Bobby Osborne

Image No. 63-4-17 The Osborne Brothers Club 47 Mt. Auburn, Cambridge, Mass., 1963 Sonny Osborne (banjo) played with Bill Monroe and Bobby (mandolin) played with the Stanley Brothers before Sonny and Bobby formed their own band in 1953. Bobby's nimbl

Image No. 63-4-17 The Osborne Brothers Club 47 Mt. Auburn, Cambridge, Mass., 1963 Sonny Osborne (banjo) played with Bill Monroe and Bobby (mandolin) played with the Stanley Brothers before Sonny and Bobby formed their own band in 1953. Bobby's nimble and fluid mandolin style set a new standard for the instrument and Sonny was one of the few bluegrass banjo pickers besides Earl Scruggs who could play slow as smoothly as he played fast.

Image No. 63-4-11 Three-part harmony Club 47 Mt. Auburn, Cambridge, Mass., 1963 (Left to right) Sonny Osborne, Bobby Osborne, Benny Birchfield The Osborne Brothers' harmonies were incomparable. Endings in which the three voices slowed down and form

Image No. 63-4-11 Three-part harmony Club 47 Mt. Auburn, Cambridge, Mass., 1963 (Left to right) Sonny Osborne, Bobby Osborne, Benny Birchfield The Osborne Brothers' harmonies were incomparable. Endings in which the three voices slowed down and formed shifting chords before resolving to the tonic made their vocal arrangements unique.

Image No. 64-10N-22 Mandolin workshop 1964 Newport Folk Festival Jimmy Driftwood (center) an Arkansas folklorist and performer who wrote the hit song "Battle of New Orleans," cracks up Bobby Osborne (left) and Mike Seeger at a daytime workshop.

Image No. 64-10N-22 Mandolin workshop 1964 Newport Folk Festival Jimmy Driftwood (center) an Arkansas folklorist and performer who wrote the hit song "Battle of New Orleans," cracks up Bobby Osborne (left) and Mike Seeger at a daytime workshop.