Bobby Osbourne, popularly known for being one of the singers behind the Osbourne Brothers and a Grand Ole Opry member, has passed away at the age of 91.
The tragic news was confirmed by his family to WYMT on Tuesday afternoon. As of this writing, his cause of death remains a mystery as it was never mentioned if he had any health problems prior to his passing.
It appears that the musician was still strong just a month before his death as he was still performing his tracks and teaching students when he last spoke with the outlet.
He was reportedly an instructor of bluegrass music at the Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music and his specialty when it comes to instruments was the mandolin.
Bobby Osborne Life
Born Bobby Van Osborne in Thousandsticks, Leslie County Kentucky, on December 7, 1931, the singer had been exposed to music since he was a kid.
He began helping his father and grandfather at their general store, but at the time, he was also fascinated with music.
During high school, he decided to leave his studies in order to focus on his career, leading him to form a band with his brother Sonny.
His music career was going well at first, until he was drafted into the U.S. Marine Corps in the early 1950s and served in the Korean War.
Initially, Osborne had no idea about bluegrass music, but he enjoyed listening to Grand Ole Opry on the radio, which made him curious about playing the banjo.
In recent years prior to his death, he released "ORIGINAL" in 2017, which was his first album since 2009. It was a collaboration between him and Peter Rowan as well as Alison Brown. The project was big as he also teamed up with other artists such as Ronnie McCoury, Robbie McCoury, Jim Lauderdale, Vince Gill, Sierra Hull, Sam Bush, Claire Lynch, Rob Ickes, and Stuart Duncan.
Bobby Osborne Awards and Recognition
Bobby Osborne is one of the most iconic musicians in the bluegrass industry as he received countless awards and recognitions from prestigious award-giving bodies.
The musician was inducted into Grand Ole Opry as a member of the Osborne Brothers in 1964. He was considered to be the oldest standing Opry member until his death.
In 1971, he and his brother were named Vocal Group of the Year by the CMA Awards. He was also inducted into International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1994.
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