Bobby Osborne, bluegrass great and singer of 'Rocky Top,' dies at 91
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Bobby Osborne, one half of the famed bluegrass duo ‘The Osborne Brothers’ who helped popularize the song ‘Rocky Top,’ has died. He was 91 years old.
Osborne, a native of Hyden, Kentucky, died Tuesday morning, according to Hazard Community and Technical College.
He co-founded the bluegrass group alongside his brother Sonny and premiered the act in Knoxville in the early 50s. The group became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1964 and was inducted into the International Bluegrass Hall of Honor in 1994.
Sonny Osborne died in 2021 at the age of 84. Music historians agree that the group’s style and music compositions became influential in the bluegrass genre.
“They had very distinctive three-part harmonies and a lot of bluegrass acts were influenced by that,” said music writer and historian Wayne Bledsoe.
“They were one of the first bands to use drums and electric instruments,” said bluegrass historian and writer John Curtis Goad said following the passing of Sonny in 2021. “Today, you’ve got bands like Mumford and Sons and all kids of stuff who use bluegrass instrumentation plugged up.”
Del McCoury, right, and Bobby Osborne, left, perform at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards show on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
FILE – Del McCoury, center; Bobby Osborne, left; and J. D. Crowe, right; perform at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards show on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. Influential Bluegrass musician J.D. Crowe died early Friday, Dec. 24, 2021 his family announced on social media. The Lexington, Kentucky, native was 84. No cause of death was given.(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)
Bobby Osborne poses with a mandolin. Photo: Hazard Community & Technical College
Bobby Osborne
On Christmas Day 1967, the group released their version of ‘Rocky Top,’ which was written by Country Music Hall Of Fame, and Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame members Boudlueux & Felice Bryant.
The Osborne Brothers rendition became a smash hit synonymous with East Tennessee and the University of Tennessee. The Tennessee General Assembly made their version an official state song in 1982.
The song ‘Rocky Top’ was first played by the University of Tennessee’s Pride of the Southland Band on October 21st, 1972 during the halftime show against Alabama.
Artists began issuing statements in remembrance of Osborne on Tuesday.
“We all loved Bobby,” The Oak Ridge Boys wrote on social media. “He is back with Sonny again.”
Source: WATE 6 On Your Side
