Pathway Of Teardrops
The Osborne Brothers, comprising Sonny Osborne (October 29, 1937 – October … Read Full Bio ↴The Osborne Brothers, comprising Sonny Osborne (October 29, 1937 – October 24, 2021) and Bobby Osborne (December 7, 1931 - June 27, 2023), was an influential and popular American bluegrass act during the 1960s and 1970s (and until Sonny Osborne retired in 2005). They are probably best known for their 1967 country hit song, "Rocky Top", written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant and named after a Tennessee location.

The first known public appearance of the Osborne Brothers was in 1951. They joined the cast at WCYB Bristol, Virginia, to perform on a program called "Farm and Fun Time", along with other Bluegrass bands, such as, The Stanley Brothers, Jimmy Martin, Carl Story and his Rambling Mountainers. Other members of "Farm and Fun Time" included, Jim & Jesse, Little Robert Van Winkle, Curly King and the Tennessee Hilltoppers, and country recording artist Red Kirk. The live program aired five days a week, Monday through Friday from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm on WCYB Radio, and covered five states.

Upon their breakout into the bluegrass scene, the Osborne Brothers quickly became noted for their virtuosic instrumentation and tight, melodic vocal harmonies. Their first country chart appearance was "Once More", a 1958 trio with Red Allen, with a then-novel inverted stacked harmony: Bobby singing the lead line highest, then Sonny singing baritone, and finally the third singer (in this case Red Allen) singing the tenor as the lowest part. This placed Bobby's distinctive voice as the lead, and made the third voice a somewhat interchangeable part. As a result, the brothers could hire a series of guitarist/singers without changing their overall sound. This "high lead" vocal trio became their signature sound, used to great effect in the country market, with songs like "Blame Me", "Sweethearts Again", and a remake of the Carter Family's "Fair and Tender Ladies".

During their breakout period of the mid 1950s, Sonny's banjo and Bobby's mandolin styles became distinctive and easily-identifiable with their overall sound. The band was inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry on August 8, 1964.

The Osborne Brothers have the distinction of having recorded two songs that would go on to be officially voted as "state songs." The first, "Rocky Top," was named a Tennessee state song in 1982. The other, "Kentucky," was named a state song for the brothers' home state of Kentucky.

In 1994, The Osborne Brothers were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association's Hall of Honor. The induction is considered bluegrass music's highest honor.

Pathway Of Teardrops
The Osborne Brothers Lyrics


We have lyrics for 'Pathway Of Teardrops' by these artists:


K.T. Oslin A pathway of teardrops will show you the way, If…
Rhonda Vincent The pathway of teardrops Will show you the way If…


We have lyrics for these tracks by The Osborne Brothers:


