Jeffrey Osborne
Jeffrey Linton Osborne (born March 9, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and lyricist. He is the former drummer and lead singer of the American R&B/soul group L.T.D, with whom he began his musical career in 1970. In 2024, Osborne was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.
Also recorded as Jeffrey L. Osborne · Jeff Osborne
Jeffrey Osborne

Hugh Pickens · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Jeffrey Osborne
- Birth Name
- Jeffrey Linton Osborne
- Born
- 9 March 1948
- Birthplace
- Providence, Rhode Island, United States
- Occupation
- * Singer-songwriter
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- funk
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Jeffrey Linton Osborne (born March 9, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and lyricist. He is the former drummer and lead singer of the American R&B/soul group L.T.D, with whom he began his musical career in 1970. In 2024, Osborne was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame.
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museum · dfb666cb-933c-4675-8678-da8d6b43f86b · wikidata · Q250979 · wikipedia · Jeffrey Osborne
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jeffrey Osborne • Birth Name — Jeffrey Linton Osborne • Born — 9 March 1948 • Birthplace — Providence, Rhode Island, United States • Instrument — * Vocals • drums • Genre — * R&B • soul • quiet storm • adult contemporary • disco • Occupation — * Singer-songwriter • musician • drummer • Years Active — 1970–present • Label — * A&M • Arista • Hip-O • Private Music • Koch • Website — jeffreyosborne.com
Early life and family
Early life and family
Osborne was born in Providence, Rhode Island. Born the youngest of twelve children which consisted of six brothers and six sisters, Osborne's family was musically inclined. Some of Osborne's siblings went on to have music careers as well; his brother Billy Osborne was his band-mate in L.T.D. Osborne's father, Clarence "Legs" Osborne, was a popular trumpeter who played with Lionel Hampton, Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Osborne's father died in 1961 when Osborne was thirteen.
L.T.D.
L.T.D.
Osborne began his music career in 1970 becoming a member of the American soul band "Love Men Ltd.", who would later become known as L.T.D. The band recorded hit singles such as "(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again" (1977), "Concentrate on You," "Love Ballad" (1976) and "Holding On (When Love Is Gone)" (1978). At first, Osborne served as only a drummer, sharing lead vocal duties with his brother Billy Osborne but, by 1976, he became the group's primary lead vocalist. Osborne and his brother both left the band in late 1980 to start solo careers. Osborne sang lead vocals on L.T.D.'s three No. 1 songs on the U.S. R&B Chart and for the band's three gold and platinum albums.
Solo career
Solo career
In 1982, Osborne sang the opening song "I Just Want to Be Your Friend" for the comedy film The Toy. Osborne later released his self-titled debut album in 1982, which featured two hit singles, "On the Wings of Love" and "I Really Don't Need No Light" (1982), peaking at No. 29 and No. 39, respectively, on the pop chart. It was followed the next year by Stay with Me Tonight, his first solo gold album, which spawned four more hits, "Don't You Get So Mad" (No. 25), the title track (No. 30), "Plane Love" (No. 10 R&B, No. 6 dance), and "We're Going All the Way (No. 48). "Stay with Me Tonight" (May 1984, No. 18) and "On the Wings of Love" (August 1984, No. 11) would belatedly reach the UK Singles Chart. In 1985, Osborne wrote the lyrics to the Whitney Houston hit "All at Once" (music by Michael Masser). He appeared on USA for Africa's fundraising single, "We Are the World" in 1985. Osborne sang the unreleased single "Everything Good Takes Time" which was part of a video tribute to Julius Erving ('Dr. J') in 1987. He would later appear on Celebrity Duets in 2006, performing "On the Wings of Love" with Alfonso Ribeiro. Osborne lent his vocals to the theme song of the soap opera, Loving, from 1992 to 1995 as well as the first-season theme song for the Kirstie Alley comedy Veronica's Closet. Osborne had two more gold albums, Don't Stop and Emotional, the latter of which had his highest-charting solo pop hit, "You Should Be Mine", which peaked at No. 13 in 1986. The following year, Osborne had the highest-charting hit of his career duetting with Dionne Warwick on "Love Power", which reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also topped the Adult Contemporary singles chart. It was a turning point in his pop success, as his albums and singles began charting lower and lower. Osborne's 1988 single "She's on the Left" would be his final Hot 100 entry, as well as his only No. 1 R&B hit.
