TJ Osborne, one half of the country duo The Brothers Osborne, has come out as gay in an interview with TIME magazine.
TIME reports: “What may come as a surprise to the band’s fans is the news that T.J., 36, is gay. This isn’t a recent revelation for him; he’s known since he was young, and he’s been out to family and friends in his tight-knit Nashville community for years. In some respects, he says, coming out publicly is no big deal. ‘I’m very comfortable being gay,’ he says later, in a quiet room at the office of his management company. ‘I find myself being guarded for not wanting to talk about something that I personally don’t have a problem with. That feels so strange.'”
Check out the full story HERE.
TJ’s brother John released an Instagram video expressing his pride over the announcement.
You may recall that in 2015, the Brothers Osborne released a video for their new single “Stay a Little Longer” which offered something rare in country music: a look into romantic moments between gay, interracial, and older couples.
TIME adds: “With this news, T.J. becomes the only openly gay artist signed to a major country label—a historic moment for the genre. He’s had predecessors, of course: Other openly queer artists, from Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile to masked cowboy Orville Peck to viral hitmaker Lil Nas X, have found success by integrating country influences into their genre-defying music, and country artists including Chely Wright and Billy Gilman have passionate fanbases. But T.J. may be the first to come out with his feet so firmly planted in both the sound and machinery of mainstream country, in the full bloom of his career.”
