Dave Osborne of Greensboro’s Music Barn passes
Dave Osborne, 75, of Greensboro, NC, handed absent on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. He served in the U.S. Military and done in a touring present that entertained the troops throughout the Vietnam War.
As a young expert musician, Osborne performed with state artist, Faron Young, and quite a few other folks. He released a traditional bluegrass album, Southern Blend (Wealthy-R-Tone LP 8112), in 1981. Staff involved Osborne on banjo with Bobby Hicks on fiddle and Penny Parsons on bass. In 1982, Outdated Homestead produced Banjo Harvest (OHS 80025) showcasing Dave Osborne on the five-string and Hicks on fiddle.
Osborne was the founder, owner, and operator of the Songs Barn on South Chapman Road in Greensboro, and has continued to market musical instruments and offer you new music lessons given that he opened the enterprise 50 years in the past. He also ran a are living bluegrass audio venue, Fiddlers’ Cove, on South Elm Road in Greensboro for the duration of the 1970s and ’80s. He was an avid collector of vintage instruments.
In a cellular phone job interview, Hicks shared his passion for Osborne. “He and I grew up collectively. I worked for him various decades soon after I moved again from Las Vegas, educating fiddle lessons.
“I presently miss out on him. He was a single of my quite very best mates. I would go see him each individual probability I acquired. The last time I observed him, he was in the retail store, looking at Tv. He sold me some great instruments for particularly what he paid for them. I nevertheless have them.”
Parsons expressed her grief and gratitude.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dave Osborne, and send out my condolences to his family. Like so many others, I owe a big credit card debt of gratitude to Dave Osborne. Dave was a mentor to me in my early days of exploring bluegrass, just as he was to numerous others. I very first satisfied him in 1978, and he straight away welcomed me into the fold at The Music Barn and Fiddler’s Cove, the retail retail store and nightclub that he ran in Greensboro.
He gave me my 1st career in the songs small business, controlling the history and instruction ebook stock at the Songs Barn, which soon opened the doorway for me to do the job at Sugar Hill Records and to produce for Bluegrass Endless magazine. He also invited me to be part of his band (Southern Blend) and inspired and supported me in my tries to study to pick, instructing me how to engage in bass and sing harmony.
Via my friendship with him, I discovered about the bluegrass entire world and fulfilled numerous area, regional, and nationally recognised musicians. And I was just a single of many people he mentored. There ended up usually young musicians all-around the Songs Barn, and Dave supported them in any way he could.
Founded, nicely-recognised musicians understood and cherished Dave also. He often spoke with Earl Scruggs, Don Reno, Sonny Osborne, and many other people. And he was excellent at his task, which is why the New music Barn carries on to provide the central North Carolina audio neighborhood to this day (with his nephew, Tommy Handy, functioning the business).
Dave was committed to his enthusiasm for the music and was a tireless supporter of his close friends, relatives, and all of the musicians all-around him. He made our life much better and we all owe him a terrific personal debt of gratitude.
Relaxation In Peace, Dave. You’re leaving a terrific legacy!”
Rick Allred, former mandolinist with the Nation Gentlemen, shared…
“I achieved Dave when I was a teen. The 1st time I fulfilled him, it was like I’d identified him all my existence.
He did a ton for me. He talked to the Outdated Homestead label and bought us an album [Rick Allred & Kenneth Berrier: Fire on the Mountain, Flat Burnin’, OHS 90125, 1979. The first cut on the instrumental album is South Elm Street that Allred wrote and named after Osborne’s venue.]
When I observed my Clawson mandolin, Dave loaned me the dollars. He mentioned, ‘I’ll acquire it, outdated son. You can pay me back any time.’ We would perform Fiddler’s Cove, then Kenneth, Dave, and I would go to Your Property restaurant and consume coffee and speak daily life til 1:30 in the morning. He booked a lot of neighborhood bands and large identify acts. He introduced in the Place Gentlemen proper soon after I went with them.”
Louisa Branscomb has fond recollections. “I experienced the wonderful fortune to be a younger player in the early yrs of the venerable Fiddler’s Cove in Greensboro. What the Station Inn is to Nashville, Fiddler’s Cove was to Greensboro and the triad area, a welcoming gathering location to hear terrific songs, where by absolutely everyone was family. It was really the coronary heart of the group for so several wonderful years.”
Place pickers chimed in with praises for Osborne.
“Dave Osborne enjoyed all the things musical, primarily the musician. You could normally count on a helpful smile, sharing of his know-how of musical instruments, seem guidance, and earlier mentioned all his kindness. He will be skipped,” stated North Carolina banjoist and Osborne’s longtime close friend, Danny Bowers.
Tim and Tommy Mendenhall, twin brothers who decide banjo and mandolin respectively, shared responses. Tim said…
“Dave was a pillar to not only to the bluegrass triad songs community, but to all folks’ songs.
My brother, Tom, and I have identified Dave considering that we ended up young people. I obtained my Gibson RB-1 banjo from Dave when my banjo was stolen above 30 yrs in the past. It is continue to my most important banjo today. My young brother, Jeff, took fiddle classes from Bobby Hicks at the Tunes Barn.
Dave owned Fiddler’s Cove and supplied a area to hear Crowe, Spectrum, New Grass Revival, and for some of us local bluegrass a put to play. Dave was normally personable and not only talked about tunes, but was constantly intrigued in you personally.
I got to perform in a band, Cornbread Revival, with him for various several years. We performed domestically and bought to listen to stories. I played his well known -1 Granada numerous instances in his back room (the a single that Crowe purchased during the final handful of a long time of his life). Dave was generally so happy to possess that banjo for these a prolonged time.
He experienced a genuine appreciate of Flatt & Scruggs’ new music and the outdated new music and all matters Earl. He introduced me to music that I experienced by no means truly heard from the F&S period.
RIP Dave, your operate listed here on earth is completed. I will miss Dave.”
Tom included, “I am pretty unhappy to know Dave has still left this earth, but I know he experienced tremendously right after his stroke. He is participating in banjo and fiddle in heaven. The memories going for walks as a result of the Tunes Barn so numerous situations, wanting at devices on display, and at times looking at his private collection normally designed me smile. Dave was a true mate for such a extended time. We highly regarded Dave and he was so incredibly nice. I have tears in my eyes thinking about when we were young heading in there with our dad hunting at his devices. Dave understood his stuff and was a type-hearted businessman, but also a musician who understood bluegrass music.”
Guitarist, Albert Vestal, shared a extra new memory. “When I went to see Dave in medical center after his stroke, I requested, ‘Do you think you can sing a minor tenor?’ Dave bounced back, ‘Do you assume you can sing a minimal guide?’ He set it ideal back on me!”
“Rest In Peace, Dave Osborne. He was a wonderful male and excellent useful resource for us young individuals attempting to enjoy banjo in the Piedmont-Triad location. Fortunately, he taught me that Earl Scruggs was king when I was about 13 yrs old,” region banjo picker, Matt Denny stated.
Dave Osborne is survived by his sister, Judy Arlene Handy nephew, Tommy Useful, and spouse Melissa niece, Dena Dean and spouse Marty.
Funeral solutions will be held on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at Wilkerson Funeral Property with Reverend Joe Chandler officiating. Burial will follow at Lakeview Memorial Park. The family members will receive friends at Wilkerson Funeral House on Friday, June 10, 2022, from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
R.I.P., Dave Osborne.
