Bluegrass legend and “Rocky Top” singer Bobby Osborne has passed away at age 91. He was the other half of the Osborne Brothers which was formed in the 1950’s with his brother Sonny. In 1967 the Osborne Brothers released their version of “Rocky Top” which would go on to become the anthem for University of Tennessee athletics. It was also adopted as a state song in 1982. They became members of the Grand Ole Opry in 1964 and were inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 1994. Sonny Osborne retired in 2005 and died in 2021 at the age of 83. According to WYMT, Bobby Osborne continued to perform and also taught at Hazard Community and Technical College’s Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music in Leslie County and would have begun his 16th year with the college in the fall. (Photo courtesy International Bluegrass Association Facebook)
