In a new interview, country star TJ Osborne turned out to be gay. The Brothers lead singer Osborne has been open to his family and friends, but for the first time, he is revealing his truth to the world.
“I am very comfortable being gay,” the 36-year-old told Time magazine. “I find myself being cautious about not wanting to talk about something that I personally have no problems with. This is so weird. “
With this news, Osborne is now the only musician hired by a major country label that is publicly known for being gay.
“People will ask, ‘Why does this need to be talked about?’ and personally I agree with that, ”he said. “But for me, showing up at an award show with a man would be jaw-dropping for people. It wouldn’t be like, ‘Oh, cool! “
“I don’t think I’m going to be kicked off the stage in Chicago,” added Osborne. “But in a rural town playing a county fair? I’m curious as to how it will be. “
Osborne and his brother, John Osborne, won four CMA awards, two ACM awards and were nominated for several Grammys. Signed with EMI Nashville, the pair released three studio albums, and their second, “Port Saint Joe”, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard country album list in 2018.
“I want to reach the peak of my career by being completely who I am,” he said, adding: “I mean, I am who I am, but I have kept a part of me silent and it has been stifling.”
In embracing his identity publicly, Osborne says, “I want to leave the revelation behind. Because, ultimately, it’s a little detail about me.”
Osborne joins a handful of other successful musicians who are out, including Lil Nas X, Adam Lambert, Troye Sivan, Hayley Kiyoko and Sam Smith. But these are pop artists, a genre that apparently accepts more LGBTQ diversity than country.
At that point, my happiness is more valuable than anything else I would be able to achieve.
TJ Osborne to Time
“Do you know that – represent something or will you fall in love with anything? That sounds like something someone in country music would say, “he said.” But if you represent something and it is not what they represent, then they hate it. I did more than I ever thought I would. At this point, my happiness is more valuable than anything else I would be able to achieve. “
John Osborne, 38, remembers when TJ first came to see him many years ago.
“He was very open and sincere about it, and I was thrilled, because my brother was finally able to be completely honest with me about who he was,” he told Time. “How many times in life do we hide parts ourselves and wish we didn’t? “
He added: “If I had to have all my money and success wiped out for my brother to be truly fulfilled in life, I wouldn’t even think about it. Not for a second. “
