Brothers Osborne Celebrate First No. 1 Single

Pictured (L-R): (front) ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Smack Ink’s Robin Palmer, co-writer/artist TJ Osborne, co-writer/artist John Osborne, King Pen Music’s Kelly King, (back row) Universal Music Group’s Mike Dungan, co-writer Shane McAnally, Universal Music Publishing’s Kent Earls, Warner/Chappell Music Publishing’s Ben Vaughn.

Nashville’s music industry braved cold and rain Tuesday (March 1) to celebrate Brothers Osborne’s chart-topping tune “Stay A Little Longer,” with an ASCAP-hosted shindig at South.

The energy in the room was palpable, as “Stay A Little Longer” marks the first No. 1 as writers and artists for Brothers Osborne members TJ and John Osborne. The tune is the 15th No. 1 song for co-writer Shane McAnally. Producer Jay Joyce was not in attendance.

Among those offering glowing congratulations were ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, King Pen Music’s Kelly King (who received numerous thanks of her own during the shindig), Warner/Chappell Music Publishing’s Ben Vaughn, Universal Music Group’s Mike Dungan, Universal Music Publishing’s Kent Earls, Smack Ink’s Robin Palmer, Country Aircheck’s Lon Helton, CRB’s Holly Lane, and CMA’s Brandi Simms.

“I talk a lot about the love affair we have for our artists,” said Dungan. “There is nothing more gratifying to someone who works at a label than having a project that you deem personally to be great and that you feel moves the needle and affects the culture and I can’t tell you have wonderful and perfect it is when greatness and art intersect with commerce and it results in a No. 1 record, and I couldn’t be happier about it.”

Dungan also honored John and TJ, as well as McAnally, with what is lovingly called the “Impaler Award.”

“There is a waiver to fill out later because they are dangerous,” quipped Dungan. “Shane McAnally, 14 out of your 15 [No. 1 songs] are from us? We’ve made a lot of money together, buddy.” To Brothers Osborne, he added, “You guys are still ridiculously unrecouped, but we are getting there.”

“TJ, your voice I really do think is going to go down in history as one of the greats,” said McAnally. “They are both incredible singers, and their harmonies sound amazing, but I really do think the tone and texture and sounds you guys get together this is really historical and I’m really honored that I got to be a part of this first No. 1 of many.”

“I said this before but a lot of people talk about how much work it takes and sometimes it is a bit unnerving but to always look at everyone around you, and literally no one is ever dropping the ball and working their [butts] off,” said TJ.

TJ Osborne also offered thanks to Sistad. “Mike Sistad was one of the first people to put us on a show, when no one gave a s— about us. It was a show at the Bluebird. Also, when no one was willing to lend us any more money, Sistad stepped up with ASCAP and gave us a loan that literally saved us from totally collapsing, which we might have done anyway. He just gave us a little more drinking money, so thank you.

“It’s cool to have all this stuff handed out tonight,” he continued. “We wanted to hand out some gifts ourselves. We didn’t realize it would take so long to get a royalty check,” he quipped, to the laughter of the audience.

John Osborne also thanked lawyer Chip Petree. “We forgot to put him in our liner notes, so I want to thank him first.”

“It’s all about the people,” Osborne summarized. “You look at a song, it’s Brothers Osborne, but it wasn’t just Brothers Osborne. I cannot be more grateful. It’s hard work and a little bit of luck. I think if it all ended right now, I’d feel like the luckiest person in the world. I genuinely do. Not so much for the accolades and No. 1s, but Nashville is full of the greatest people on earth. That’s why people keep moving here, because it’s seriously great. The fact that we get to celebrate a huge milestone in our lives with people that we genuinely love, that’s the greatest thing to me. I can’t thank you all enough and I can’t wait to do this again.”

Pictured (L-R): TJ Osborne, Shane McAnally, John Osborne. Photo: Frederick Breedon for ASCAP.