Ain Blame the whiskey on the beer Blame the beer on the…
All I Have To Do Is Dream Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dr…
Amazing Grace Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like…
America the Beautiful O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, Fo…
Arkansas Though the brambles took the cabin i was born in And…
Beneath Still Waters (Dallas Frazier) Beneath still waters there's a strong unde…
Big Spike Hammer Can't you hear the ripple on my big spike hammer Lord…
Blue Moon of Kentucky (Bill Monroe) Blue moon of Kentucky keep on shining Shine o…
Bluegrass Express I′ll never let you see The way my broken heart is…
Country Roads Take Me Home Take Me Home, Country Roads" Almost heaven, West Virginia, …
Cuckoo Bird Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird She warbles as…
Cumberland Gap Cumberland Gap, Cumberland Gap Seventeen miles from the Cumb…
Don Did I stop and watch the sunset fade? What give me…
Down In The Willow Garden Down in the willow garden Where me and my love did…
Downin the Willow Garden Down in the willow garden Where me and my love did…
Driftwood on the River I'm just driftwood on the river floating down the tide I…
Each Season Changes You (Ruth Talley - Al Gore - Mel Foree) Like the weather…
Faded Love As I read the letters that you wrote to me Well…
Fair & Tender Ladies Come all ye fair and tender ladies Take warning how you…
Fourteen Carat Mind I still recall the morning that I met you Standing down…
Georgia Piney Woods Miss those Georgia Pineywoods Wonder if they miss me Lonesom…
Give This Message to Your Heart (Charlie Louvin - Ira Louvin) Give this message to your hea…
Gotta Travel On (Paul Clayton) I've laid around and played around this old …
Hey Hey Bartender Hey Joe! Where'd ya find that pearly girlie Where'd ya get t…
Hey Joe Hey Joe! Where'd ya find that pearly girlie Where'd ya get…
High On A Hilltop High on a hilltop overlooking the city I can see…
How Great Thou Art Oh Lord my God when I in awesome wonder Consider all…
I Our little girl taken sick one evening As she walked home…
I Hear a Sweet Voice Calling Our little girl taken sick one evening As she walked home…
I Know What It Means To Be Lonesome (James Brockman - James Kendis - Nat Vincent) Oh, I know…
I Know You Did I stop and watch the sunset fade? What give me…
I Love You Only I Love You Only (Dusty Owens) I love you only for what…
I Will Miss You When You Go I will miss you when you go much more than…
I'm Leavin' Same old places same old faces I′m even tired of…
It Oh it's raining, raining, raining here this morning As I…
Keep On The Sunny Side Don't forget me little darling while I'm growing old and…
Let's Say Goodbye Like We Said Hello (Ernest Tubb - Jimmie Skinner) Let′s say goodbye like we sa…
Listening to the Rain (Don Devaney) I'm looking out the window at the rain the…
Little Trouble Every thing about you says I should probably get going But…
Lost Highway I'm a rollin' stone all alone and lost For a life…
Love Hurts Love hurts, love scars, love wounds And mars, any heart Not …
Making Plans (Johnny Russell - Voni Morrison) You say tomorrow you′re go…
Mansion On The Hill Tonight down here in the valley I'm lonesome and o how…
May You Never Be Alone (Hank Williams) Like a bird that's lost his mate in flight …
Memories (Bobby Osborne) Memories, memories, mem'ries Of the one tha…
Midnight Flyer Oh, midnight flyer Engineer won′t you let your whistle moan …
My I could say it's over now That I was glad to…
My Aching Heart I could say it's over now That I was glad to…
My Favorite Memory Not everybody drinks on a Tuesday night Mixes their liquor w…
My Heart Would Know I could say it's over now That I was glad to…
My My My Blame the whiskey on the beer Blame the beer on the…
My Old Kentucky Home Turpentine and dandelion wine I've turned the corner an' I'…
Nine Pound Hammer Well this nine pound hammer is a little too heavy…
Nobody's Darling But Mine [G] Come sit by my side, little [C] darlin' Come [D]…
Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You Downtown tonight, I saw an old friend, someone who I use…
Once More (Dusty Owens) Once more to be with you dear Just for tonigh…
Orange Blossom Special Look it yonder coming, Coming down that rail road track, Hey…
Pain in My Heart When I first I met you, right from the start You…
Rainbow at Midnight After the war was over I was coming home to…
Rank Strangers to Me I wondered again to my home in the mountains Where in…
Rocky Top Wish that I was on ol' Rocky Top Down in the…
Roll Muddy River (Betty Sue Perry) Roll muddy river, roll on muddy river, ro…
Ruby They say, Ruby you're like a dream Not always what…
Ruby (Are You Mad) (Cousin Emmy) Ruby, Ruby honey, are you mad at your man? I…
Ruby Are You Mad Ruby, Ruby honey, are you mad at your man? I'm sittin'…
Ruby Are You Mad At Your Man They say, Ruby you're like a dream Not always what…
Ruby Are You Mad? (Cousin Emmy) Ruby, Ruby honey, are you mad at your man? I…
Ruby, Are You Mad At Your Man Ruby, Ruby honey, are you mad at your man? I'm sittin'…
Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On (Hank Locklin) Send me…
Soldier When the postman delivered the letter Well, it filled her ol…
Someone Before Me Did I stop and watch the sunset fade? What give me…
Sunny Side Of The Mountain Don't forget me little darling while I'm growing old and…
Take Me Home Country Roads Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenando…
Take These Chains From My Heart (Take these chains from my heart and set me free) Take…
Take This Hammer (Huddie Ledbetter) Take this hammer carry it to the captain…
Tennessee Hound Dog He's a dynamite up tite outta sight backyard Romeo. He look…
The Black Sheep Returned To The Fold (Fred Rose) Oh, long is the night I have travelled The way…
The Cuckoo Bird Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird She warbles as…
The Great Speckled Bird What a beautiful thought I am thinking concerning the great…
The Kind of Woman I Got You ain't the kind of a woman I wanted But you're…
The Last Letter When the postman delivered the letter Well, it filled her ol…
The White Dove n the deep rolling hills of old Virginia There's a place…
Unfaithful One (Cliff Bruner - A. Lyle) Unfaithful one your tears are fall…
Walking the Floor Over You You left me and you went away, You said that you'd…
Waltz Across Texas When we dance together, my world's in disguise …
White Dove n the deep rolling hills of old Virginia There's a place…
White Lightnin' Well in North Carolina, way back in the hills Me and…
Windy City (Bobby Osborne - Pete Goble) We came to big city from…
Yesterday's Gone I loved you all the summer through I thought I'd found…