Later career
Later career
In the new millennium, he returned with a series of albums that, while far from the success he enjoyed in the 1980s, returned him to Adult R&B radio, scoring modest chart singles such as "Rest of Our Lives" (No. 75, 2003) and his cover of Barbara Mason's classic "Yes, I'm Ready" (No. 64, 2005). In 2008, Osborne sang the national anthem before game 4 of the NBA Finals at Staples Center in Los Angeles, a feat which he repeated in 2009 before game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals, and also again in 2010 before game 1 of the NBA Finals, all at Staples Center. He also performed the national anthem prior to game 3 of the 1988 World Series, a feat he repeated two years later at game 3 of the 1990 World Series, both at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. He also regularly sang the national anthem before Hartford Whalers games. On March 1, 2010, Osborne appeared on The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love season finale, "After the Final Rose", singing his hit "On the Wings of Love" while Bachelor Jake Pavelka took to the dance floor with his newly announced fiancée, Vienna Girardi. In 2024, Osborne was selected for induction into the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame
Personal life
Personal life
Osborne married Sheri Osborne in 1983, and together they have three daughters: Tiffany Nicole, Dawn, and Jeanine Osborne; and a son, Jeffrey Jr. His wife died in 2025 at the age of 69.
Studio albums
Studio albums
• Title — Album details — Peak positions — Certifications • US — US R&B — UK • Jeffrey Osborne — * Released: May 18, 1982 * Label: A&M Records — 49 — 3 — — • Stay with Me Tonight — * Released: July 22, 1983 * Label: A&M Records — 25 — 3 — 56 — * RIAA: Gold • Don't Stop — * Released: September 21, 1984 * Label: A&M Records — 39 — 7 — 59 — * RIAA: Gold • Emotional — * Released: May 27, 1986 * Label: A&M Records — 27 — 5 — — — * RIAA: Gold • One Love – One Dream — * Released: July 15, 1988 * Label: A&M Records — 86 — 12 — — • Only Human — * Released: November 20, 1990 * Label: Arista Records — 95 — 9 — — • Something Warm for Christmas — * Released: November 4, 1997 * Label: Modern Records — — — 86 — — • That's for Sure — * Released: February 8, 2000 * Label: Private Music — 191 — 50 — — • Music Is Life — * Released: May 20, 2003 * Label: Koch Records — — — 50 — — • From the Soul — * Released: October 4, 2005 * Label: Koch Records — — — 72 — — • A Time for Love — * Released: January 29, 2013 * Label: Saguaro Road Records — — — 34 — — • Worth It All — * Released: May 25, 2018 * Label: Artistry Music — — — — — — • "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Charted singles
Charted singles
• Year — Single — Chart positions • US — US R&B — US AC — US AR&B — AUS — UK Pop • 1982 — "I Really Don't Need No Light" — 39 — 3 — — — — — — — — • "On the Wings of Love" — 29 — 13 — 7 — — — 36 — 11 • 1983 — "Eenie Meenie" — 76 — — — 18 — — — — — — • "Don't You Get So Mad" — 25 — 3 — 29 — — — — — 54 • "Stay with Me Tonight" — 30 — 4 — — — — — — — 18 • 1984 — "Plane Love" — — — 10 — — — — — — — — • "We're Going All the Way" — 48 — 16 — 6 — — — — — — • "The Last Time I Made Love" (with Joyce Kennedy) — 40 — 2 — 37 — — — — — — • "Don't Stop" — 44 — 6 — — — — — — — 61 • "The Borderlines" — 38 — 7 — — — — — — — 98 • 1985 — "Let Me Know" — — — 44 — — — — — — — — • 1986 — "You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song)" — 13 — 2 — 2 — — — — — — • "Soweto" — — — 18 — — — — — — — 44 • "Room with a View" — — — 29 — — — — — — — 96 • "In Your Eyes" — — — 82 — 15 — — — — — — • 1987 — "Love Power" (with Dionne Warwick) — 12 — 5 — 1 — — — — — 63 • 1988 — "She's on the Left" — 48 — 1 — — — — — — — — • "Can't Go Back on a Promise" — — — 28 — — — — — — — — • 1989 — "All Because of You" — — — 48 — — — — — — — — • "Take Good Care of You and Me" (with Dionne Warwick) — — — 46 — 25 — — — — — 93 • 1990 — "Only Human" — — — 3 — — — — — — — — • 1991 — "If My Brother's in Trouble" — — — 11 — — — — — — — — • "The Morning After I Made Love to You" — — — 24 — — — — — — — — • 1994 — "I'll Be Around" (Russ Freeman/Rippingtons featuring Jeffrey Osborne) — — — — — — — 33 — — — — • 2000 — "That's For Sure" — — — — — — — 6 — — — — • 2003 — "The Rest of Our Lives" — — — 75 — — — 11 — — — — • "Caller ID" — — — — — — — 30 — — — — • 2005 — "Yes, I'm Ready" — — — 64 — — — 14 — — — — • 2018 — "Worth It All" — — — — — — — 12 — — — — • "—" denotes the single failed to chart
Filmography
Filmography
• The Young Messiah – Messiah XXI (2006) (DVD)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1948
Jeffrey Osborne born at Providence.
