Jimmie Osborne
1923-1957
Jimmie Osborne, a native of Winchester, Ky., sang country music over radio stations in Lexington, Shreveport, Nashville and Louisville during a career that started when he was 15 years old. He was reported to be the highest-paid performer in the radio and television field in Louisville at one time.
As a recording artist, Osborne was best known for two hits--"My Heart Echoes", his first record and one that hit the best seller list in the country music field in 1947, and a few years later, "The Death of Kathy Fiscus", which sold 1,000,000 copies.
Osborne wrote the song while working on radio station WLEX in Lexington. He gave half the royalties to a memorial fund for the little California girl who fell in a well and died.
Like many other performers in the country and folk music business, Osborne played many benefits--for fellow performers down on their luck and for such causes as the March of Dimes.
Those who worked with him said Osborne's success was based on his "infectious personality" rather than on his singing voice, which was not a notable one.
His home town of Winchester never forgot him and once gave him a home-coming day. The key to the city was handed to Osborne by the Mayor, Dr. John A. Snowden, who was the physician who brought Osborne into this world.
He is still remembered in Winchester as the youngster who began "picking and singin" with a guitar that cost $4 and a "get-up" that featured the oldest overalls he could find and a floppy black hat.
On Dec 26, 1957, Jimmie Osborne took his own life. He was 34 years old.
Standing from left: Eddie Hill, Tommy Sosebee, Carl Smith and Ernest Tubb
Seated from Left: DJ Carl Shook, Jimmie Osborne, Jimmie Logsdon and Pee Wee King
L to R Jimmie Logsdon, Ernest Tubb and Jimmie Osborne
Both photos, probably from early fifties
Below are 22 of Jimmie's songs. Listen to the chilling words in "The Death Of Little Kathy Fiscus", the story of the little girl who died after falling into an open well in 1949. And "God Please Protect America" is a song from 1950 that could very well apply to today's events. And "A Tennessee Ocean" is a beautiful tear jerker. All songs are in the MP3 format.
Now Here's Jimmie!
God Please Protect America
The Death Of Little Kathy Fiscus
A Tennessee Ocean
Blue Days & Lonely Nights
No Bitter Tears
Empty Old Cottage
I Did And I Does And I Do
The Door To My Heart Is Wide Open
My Heart Echoes
I'm Scared To Go Home
The Tears Of Saint Anne
What A Price To Pay For Love
You'll Come
Vacant Sign Upon My Heart
Give Back My Ring And Picture
God Has Taken My Flower
How Many Hearts Can You Break
I Hate To Be Jealous
It's Just A Habit With You
Mama Don't Agree
Nag, Nag, Nag
The Moon Is Weeping Over You
We Can't Take It With Us To Our Grave
You Get The Roses, I Get The Thorns
This Evil Life Don't Pay
I would really apprecaite any info that anyone may have on the life and times of Jimmie Osborne.
Thanks a million,
Gary
From My Guestbook:
Gary -
As the oldest of Jimmie's two sons, I can attest both Mike and I are pleased and honored to have our father's memory preserved in this manner. He was taken from us far too soon; only a child deeply devoted to and in love with his father can understand the impact of losing a parent at such a young age, a parent with which much time was spent and memories shared. The fact his death occurred under questionable circumstances served only to compound the issue. Unlike my daughters and neices, I knew my father well, perhaps better than most. The events of December 26, 1957, remain vivid. It is comforting to know there are others who still remember his quality as a person and talent as an entertainer.
Thanks, again. Your site is a blessing.
Doug Osborne
Lexington Kentucky
Just want to say thank you for posting this and helping to keep my grandfather's memory alive. None of his grandchildren, including me, knew him, but it's so nice to hear the stories from those who did.
Jessica Osborne McKenney
Lexington, Kentucky
First and foremost, let me extend a
truly heartfelt thank you to Gary and
everyone else who has put this webpage
together. I am truly enjoying listening
to the _true_ country music that I've
found here.
If I have space for a short memory I'd
like to share it with the other fans. I
am originally from the state of
Kentucky, I was blind from birth. I went
to the Kentucky School for the Blind in
Louisville. Click HERE for more from Hugh Stogner.
Just wanted to say thanks Gary, for posting my grandfather Jimmy Osborne's music on here and letting the whole world hear it.
Amy Osborne
Lexington, Kentucky
beyondthelens17@yahoo.com
Thanks Gary for posting this site. I'm Jimmie Osborne's granddaughter and don't really know too much about him since my dad was so young when Jimmie took his own life. It's neat to see he still has fans and be able to listen to his music that I haven't heard in so long!
Erin Osborne
Loved the web site,
My mother-in-law and her ex-husband wrote "EMPTY OLD COTTAGE" and gave it to Jimmie Osborne to play many a years ago,
It was nice to here a piece of his history and my Mother-in-laws
Pat Sanders
When I was about 15 around 1955, I would often walk from my Louisville home at 22nd and Maple St to see Jimmie Osborne live on the air at the Jimmie Osborne Record Shop at 8th and Broadway. I loved his guitar playing when he occasionally sang a song "live" on one of his DJ shows.
