From the early '60s to the early to mid-'70s, Joe Osborn's buoyant, picked bass lines can be heard on more than half the hit records made in Los Angeles, having appeared on over 200 Top 40 hits including 20 number one hits, as well as innumerable film and TV scores and jingles. The electric bassist also has the distinction of being the first to record a teenage Karen and Richard Carpenter in his home four-track recording studio after they tagged along with a trumpet player for a session.
Born in Mound, LA, Osborn grew up in Shreveport and at age 12 started playing the family guitar; he learned to play by listening to the radio. Working in local gin joints led Osborn to record several hits with singer Dale Hawkins (including 1957's "La-Do-Dada"). Joining up with the singer's brother Jerry Hawkins, Osborn trekked to Los Angeles. Finding himself stranded, Osborn contacted Bob Luhman, a country singer from Shreveport, who hired him for a year-long engagement at the Showboat Hotel in Las Vegas in 1959. Around this time, Luhman added a female vocalist who sang a lot of pop standards and whose chords Osborn didn't know, so he started playing electric bass guitar.
Back in Louisiana, Osborn was called back to Los Angeles after being recommended to Rick Nelson. For the next four years, Osborn played bass on Nelson's hits and guested on The Ozzie and Harriet Show. Singer Johnny Rivers remembered Osborn from childhood and asked him to play on his hit albums and to help open the Whiskey-A-Go-Go in 1962. Osborn became an in-demand sideman for publishing demos with producers Bones Howe and Lou Adler; songwriters Jimmy Webb, Steve Barry, and P.F. Sloane; and Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. In 1963, while making a demo for Adler's Dunhill label, Osborn, drummer Hal Blaine, and keyboardist Larry Knechtel played together for the first time; they later became known as the Wrecking Crew.
For the next ten years, the Crew was the leading rhythm section on the West Coast, playing on gold records by Glen Campbell, who played guitar on some sessions with Osborn, the Beach Boys, the Monkees, the 5th Dimension, the Partridge Family, the Mamas and the Papas, and the Carpenters. He flew to New York to play on records by Simon and Garfunkel, Bobby Sherman, Richard Harris, Barry McGuire, and countless TV and film soundtracks and commercials.
Often the rhythm section would be called in to ghost for other bands including the Association, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, America, Spanky and Our Gang, and the Grass Roots.
In an effort to reduce his increasingly hectic schedule, Osborn began asking for double and triple scale, but this only seemed to put him more in demand. In 1974, after having suffered the mental and physical effects of doing over 20 sessions per week, a friend convinced Osborn to move to a Nashville-area farm where he adopted a slower schedule of occasional jingles and dates with artists such as his idol Chet Atkins, Eddie Rabbitt, Merle Haggard, Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers, and Jimmy Buffett.
In 1990, when Nashville's Music City slipped into recession, Osborn moved back to Louisiana to a Shreveport suburb where he records his original songs on his four-track recorder and flies to Nashville, Dallas, and Los Angeles for an occasional record date. ~ Ed Hogan, All Music Guide
Joe is currently involved in several projects including a line of basses that can be viewed at Lakland.com, and a book. Joe was also inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame located in Nashville, TN in June, where his bass will remain on display. Joe reads all messages and comments and can be contacted through this site if you have any questions. Thanks for checking out the page!!!
Check out Steve Howells new CD! http://www.outofthepastmusic.com/
new video "Christmas At The Zoo (The Flaming Lips cover)" by the guitar plus me →http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8t20lG__ts
from the Christmas mini album "CHRISTMAS GIFT CHRISTMAS GRIFT" (me against the world 01) 1. White Christmas 2. The Christmas Song 3. Christmas At The Zoo 4. Christmas Gift Christmas Grift 5. Aluminum Xmas Trees (acoustic) 6. Silent Night
Dear Joe Osborn, It's after Halloween and the busy holidays are approaching. Take a break and drop by to listen to my featured songs. You may find my music to be just the calm you need during this hectic time of the year. I appreciate your friendship and I hope you enjoy the music. I wish you much joy and peace.
Hi! I've just uploaded a new demo track of my all bass waltz "Angel" as well as new demos of "Soulmates" and "And at the Going Down of the Sun" I hope you will get to check them out and let me know what you think :)
There is currently a search for two types of bands for record label consideration.
*** Note: PLEASE IDENTIFY IF YOU ARE IN GROUP 1 OR 2 IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR RESPONSE. Emails are being reviewed by different representatives.
1. A Pop/Rock/Commercial band with female lead. Band must consist of 2 guitars (Prefer both guitar players to be of lead caliber. However, one lead and one rhythm is acceptable), keyboard/piano, bass, and drums. Lead vocal, followed by backing vocals, in that order, is a plus as it relates to other members of the group. Average age of the band cannot exceed 28 years of age.
* Group must have an outstanding lead vocalist. ** Musicianship throughout the entire band must be very strong. *** Group cannot currently be under any contract of any type that is related to the music industry.
2. A Modern Rock band with male lead. Must be a complete band but there are no prerequisites as it relates to the make up of the band. Average age of the band cannot exceed 23 years of age.
* Group must have an outstanding lead vocalist. ** Musicianship throughout the entire band must be very strong. *** Group cannot currently be under any contract of any type that is related to the music industry.
XXX - If you meet the minimum qualifications as described above. Email a link for your MySpace Page and if applicable, a link for your website to: recordingartistsearch@gmail.com
Only send one email with your links. Due to the volume of responses normally received for these types of opportunities. After review of your material, you will only be contacted if there is an interest in attending one of your shows by a label representative. As such please to not send any follow up emails regarding selections. If you were not contacted back, there was not an interest.
Hello Joe. Thank you for adding me as a friend. let me know if you ever need a Drummer, I am right down the road. May God Bless You, and your Family. Benny G.
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