2025
Jeffrey Osborne mp3 collection (2025) is digitised and catalogued by Internet Archive.
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- MusicBrainz artist record for Jeffrey Osborne
Scholarly · MetaBrainz Foundation
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q250979: Jeffrey Osborne
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Jeffrey Osborne”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Awards and honors
Awards and honors
In 2019 Osbourne was recognized with the Wheeler community Spirit Award, given to a member of the Providence, RI community who advocates for those who have fewer opportunities. Recipients are recognized for their efforts in four key areas: • Passion for equity and social justice, both locally and globally • Appreciation for and promotion of the benefits of education • Commitment to creating opportunities in the community for those who otherwise might not have a voice or an advocate • Resilience in the face of challenge and adversity. We ask each recipient to attend the annual Wheeler School Community Potluck Dinner, where the award is presented. The Family Potluck dinner is a school-wide event, sponsored by the Upper School's diversity club Students Involved in Cultural Awareness (SICA), the Office of Unity & Diversity, and the Wheeler Parent's Association. Osborne received the 2014 New England Pell Award for Artistic Excellence from Providence (Rhode Island)'s Trinity Repertory Company in honor of his artistic achievements and philanthropic work in Rhode Island.
Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Osborne has received four Grammy nominations. • Year — Category — Nominated work — Result • 1984 — Best Male R&B Vocal Performance — Stay With Me Tonight • 1985 — Best Male R&B Vocal Performance — Don't Stop • Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group — "The Last Time I Made Love" (w/Joyce Kennedy) • 2001 — Best Traditional R&B Performance — That's For Sure
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Larkin. The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music. Guinness Publishing. 188/9. 1993. 0-85112-733-9.
- 2.Jeffrey Osborne Bio | Jeffrey Osborne Career | MTV. Vh1.com.
- 3.Johnson Publishing Company. JET Magazine - Jeffery Osborne's Wife Sheri Tells How To Land And Keep Man Of Your Dreams - Jan. 30, 1989. Google Books. January 30, 1989.
- 4.Jeffrey Osborne: Billboard 200. Billboard.
- 5.Jeffrey Osborne: Top Soul Albums. Billboard.
- 6.JEFFREY OSBORNE - full Official Chart History. Official Charts Company.
- 7.RIAA. Jeffrey Osborne. Riaa.com.
- 8.Jeffrey Osborne: Billboard Hot 100. Billboard.
- 9.Jeffrey Osborne: Top Hip-Hop/R&B Songs. Billboard.
- 10.Jeffrey Osborne: Adult Contemporary Songs. Billboard.
- 11.Jeffrey Osborne: Adult R&B Songs. Billboard.
- 12.Kent, David. Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. 226. 1993. 0-646-11917-6.
- 13.Announcing the 2021 Wheeler Community Spirit Award - The Wheeler School. wheelerschool.org.
- 14.Trinity Rep to Honor Jeffrey Osborne With 2014 New England Pell Award for Artistic Excellence, 6/9. Broadway World. April 25, 2014.
- 15.Gray, Channing. Pell Awards salute the best of R.I. arts / Gallery. The Providence Journal. June 9, 2014.
- 16.The Recording Academy. Jeffrey Osborne. grammy.com.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
MusicBrainz artist record for Jeffrey OsborneMetaBrainz Foundation
VerifiedInstitutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q250979: Jeffrey OsborneWikimedia Foundation
Verifiedreference work
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Jeffrey Osborne was recorded at birth as Jeffrey Linton Osborne. The authorities additionally record the headings Jeffrey L. Osborne and Jeff Osborne. His recorded language was English. Recorded as musician, singer-songwriter, singer and composer.
Identity and origins
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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