Bobby Osborne, the legendary bluegrass musician and one-half of band The Osborne Brothers known for popularizing “Rocky Top,” has died. Osborne passed away Tuesday, June 27 at the age of 91, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville confirmed. A cause of death was not released.
“Bobby Osborne was among the last of his generation of bluegrass pioneers,” Opry executive producer and vice president Dan Rogers said in a statement obtained by The Tennessean. “What a profound loss for the Opry family and bluegrass music fans around the world. Mr. Osborne’s legacy will live forever on this stage we love and wherever his style is emulated. Thank you to Bobby Osborne for more than 70 years of music and memories.”
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Osborne’s start in music began at an early age, the musician initially working with bluegrass greats including Jimmy Martin and the Stanley Brothers before forming The Osborne Brothers in 1953 with his brother Sonny Osborne. The Kentucky natives made their recording debut in 1956 with tracks for MGM, including “Once More.” After spending their first few years accompanying other singers, and four years after signing with Decca Records, The Osborne Brothers’ song “Rocky Top,” written by Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, was introduced. The song became one of the group’s most well-known hits and not only propelled the brothers to international stardom, but also became a sports anthem for the University of Tennessee and became one of Tennessee’s state songs in 1982.
“Bobby Osborne was a bluegrass icon who helped put Kentucky’s most famous music on the world stage. It was an honor to meet him and celebrate his talents, and I am thankful his work will allow us to remember him for generations,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear tweeted Wednesday morning. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Along with “Rocky Top,” the band’s other hits include “Ruby Are You Mad” and “Tennessee Hound Dog.” The Osborne Brothers charted 13 Billboard country hits, won a CMA Award for Vocal Group of the Year in 1971, and became the first bluegrass act to perform at the White House in 1973. They were members of the Grand Ole Opry and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Sonny retired from music in 2005 before his death in 2021. Osborne, meanwhile, took his final Opry bow on May 19, 2023. He remained a teacher at the Hazard Community and Technical College’s Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music in Leslie County, Tennessee, until his death.
