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| Jeffrey Osborne |
| Born March 9th (we share the same birthday) 1948 in Providence, RI, Jeffrey 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 their own music careers. His father Clarence, 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 his 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 mother's encouragement that Jeffrey left for Los Angeles to play with L.T.D. At the age of 15, he sat in with the O'Jays 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. The band moved to Los Angeles in 1970 and changed its name to L.T.D. Osborne was originally brought on as the drummer and eventually became the lead vocalist. After more than thirteen years with the band, he decided to pursue a solo career. In 1982 it came as a complete shock when Osborne made his solo bid. Unlike countless other artists who did the same thing, his "Jeffrey Osborne" release proves that it was a great decision. Producer George Duke offered Osborne an up-to-the-minute sound with a collection of great studio players ranging from drummer Steve Ferrone to bassist Louis Johnson. The album produced the mega-hit "On The Wings Of Love," which set the tone for much of his career. The first single, the moody and rhythmic "I Really Don't Need No Light," co-written by Osborne and David "Hawk" Wolinski also re-introduced him to dance floors and became the first of many 12" singles. With 1983's "Stay With Me Tonight" it was apparent that Osborne would not be reuniting with L.T.D. and that his solo star was on the ascent. The first 12" single from the album, "Plane Love," was a moderate club and radio hit, fairing better than "I Really Don't Need No Light." The second 12" single was the one that clicked, clubs seized it and radio soon followed playing "Stay With Me Tonight" endlessly. Two non-club singles, "Don't You Get So Mad" and "We're Going All The Way" helped propell the album to number three on Billboard's charts. Produced by George Duke, "Don't Stop" was the second in a trio of mid-'80s gold albums from Osborne. The title track was a slab of upbeat '80s rock/pop that successfully broke Osborne out of the ballad mold. Its follow-up, the 12" single "Borderlines," written by keyboardist Raymond Jones (Chic, Whitney Houston, State of Art), made it to number seven R&B, number 38 pop and top five in the clubs in late 1984. After almost two years without an album 1986's "Emotional" finds Osborne working with a myriad of producers with mixed results. The biggest hit here "You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song)" has the perky, '80s synth overload matched with threadbare lyrics. It was one of three 12" singles, along with "Room With A View" and "Soweto" that made this his most club-friendly effort ever. The album however has an uneven feel to it and would be his last album to be considered a heavy-hitter. 1988's "One Love One Dream" would be Osborne's last album for A&M, a label that had been his home for well over a decade. The album's highlight was the 12" single "She's On The Left." Thanks to heavy club play it peaked at number six on the charts. But it's apparent that as the 1980's were winding down so too was Osborne's career highs. Perhaps the 40 year old singer was re-thinking his career? Since leaving A&M Jeffrey has only had four album releases. 1991's "Only Human" on Arista which gave him the minor 12" hit "If My Brother's In Trouble," 1997's "Something Warm For Christmas" on Modern, 2000's "That's For Sure" on Private Music and 2003's "Music Is Life" on Koch. Though his days as a club and pop superstar may be over, the talented vocalist still tours and guests on other artist albums such as his work with Dionne Warwick, O'Bryan, Howard Hewett and George Duke. He also finds time to devote to his numerous charitable activities. |
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