Interview with Sonny Osborne, June 4, 2009
Project: Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum Oral History Project
Interview Summary
Sonny Osborne describes his childhood home in Thousandsticks, near Hyden, Kentucky and tells several stories about his family demonstrating their rural lifestyle. He discusses his brother Bobby's early interest in music and how he himself became interested in learning to play the banjo. Throughout the interview he describes various parts of their career from his work with Bill Monroe at age fourteen; their work with Jimmy Martin; their work in Wheeling, Knoxville, and Nashville; recording various albums; and their signing with the Wil-Helm Talent Agency which led to their membership on the Grand Ole Opry. He discusses the reasons he and Bobby added electric instruments to their band and began to incorporate a country sound. Throughout the interview, he mentions various musicians he worked with, as well as those who became his friends.Interview Accession
Interviewee Name
Interviewer Name
Interview Date
Interview Keyword
High school football Thousandsticks (Ky.) Osborne, Bobby (Artist) Bobby Osborne (Artist) Martin, Jimmy (Artist) Jimmy Martin (Artist) Wheeling (W. Va.) Dayton (Ohio) Wheeling Jamboree (Radio program) Nashville (Tenn.) Wil-Helm Talent Agency Monroe, Bill (Artist) Bill Monroe (Artist) Walker, Cas Cas Walker Grand Ole Opry Donald Eugene Lytle Lytle, Donald Eugene Johnny Paycheck Families. Hyden (Ky.) Alcohol AmphetaminesInterview LC Subject
Radio programs. Radio stations. Family farms. Traditional farming Country life Rural conditions Musical ability. Musical families Music--Instruction and study. Bands (Music) Bluegrass musicians Musical instruments. Musical groups. Childhood Rural children Sound recordings. Sound studios Sound--Recording and reproducing Musical performance Music--Performance. Bluegrass music. Records.Interview Rights
The Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History has been licensed by the International Bluegrass Music Museum as the exclusive archival repository for this collection. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, belong to the International Bluegrass Music Museum.?Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky.Interview Usage
Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky.Restriction
Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky.
The Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History has been licensed by the International Bluegrass Music Museum as the exclusive archival repository for this collection. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, belong to the International Bluegrass Music Museum.?Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky.
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Osborne, Sonny Interview by Tom Riggs. 04 Jun. 2009. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Osborne, S. (2009, June 04). Interview by T. Riggs. Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Osborne, Sonny, interview by Tom Riggs. June 04, 2009, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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