You Win Again The news is out, all over town That you've been…


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Comments from YouTube:

Ron Deckelbaum

One of the best cuts by the Osborne Brothers - ever!! Amazing harmonies and the banjo break is outrageous, considering the year it was recorded. 

Jim Dubya

@2packs4sure As for contemporary banjo players who play show a heavy Sonny O influence, I would give a big nod to David Talbot, the former banjo player for The Grascals.  I highly recommend the first two Grascals albums.  Dana Cupp, who played with Monroe and the OBros, is also an excellent banjo player who was heavily influenced by Sonny.  The guy who taught me to play, Al Osteen, mainly encouraged me to study three players when I was first learning back in the late 70's/early 80's - Earl Scruggs, Sonny Osborne, and Alan Munde.  I don't think any banjo player can go wrong incorporating ideas from those three guys into their playing.

2packs4sure

@Ron Deckelbaum  I discovered the Osborne brothers about the same time i discovered Webb Pierce, the early 80's.
I loved high voices, high harmonies..  Webb, Kitty Wells, Roy Orbison, Bobby Osborne,  etc. 
The ONE thing i loved as much as the harmony of the Osbornes was the totally unique brand of banjo Sonny played.
I had never heard anyone play a banjo like that!  Mainly I knew Earl Scruggs, Roy Clark, and Grandpa Jones and that was about it.
I didn't know technically or musically how to describe it but it just sounded GREAT ( and a little funky)  and it made their great records even better.
QUESTION :
Is there any contemporary working banjo player these days that plays in the Sonny Osborne style?

Ron Deckelbaum

@Jim Dubya Thanks Jim. I totally agree. Sonny was one of the most creative banjoists, of only a few to successfully  incorporate sounds from other instruments (e.g. pedal steel). As a banjo player myself, I especially admire his backup techniques (although his lead playing was not less amazing).

Jim Dubya

Sonny was a monster player.  My personal favorite.  He never really delved into the melodic/chromatic styles, but that's ok.  His playing fit the O Bros playing perfectly, and his level of innovation and improvisation are unmatched in bluegrass.

Nancy Estes

I love these fellows I could listen to them all day everyday.

SA McMahan

Gorgeous singers/ Genius instrumentalists/Wonderful Singing, harmonies Only The Osborne Brothers! Thank God for Bluegrass! :)

2packs4sure

When I first got this album 30 years ago I played it for DAYS ............

Sylvanna

You can never go wrong with those brothers.Webb had it going on pretty good as well.I just listen to "There stands the glass" and "In the jailhouse now" This was cut in 65 on Decca Records. Great taste my friend!

548180gh

Fantastic! Heard this recording around 1980 and could never find it again - here it is on an Asian re-issue - glad that someone on Earth saw the value!

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