Sonny Osborne of the Osborne Brothers, music greats with Ky. roots who broke out Tennessee's 'Rocky Top,' dies at 83

Sonny Osborne, right, and brother Bobby

Sonny Osborne, an innovative bluegrass virtuoso who was half of The Osborne Brothers, died Sunday at his home in Hendersonville, Tenn., about two months after suffering a stroke. He was 83.

Osborne and his brother Bobby, 90, who survives, began their musical careers in Dayton, Ohio, where their family had moved from Hyden, Ky. After working with Bill Monroe as a high-school freshman, Sonny joined Bobby to perform, later in Jimmy Martin's band, then formed their own group with Red Allen. Their first record, "Ruby Are You Mad (at your man)" was a big hit in 1956, featuring the "stacked trio" vocals that were their trademark.

The Osborne Brothers rankled some others in bluegrass by using drums and electric instruments, innovations led by Sonny, but it helped them build an audience broader than most bluegrass artists had, and they joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1964. In late 1967, they released a single with the ballad "My Favorite Memory," backed on the B side by their up-tempo version of "Rocky Top," a tune that famed songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant had knocked out in less than 15 minutes. When they promoted the record on Ralph Emery's show on Nashville's WSM Radio, the switchboard lit up when Emery played the B side, and a hit was born. It became the University of Tennessee fight song in 1972 after Lynn Anderson had a bigger hit with it in 1970.

"The banjo playing of Osborne . . . has perhaps been heard more than any other bluegrass picker (save possibly Earl Scruggs) thanks to the worldwide fame and enduring presence" of "Rocky Top," John Curtis Goad writes for Bluegrass Today. "However, there was certainly much more to Osborne than what was basically a novelty song at the time . . . He took the basic elements of bluegrass banjo and elevated them to new heights while still maintaining a strongly traditional feel. . . . His playing was both tasteful and complex – just listen to his solo rendition of 'America the Beautiful,' a performance of which brought the audience to tears at the 2001 International Bluegrass Music Asssociation Awards, held just days after the 9/11 attacks."

The brothers entered the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 1994. Sonny retired in 2005, after complications from rotator-cuff surgery, but he remained active in mentoring young musicians, and wrote a column for Bluegrass Today. Bobby soldiers on with his band, the Rocky Top X-Press.

UPDATE, Oct. 28: Walter Tunis of the Lexington Herald-Leader sums up Sonny in a nice tribute.