Jeffrey Osborne
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
Born in Providence, RI, Jeffrey Osborne was the youngest of 12 children and was constantly bombarded with music as he was growing up. He had five brothers and six sisters, some of whom went on to have music careers. His father, Clarence Legs Osborne, was a popular trumpeter who played with Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington, and died when Jeffrey was only 13. His mother, %Wanita, is ancestored by a Pequot Indian sachem. His oldest brother, Clay Osborne, is a singer and pianist, and Billy, another brother, is a songwriter and producer in Los Angeles. But Osbornes father had the greatest influence on his musical career; Clarence Legs Osborne turned down many top band offers during his career to be with his family. It was only after receiving his mothers encouragement that Jeffrey left for Los Angeles to play with L.T.D. At the age of 15, he sat in with the OJays when the drummer was too tired to play, and went on to play with them for two weeks. It was at a Providence nightclub that fate brought him together with the band Love Men Ltd. in 1969.
Osbornes solo career has brought him five gold and platinum albums, including Stay With Me Tonight and Only Human. He also recorded an album of duets with popular singer James Ingram, and scored an international hit with On the Wings of Love in 1982. Osbornes touring and recording continue to keep him busy much of the time, but he also devotes some of his time to charity work.
