The Osborne Brothers - Rocky Top

[MyFlippinValentine]

This is the very definition of a tight performance.

[macsnafu]

Sweet as soda pop!

[Ripley44mag]

Gawd just gotta love these sister rapin father didlin guys.  Great stuff !!!! :o)

[jthomaston]

@Ripley44mag Shove it up your ass.

[dustbowel20]

drugs? they act like it

[Katragew]

My Daddy got to jam with these fellows when they were in Ohio. They are still my favorite bluegrass group. My late father and I went to many of their performances. It kind of turned into a father/daughter thing. Thank you for the fond memories.

[huncherr]

It's gameday again in Rocky Top!

[shocker0]

It's gameday in Rocky Top!

[standelman95]

Awesome !! This is real country music !!!

[EldoNorte]

Great, grand, greater!

[phillyphanatic1830]

Goooood Ole Rocky Top! (WOO!!)

Rocky Top, Tennessee!

From Philly!

[chuck2810]

Awsome - the guys had it!

[chuck2810]

Awsome - the guys had it!

[emjee]

Is Ronnie Reno Don Reno's brother?

[cgood64]

Is that Greg Brady at 0:56 ?

[md65000]

@cgood64 That's not Greg Brady you knucklehead. Greg Brady played the banjo for Jimmy Martin.

[MrCopenhagan]

this is the best damb music you can listen to.

[pesrritox]

Very nice :)

[wgw001]

I had the pleasure of meeting Sonny and Bobby Osborne after one of their concerts Back in the 1980s, Sonny gave me some pointers on playing the banjo.Can't get any better than that. Ain't nothing like living in Tennessee.

[johnnymccrowe]

half bear, the other half cat

[1994liberty]

What kinda guitar is ronnie reno playin

[wevans770]

Smoke emitting from banjo! Awesome! Sharing on facebook :)

[iamavampo1]

@lesbian vampire lover,glad to see someone else loves this music and those good old hippie, free love, happy days!!

[LesbianVampireLover]

I've seen the Osbournes many times. Once, we attended a Bluegrass Festival in West Virginia, around 1971 or 1972. The audience was a strange mix of old people in lawn chairs and hippies (yes, I was one of the latter). The Osbornes, Earl Scruggs Review (I got to meet Earl), and the Carter Family with Mother Maybelle were among the headliners. When Bobby and Sonny came on, people were sitting in front of the stage rocking out in a huge cloud of marijuana smoke. Those were the days!

[ferlottes]

Wow !! malade !

[EvanPhillips1]

The guitar player is Ronnie Reno

[larissa1227]

who is the guitar player in this?

[larissa1227]

who si the guitar player in this? red allen?

[twoteles]

Outstanding bluegrass - wonderful harmonies, too!

Excellent.

[MrTallfiddle]

Yet another great Felice and Boudleaux Bryant song...

[somf814]

1 person is a florida or alabama fan

[cglodzik]

What a great classic song! Especially love the harmonies and of course these guys know their instruments! Awesome.

[volkensniff]

These gentleman play like the devil.

[Flatbanjo92]

@OakPark11MileRd  ummm..this was the camp springs BLUEGRASS festival.....not a country festival... ive never heard of twitty or jones being there. I live about 20 min from where this festival used to be, and ive talked with carlton haney, the guy who put this festival on. and hes never mentioned jones or twitty being there...

[jon1156]

Roethlesberger plays a mean banjo.

[davidpriceiii1]

I believe all of this. I'm a transplant from California and I will tell you, this is what God had in mind when he made America. God Bless Osbornes, and Tennessee!

[vegetaandstevie]

oh yea

[supersnakegtr]

respect the banjo!! and the side burn's !!

[pianoman1065]

My Dad is a huge Bluegrass fan and played Bluegrass Lps all of the time while I was growning up. The Osborne Brothers were the only Bluegrass group I would listen to. This is my favorite personel thay had with Ronnie Reno. Great harmony and I liked the way they added drums and electric bass to their performances!

[thewieners]

wowwwwwwwwww! ain't this great?!

[xlxhaleyxlx]

I would LOVE to see some of the top "metal" guitar players try to play the banjo this well...I've tried playing and it is more complex. I have some metal head friends that diss country...I think....well if it wasnt for country and blues...rock would not have come about...and nor metal. RESPECT those that started it all!

[macsnafu]

This is my favorite version that I've found so far--The Osborne's are looking and playing their best, and they really seem to be enjoying themselves. Alas, I still think the tempo's too fast, but nobody seems to play this song slower.

[xlxhaleyxlx]

@macsnafu I like Conway's version too...

[EXPL721]

I've read that Sonny was pretty much self taught and was kind of like a musical prodigy. He learned the banjo quickly. He would practice like 15 hours a day. Have to love that kind of devotion.

This song still sounds great today. Hard to believe they first recorded it back in the 1960's.

[kteledrive]

did anyone else catch the fact that Sonny blew in the ear of the guitar player at mm1:48 ... ? LMAO - that is some funny shit ! - and it looked like the guy enjoyed it !

[msteven515]

Cool side burns.

[EXPL721]

I've always loved the Osborne Brothers and this is one of their best. They always seemed like they had a great time on stage.

[familydylan1]

@EXPL721 this is copied from dolly!

[Beck19781]

jmeckle1: In case you haven't received an answer, its from North Carolina, 1971. This is part of a festival which was documented in a film from '72 entitled "Bluegrass Country Soul." It is currently in print, and features other artists including Earl Scruggs, J.D. Crowe, Roy Acuff, The New Deal String Band, The Bluegrass Alliance, etc

[victorykicksass]

also on a doco called "High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music (1994) "

very very good

[Beck19781]

Infectious. I can't get this out of my head!!!!!!!!!!!

