Marty Robbins' "El Paso", Loretta Lynn's " Coal ...
Derek Deakins
Derek is a masculine given name. It is the English language short form of ''Diederik'', the Low Franconian form of the name Theodoric. Theodoric is an old Germanic name with an original meaning of "theod, people-rix (king), ruler".
Common varian ...
Glen Duncan
Glen Duncan is a British author born in 1965 in Bolton, Lancashire, England to an Anglo-Indian family. He studied philosophy and literature at the universities of Lancaster and Exeter.
In 1990 Duncan moved to London, where he worked as a boo ...
, fiddle
*
Boyce Edwards Boyce may refer to:
Places Australia
* Mount Boyce, Blue Mountains range, New South Wales
United States
* Boyce, Louisiana
* Boyce, Tennessee
* Boyce, Virginia
* Boyce Park, a county park in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It is a part of the c ...
, fiddle
*Bill Edwards, guitar
* Terry Eldredge, bass/guitar
*
Harley Gabbard Harley may refer to:
People
* Harley (given name)
* Harley (surname)
Places
* Harley, Ontario, a township in Canada
* Harley, Brant County, Ontario, Canada
* Harley, Shropshire, England
* Harley, South Yorkshire, England
* Harley Street, in L ...
Ray Kirkland
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray ( ...
, bass
*
Jimmy Martin
James Henry Martin (August 10, 1927 – May 14, 2005) was an American bluegrass musician, known as the "King of Bluegrass".
Early years
Martin was born in Sneedville, Tennessee, United States, and was raised in the hard farming life of rural ...
Daryl Mosley
Daryl Mosley (born September 21, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. He is a two-time Songwriter of the Year with seven #1 songs and three Song of the Year awards to his credit. Among them is the classic "(Ask the Blind Man) He S ...
, bass
*
Bobby Osborne, II
Bobby or Bobbie may refer to:
People
* Bobby (given name), a list of names
* Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh
* Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea
* Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwriter
* Bobby, old slang for a constab ...
, guitar/bass
*
Robby Osborne
Robbie or Robby is a surname. It is usually encountered as a nickname or a shortened form of Robert, Rob or Robin. The name experienced a significant rise in popularity in Northern Ireland in 2003.
People Given name Robbie
*Robbie Amell (born ...
, guitar/bass/drums
*
Wynn Osborne
Wynn or wyn (; also spelled wen, ƿynn, and ƿen) is a letter of the Old English alphabet, where it is used to represent the sound .
History The letter "W"
While the earliest Old English texts represent this phoneme with the digraph , ...
, banjo
*
Ronnie Reno
Ronnie may refer to:
*Ronnie (name), a unisex pet name and given name
*Ronnie (Four Seasons song), "Ronnie" (Four Seasons song), a song by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe
*"Ronnie," a song from the Metallica album ''Load (album), Load''
*Ronnie Brunswijk ...
Buddy Spicher
Buddy Spicher (born July 28, 1938 in DuBois, Pennsylvania; pronounced “Spiker”) is an American country music fiddle player. He is a member of The Nashville A-Team of session musicians, and is Grammy-nominated. He was nominated as Instrumental ...
, fiddle
*
Blaine Sprouse Blaine may refer to:
People
* Blaine (given name)
* Blaine (surname)
* Blaine (cartoonist), Canadian political cartoonist
Places in the United States
* Blaine, Georgia, an unincorporated community
* Blaine, Idaho, an unincorporated communit ...
Gene Wooten
Gene Wooten (June 5, 1953 in Franklinton, North Carolina – November 7, 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee) was an American dobro player and multi-instrumentalist.
Biography
Wooten became serious about playing music professionally while a student at ...
, dobro
*
Dana Cupp
Dana may refer to:
People Given name
* Dana (given name)
Surname
* Dana (surname)
* Dana family of Cambridge, Massachusetts
** James Dwight Dana (1813–1895), scientist, zoological author abbreviation Dana
Nickname or stage name
* Dana ...
, Guitar, Banjo
*Tim Evans, bass
Discography
Albums
Singles
Footnotes
References
* Goldsmith, Thomas (2004) ''The Bluegrass Reader'', University of Illinois Press
* Ledgin, Stephanie P. (2004) ''Homegrown Music: Discovering Bluegrass'', Greenwood Publishing
* Osborne, Sonny (1964) ''Bluegrass Banjo'', Mel Bay Publications
* Rosenberg, Neil V. (2005) ''Bluegrass: A History'', University of Illinois Press
* Tribe, Ivan M. (2006) ''Country: A Regional Exploration'', Greenwood Publishing Group
* Wolff, Kurt - Duane, Orla (2000) ''Country Music: The Rough Guide'', Rough Guides