It takes more than having a great voice and being talented to thrive in the music industry and stay relevant. To survive the highly competitive industry, history has seen musicians band together to pursue their dreams, much like the Osborne brothers.
Those who can say a thing or two about it need not tell the music duo that Brothers Osbourne is made up of John and TJ Osborne. That the main genre of music they produce is country, and that their overall style draws inspiration from outlaw country, southern rock, neo-traditional country, and blues.
They have three projects to their name: a self-titled EP and two studio albums called Pawnbroker and Port Saint Joe. A number of their singles did spectacularly well on the music charts, bringing the duo fortune and almost instant popularity. The core philosophy of their music is to create a sound that is infectious, honest, full of substance and able to stand the test of time.
Within a few years, they managed to garner a massive following and easily penetrate the hearts and ears of fans around the world. The duo received critical acclaim for their musical abilities. They had the opportunity to work with or play alongside great country music artists like Miranda Lambert, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Stapleton, David Nail and Lucie Silvas. They are fondly referred to in country music circles as the duo that made the epithet “bro country” non-derogatory again.
Who are the Osborne brothers?
The Brothers Osborne are a country music duo consisting of John and TJ Osbourne. John was born on April 27, 1982, while TJ was born on November 18, 1984. The brothers were the middle of five children born to working-class parents in the rural town of Deale, Maryland. Their father worked as a plumber, which meant he didn’t make much money, so the family always struggled to make ends meet.
The boys had to learn to find joy in their lives no matter what. Whenever the lights went out because the electricity bills hadn’t been paid, the brothers made it a fun game. Being poor was not a concept their childish minds could understand, they just understood that was life.
John and TJ were introduced to music when they were kids. Once upon a time, their parents were singer-songwriters trying to make it in Nashville, so music has always been a part of their lives. It is said that the boys started playing instruments at a young age. Soon enough, they were practicing every chance they had, and experimenting with writing and singing their own lines.
Their career
John and TJ didn’t want to form a musical duo, although they both have an interest in music. John moved to Nashville in 2002 to start his career, while TJ joined two years later, but the latter didn’t accept the idea of performing in public until several years later. By this time John already had a band of his own, KingBilly, but he occasionally played guitar for some of TJ’s solo sets. People began to point out the synergy between them and praise it.
After years of compliments and positive feedback, the two decided to form their third band in 2012, and Brothers Osborne was born. Almost immediately, offers for record deals started pouring in. A few months later, the duo signed a record deal with EMI Nashville.
They released their debut single titled Allons-y in 2019, which reached the Top 40 in national airplay. Rhum, their second single was released in 2014 and again reached the Top 40. Later that year they released an EP Staying a Little Longer was their third single. It was released in 2015 and became a top 5 country music hit the following year.
Brothers Osbourne released their debut album called Pawn Shop in 2016, which was produced by Jay Joyce. They wrote nearly every song on the albums and co-wrote some with musicians such as Ross Copperman, Lew Thomas Miller, Casey Beathard, Shane McAnally and Maren Morris. The album went on to achieve gold certification.
Their second album, Port Saint Joe, named after the location where it was recorded, was released in April 2018. It was heralded by the single, Shoot Me Straight
The duo have been nominated for several awards including a Country Music Association Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards, which they have won multiple times. They are also three-time Grammy nominees.
What is their net worth?
The siblings earned a Grammy nomination without it, so it’s no surprise that people already want to know the extent of the riches they’ve amassed from their careers as musicians. While we can say the Osborne Brothers have done well considering the successful tours they’ve had, it’s hard to put a figure on their wealth right now.
Regardless of the above, there are still a number of interesting things one should know about the amazing musical duo. Let’s go…
Interesting facts you need to know about them
1. They are proud of their small hometown
Growing up in the small fishing town of Dealer, Maryland is not something the brothers are ashamed of. They wear their roots proudly and don’t try to hide that they were brought up in blue-collar jobs. They even went so far as to make it into the concept video for the song Rum. The video was filled with locals from the community who had just spent a normal day in the sleepy town they lived in. It was a genuine and honest description of their story.
2. Their musical inspiration comes from iconic rock duos
The brothers follow in the footsteps of other legendary duos in vocals and the format of their composition. They are inspired by The Rolling Stones with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, as well as Led Zeppelin, which had Robert Plant as vocalist and Jimmy Page as seasoned guitarist. They draw influences from these bands when creating their own musical arrangements, vocals and beats.
3. They come from a close-knit family
Although their family is relatively large, the Osbornes have a very strong bond with each other. John and TJ were born two years apart, but growing up they did pretty much everything together. They shared a room until John went off to college. They learned to make music and sing together and also entertained friends and family at their parents’ night jam sessions.
4. They played in a band with their father.
During their teenage years, John and TJ played in a band called Deuce and a Quarter with their father. Their specialty was covering popular songs by performing songs by other country singers in their hometown bars. Their father helped them get used to the horrible touring schedules by teaching them enough songs to last four hours. The brothers also played in another band called Jax ‘n’ Jive at their high school and won a contest with them.
5. There’s more to their album Pawn Shop than its title
Their debut album is a multifaceted project crossing a variety of topics, much like a real pawnshop. The title track tells the sad and relatable story of having to sell your property to be able to afford basic amenities like rent. It is an anthem for anyone who grew up poor or struggling. The duo love visiting pawnshops wherever they go and they compete to see who can find the coolest things.
6. The Osborne brothers are big advocates for the legalization of marijuana
Fans of their music would certainly have noticed that the brothers have songs about marijuana like Green Pastures and Weeds, Whiskey and Willie on both of their albums. They also admitted to supporting voices calling for the legalization or decriminalization of the substance for medical and recreational use.
7. John married his longtime girlfriend with a pacifier ring
When Osborne’s older brother decided to say goodbye to single life, it was an impromptu decision. There was no time to get wedding rings so he married his sweetheart, Lucie Silva with pacifier rings in 2015.
Bonus Fact: The Osborne brothers are known for being liberal-minded and for talking about issues that most artists would rather not discuss so as not to hurt their fan base. The gun control debate has not escaped the sibling duo.
Speaking on the issue, TJ once said that it’s not cool for the NRA which is a group of barely 5 million people to decide how the entire American population should live their lives. Adding to this, John asserted that their intention is not to sow division among Americans but to keep them discussing sensitive topics in order to engender a positive outcome.