Jeffrey Osborne

Jeffrey Osborne has long stood out for possessing one of the most powerful and inspiring voices in R&B, a presence that first emerged prominently in the early 1970s. As a key force behind L.T.D., he propelled the group to multiple Top Ten placements on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart before carving out a lasting solo path. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, he grew up as the youngest of twelve siblings in a household immersed in music. Among his five brothers and six sisters, several pursued musical paths of their own. His father, Clarence “Legs” Osborne, performed trumpet alongside Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington. Two years after his father’s passing, Osborne launched his professional journey at fifteen by drumming for the O’Jays on a two-week engagement. When Love Men Ltd. later performed in Providence and required a drummer, he filled the role and soon became a permanent member, relocating with the ensemble to Los Angeles. The band eventually adopted the name L.T.D.—an abbreviation for Love, Togetherness & Devotion—and Osborne transitioned from the drum kit to fronting the act, a position he has held for more than four decades.

L.T.D. welcomed Osborne’s multi-instrumentalist brother Billy into its ranks and, after modest commercial results from its first two A&M releases, achieved its breakthrough with the 1976 album Love to the World, helmed by producers Larry and Fonce Mizell. Skip Scarborough’s composition “Love Ballad” topped Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart and established Osborne as a leading figure. By 1980, after delivering additional L.T.D. staples such as “(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again” and “(Holding On) When Love Is Gone,” he left to pursue a solo career. He remained with A&M and issued five refined R&B albums across the 1980s—Jeffrey Osborne, Stay with Me Tonight, Don't Stop, and Emotional among them—all of which reached the Top Ten on the soul chart. These projects were supported by strong singles including “I Really Don't Need No Light,” “On the Wings of Love,” “Stay with Me Tonight,” “You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song),” and “She's on the Left.” During this span, Osborne secured three RIAA gold certifications and earned three Grammy nominations.

Over the subsequent thirty years, Osborne maintained a steady performance schedule while recording less frequently than in prior decades. Following the 1990 Arista release Only Human, he moved to independent imprints for projects such as That's for Sure and Music Is Life—the former earning another Grammy nomination—along with the covers collections From the Soul and A Time for Love. In 2018 he returned on the Artistry label with Worth It All, an album featuring a collaboration with his son Jeffrey Osborne, Jr. and drawing inspiration from his late creative partner George Duke.