Homespun

The late Sonny Osborne was born in the coal-mining mountains of southeastern Kentucky. As a teenager, he recorded and played banjo with Bill Monroe and became the youngest member of a regular Grand Ole Opry band. Sonny and his brother, Bobby, joined musical forces in 1953 and began their climb to bluegrass legend status. The Osborne Brothers have won several prestigious music industry and bluegrass awards, and their recordings - especially "Ruby" and "Rocky Top" - have become bluegrass classics.

Osborne was an innovative force in bluegrass, helping popularizing double banjos, six-string banjo and banjo/guitar hybrids. The Osborne Brothers boldly integrated electric guitars and drums into their recordings, and crossed over into new frontiers for a bluegrass act. In 1971, the duo won the CMA Award for Vocal Group of the Year, and became the first bluegrass act to perform at the White House in 1973. The Osborne Brothers have received four Grammy nominations, and were inducted into the IBMA Hall of Honors in 1994. Sonny passed away on October 24, 2021, at the age of 84.