Brothers Osborne to share message of inclusivity

NASHVILLE, TENN. » When the Brothers Osborne take the stage at the CMA Awards tonight, the award-winning duo will have a powerful message for fans who sometimes feel like outsiders — an experience that they know all too well.

The brothers from Deale, Md., opened up in recent months about their private lives and personal struggles, with lead singer TJ coming out publicly as gay and guitarist John talking about his anxiety.

The song they will play, “Younger Me,” is a poignant reminder that it does get better. They are proof of that.

“The fact that we get to play a song that is so meaningful, particularly to myself, at a country music award show, it’s one of those things that just kind of transcends the awards itself, money itself, fame,” said TJ Osborne.

The four-time CMA award-winning duo are up for three awards, including album of the year for “Skeletons,” the first time they’ve been nominated in that category.

Even recording their album felt like a series of hurdles to overcome. They had to initially delay recording while John Osborne took time off for therapy to deal with his depression and anxiety that had gotten so bad he was seriously reconsidering his musical career.

“I had to go away. I had to turn my phone off. I had to be away from family,” said John Osborne. “I had to restart.”

When they resumed recording, TJ was waylaid by salmonella poisoning, then a tornado struck Nashville in March of 2020.

By the time they went back to finish the album, the coronavirus pandemic and shutdowns had begun.

“So there was an element to recording ‘Skeletons’ that it felt like it was the end of times, you know,” said John Osborne. “I was like, this might actually be the last record we ever do in our life, and let’s record it as if it is. And it still feels like that to me. We threw all of our chips on the table.”

While TJ Osborne was open about his sexuality with his close friends and family, doubts kept him from deciding on when to publicly announce it. Other country artists waited years to publicly come out, such as Chely Wright and later on Ty Herndon, citing concerns about the effect it might have on their careers.

“Country music is a beautiful genre,” said John Osborne. “But there has been this kind of undercurrent of … there’s a vault and only certain people are allowed in. However, when you go to shows, you see people of all walks of life enjoying it.”

TJ Osborne’s decision to come out publicly also led them to address the divisive political conversations about LGBTQ issues, especially in Tennessee.