Billy Osborne is a talented singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and producer who is best known for his role in the R&B scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s R&B scene. He is best known as a member of L.T.D. (Love, Togetherness and Devotion) and for his work as a session musician, producer, and collaborator.
Osborne was a founding presence in L.T.D., where he served as musical director, vocalist, and keyboardist. The group scored several notable R&B hits, including “Love Ballad” (1976), which reached number one on the R&B charts, and “(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again” (1977). His brother Jeffrey Osborne was also a core member of the band, playing drums and sharing lead vocal duties before moving out front as the group’s primary singer.
After leaving L.T.D. around 1980, Osborne teamed up with Attala Zane Giles, a guitarist and songwriter formerly of Switch, to form the duo Osborne & Giles. The pair released one album, Stranger in the Night, in 1985 on Red Label Records. The record found an audience among R&B enthusiasts and has maintained a cult following.
Outside of his own projects, Osborne worked as a producer and collaborator, contributing to Jeffrey Osborne’s solo career following their departure from L.T.D. as well as with other notable artists such as Linda Clifford .
In more recent years, Osborne released two archival albums through APM Music — Billy Osborne Rediscovered: Late Night and Billy Osborne Rediscovered: On the Groove — both consisting of Jazz, Funk, and R&B material written and produced by Osborne himself.