And, being a kid, I really appreciated "Jimmie Osborne Nickel Day" at Fontaine Ferry amusement park.
J.O.'s closing saying will forever be embedded in my mind: "Neighbors, believe half of what you see, nothing bad you hear, and if you can't say something good about someone, then brother just don't say it."
Tom Greenup, Brooks, KY
My brother and I have long searched for the song "Tears of St. Anne". He found it on this website and sent it to me along with the web page. We really appreciate being able to hear that song as it is one that we used to sing in the car while travelling in the car with our parents and brothers and sisters - there was nine of us kids. I also remember hearing about the song "The Death of Little Kathy Fiscus". My mom talked about that song. Thanks for the web page and the songs.
Linda
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
With explosions going off everywhere in the world what a pleasure to come to this sight and listen to Tears of Saint Anne.I first heard this song around 1956. I never forgot it but it took me almost fifty years to verify the artist. There is a rare picture of Jimmie Osborne with Hank Williams at WCKY in the following book on page 85. Title: Hank Williams' Snapshots From The Lost Highway publisher is Dacapo Press. Book can be found on Amazon.com.It doesn't surprise me that their roads crossed. I'll be back for more visits. Thanks for a class act!!!
Jim Brock
Santa Monica, CA
I just wanted to say that I have enjoyed Jimmie Osborne since viewing your site. I now have copies of some of his songs thanks to my boss. I play them over and over. I have been asked about this artist and have been trying to find out some information on Mr. Osborne. I just found out that his sister-in-law passed away this year. I was told that his widow passed away this year also. How accurate that statement is, I cannot verify. I never found out what his widow's name was. I visit his grave from time to time when I visit my grandmother's. On his tombstone, it says "Kentucky's Folk Singer".
Joy Curtis
Kentucky
Hello gary!
My name is Dennis Schut. Just by accident I came upon your very interesting pages. I was very glad to see info on Jimmie Osborne. I am a big fan of his music. I have 3 LPīs or so on KING Records and also prepared an LP myself from 78īs I have collected through the years and researched details about his life, as little was know from the KING LP sleeves and my books on the history of Country Music. Do you know this LP, it came out on Strictly Country Records in The Netherlands. Even bought two good pictures from the Country Music Library in Nashville.
I was in Louisville two years ago for about a week and was thinking about looking at places where he might have lived and worked, but really had no clue where to look. Very nice city!
Best wishes from Europe,
Dennis
I lived in Ky so of Louisville,and in Louisville from 1950 til'1953, at which time I joined the Marines. I loved Jimme Osborne, and still do. I have a few tapes of his. (great site) Please continue this wonderful site!
Sherman Glover
Yucca Valley Ca
I have been a fan of Jimmie Osborne since a child and have all his recordings in my collection.
I was fortunate to met him once while in Louisville and he was was a very friendly person. At the time he was doing DJ work at some Louisville location where, as a previous letter stated, he would sing a few songs on each program. Incidently, it was WKLO where he worked while in Louisville. I was impressed that he was much nicer looking in person than in his pictures.
For a short time, WKLO had a tv station on channel 21 in Louisville but since tv's didn't have UHF tuners built in until later, the station couldn't make it. Jimmie had a program on the station, I believe it was daily, and once a week he had his "Osborne Opry". We lived about 125 miles from Louisville and UHF stations only reached out about 35 miles in those days. In fact, we had difficulty with channel 3 and 11, PeeWee King being on channel 3 and Randy Atcher was on 11 (WAVE and WHAS).
I was told by Walter Bailes that Jimmie got his start working with them (The Bailes Brothers) and they played behind him on some of his "King" recordings.
Jerry Langley
Nashville TN.
Gary, I worked as Staff Announcer at WKLO, Louisville from 1949 through 1953. One of my assignments was to introduce Jimmie Osborne and his group of about four, every morning after signing on the station. Most mornings they arrived at the station (about 6:30 a.m.) directly from a job they had worked the previous night. The gig they were on was usually in a small town 100 or more miles from Louisville. They'd finish the job, hang around for a while to visit with the locals, have "dinner" (with a few drinks), pile in the car and drive back to Louisville. There were times when they barely made it back to station in time for their show.
I also had the pleasure of working with Asher Sizemore (and other Country groups) at WHTN, Huntington, W. Va., around 1948-49. I was known then as "Slim Farron" and had a record show every morning featuring such outstanding records as "Tramp On the Street" by Molly O'Day, "Walking the Floor..." by Ernest Tubb, and a really great track done by several artists: "Sweeter Than the Flowers". I used to have conversations on the air every morning with my little "bird" Elmo, and got many letters asking about him. Huntington to Louisville to Chicago...until 1959. Wish there was more I could contribute.
Ed
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Asher & Jimmie Sizemore
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Please note: I realize no profit from the music on this page. Songs are from my private collection, and are intended to educate or bring back a memory. Music is for personal and private in home use only.
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