Brothers Osborne’s TJ Osborne gets personal with fans in a new interview with “Time” magazine, revealing publicly for the first time that he is gay, making him the first openly gay country artist to be signed to a major label.
"I'm very comfortable being gay," he says. "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."
TJ has known he was gay since he was a teen, and has been out to friends and family for years. As for why he’s speaking out now, he notes, “People will ask, 'Why does this even need to be talked about?' and personally, I agree with that," explaining, "But for me to show up at an awards show with a man would be jaw-dropping to people. It wouldn't be like, 'Oh, cool!'" He also adds, "At this point, my happiness is more valuable than anything else I'd ever be able to achieve."
And TJ has complete support from his brother and singing partner John Osborne. “If I had to have all my money and success erased for my brother to be truly fulfilled in life,” John says, “I wouldn’t even think about it. Not for a second.”
As for how TJ thinks his sexuality will affect the band, he’s actually not sure. “I don’t think I’m going to get run off the stage in Chicago,” he says. “But in a rural town playing a county fair? I’m curious how this will go.”
- ONE MORE THING!In the article, TJ reveals that the band’s hit song “21 Summer” was about his first heartbreak, which hurt even more because he couldn’t talk to people about it. It’s a tune that’s still hard for him to sing. “There are so many times I’ve sung that song and wanted to cry,” he says. “People love that song, but the emotion of it is deeper than they even realize.”
Source:Time