Brothers Osborne Celebrate Their Blue Collar Upbringing

Brothers Osborne didn’t grow up with a lot of money, but they certainly aren’t trying to hide that fact. The duo, made up of siblings TJ and John Osborne, happily reflect on their simple childhood in both their music and real life.

“We’re from Maryland, which is a very blue collar state,” John says. “Our dad’s a plumber, our mom’s a hairdresser. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, but we still really loved life. We enjoyed ourselves so much, and we tried to have the biggest time possible with what little we had.”

Brothers Osborne freshman Pawn Shop album reflects on their humble beginnings, including a song, “Rum,” which says, in part, “The lucky folks go to the ocean / The lake’s for the landlocked ones / We got a tarp in a truck bed / A kiddie pool, a slip and sleds / Let that garden hose run.”

“There’s songs like ‘Rum’ [which] explains that – it’s about we can’t afford to go to the beach, but we’re gonna live it up like we’re at the beach,” John notes. “We don’t have money, but we’re richer than anyone could ever be. ‘Pawn Shop,’ for example, it’s like we understand what it’s like when you have to sell what you have because you can’t afford to eat or keep the lights on.

“We want to express that it’s okay to be that way, because we turned out alright,” he continues. “We’re doing fine. As long as you’re able to laugh and able to enjoy yourself with family and friends, you’re really living the good life.”

Turned out alright, indeed. The reigning ACM New Vocal Duo of the Year just bought their mother a house, in their current hometown of Nashville, Tenn.

“Our sweet, strong mother is one of the main reasons we are who we are,” they write on social media. “Sacrificed so much for us growing up. She lived in a single wide trailer in Delaware until now. She deserves a mansion in the hills but we bought her humble home close to us in Nashville. Welcome home mom!”

Still, Brothers Osborne won’t likely soon forget where they came from, or how far they’ve come.

“There were times when TJ and I would come home from school and all of our electricity would be off because our folks had a hard time paying the electric bill,” John recalls to Billboard. “And instead of crying about it, our dad would turn it into a really fun game of hide-and-go-seek in the dark.”

Brothers Osborne’s latest album, Port Saint Joe, is available for purchase on their website.

Photo Credit: Getty images/Matt Winkelmeyer