[MrLorettafan]

People always ask me "As a banjo picker is it hard to learn" and I alwasy say this if you love it and you put your mind to it you can do anything

[CToon123]

is that ronny reno on guitar

[DUCK336]

That was at Camp Springs NC.I live near their.Tell me if i'm wrong.

[bigwite12]

well dnt u just kn your osborne brothers

[owsleyforkmusic]

@bigwite12 chris hahahahah ur a smart ass

[tikigolf]

Yes, The Osborne Brothers in their prime. Bobby and Sonny with Ronnie Reno on guitar, Ray Kirkland on (Micro-Frets) electric bass and Bobby's son, Robby, on drums.

[BigWaveDav1]

Seen them many times...but they weren't this young...thanxz fer postin'! I've liked and sang this simple song so many timez, thet i named my little ranch Rocky Top Ranch (it was appropo 'cause of the rocks on top!- and it'z bounded by a mountain named Rock Mountain across a small valley -i had ta change the lyrics however, ta Rocky Top, Californiaeeee!)

[welder541]

One of the best bluegrass tunes ever written. SUNG OSBORNE STYLE. Really enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing

[killerlady1955]

Once again, Bobby is being hot.

[pegcage]

Bobby and Sonny both had flashing brown eyes. One of the videos of Sonny playing a 4 minute banjo medley -- at the end he flashes his brown eyes and grins as if to say, "Now ain't I something???"

[vekidi]

this is awesome :D

and watch 1:47 - 1:48 ! sonny blows the guitarist in the ear! lol

[jmeckle1]

When and where was this concert? This is some great footage.

[aevi09]

not from the volunteer state but this a great song.

[rrdoran]

the bass player is ray kirkland. i can't figure out who the guitar player is though. i recognized him playing with merle haggard once.

[jason11350]

The guitar player is Ronnie Reno, I think.

[TruegrassBoy]

Wish there was a group out there now like these guys.

[pegcage]

Bobby was HOT then! In many ways. LOL

[killerlady1955]

Yes he was! it's his eyes or something...

[MrBanjoman32]

this is awesome

[BellyGems]

What kind of an event was that? I heard Native American drumming and singing before the bluegrass. What a combo! Cool!!!

[randymwest]

didn't they forget a whole verse? wasn't there supposed to be a:

Once two strangers climbed on rocky top,

Lookin for a moonshine still.

Strangers aint come back from rocky top,

Guess they never will.

Corn wont grow at all on rocky top,

Dirts too rocky by far.

Thats why all the folks on rocky top

Get their corn from a jar.

still entertaining thou...

[Boj6987]

@randymwest They always cut a verse out if they were out on a show to save time in case of *insert situation here*.

[PatrickSHutchinson]

Love that electric bass and drummer.

They were tight.

[brslade]

Really proud of our selfs for that comment aren't we?

[TheDeerhuntergod]

fine it soun's like me an' mah fambly back in th' hills only on th' internet.might fine moosic!

[TheDeerhuntergod]

what,did i say som'thin' rong? if so what?

[banjoman1437]

hahaha!

[SnarlyCharly44]

I'm guessing you meant to say "Fine, it sounds like me and my family back in the hills only on the internet. Mighty fine music!"

Just because you might talk that way, which I have no problem with, doesn't mean you have to type/write that way :D

[bofts]

By God I'll sip me some moonshine tonight in their honor

[jkfouche]

good ol Rocky Top...LAST IN THE SEC...GO GATORS!

[edmunk]

My dad used to go play with these guys when I was a kid back in WVA. He said one time Bobby got so drunk at a show that they were all worried he wouldn't be able to perform. Dad said they all couldn't believe it when he got up and jammed their socks off anyway.

[pegcage]

In those days I suppose lots of performers drank booze instead of using pills to get them high for a performance. I am not trying to make excuses for them at all, but constantly performing cannot be easy without something to help.

[pegcage]

Does anybody else get the impression that the audience there did not know they were watching greatness? Pretty much the same thing when my family and I went to see Flatt and Scruggs in person several times. We loved them, but today I think, "We were witnessing perfection!"

[jazzfolkrocker]

@pegcage Bluegrass festivals have what I call the "Awesome Overload" factor. It goes like this: after a few hours of Tony Rice, Peter Rowan, Rhonda Vincent, Josh Williams, et. al., all you can do is stare open-mouthed at the stage. It's a debilitating eargasm, really.

[Flatbanjo92]

@jazzfolkrocker bands like that make wanna gag. You just dont hear awesome solid bluegrass like you used to.... i mean, peter rowan?? come on now...he isn't even bluegrass!! he plays some wild hippie crap lol. they aren't many solid traditional bluegrass groups around anymore...

[jazzfolkrocker]

@Flatbanjo92 well it's what's still out there. Besides, if you were a bluegrass fan you'd know where "hippies" like Rowan and Clements got their starts musically. don't take my word for it, but have you ever heard of a group called "Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys?" Do the research.

[Flatbanjo92]

@jazzfolkrocker I understand that people like clements and rowan got their start with monroe. But thats back when they were playing actual BLUEGRASS lol.  Now they have changed their style and call it "bluegrass". Unfortunately, artists today are bending the genres of "tru bluegrass". Id rather sit and listen to a cat get dipped in battery acid, than listen to rowan for 5 minutes! LOL hahaha

[ncbloom]

@Flatbanjo92 bro i dont know where you live but in my town there is a great traditional bluegrass band in every neighborhood and holler. i guess its a regional thing.

[kelckeri]

@edmunk  what part of Wv are you from? I am from McDowell Co.

[tejr93]

@edmunk i call shenanigans

[craig4953]

@edmunk

I don't believe it. These guys are and were better than that.

[fnaroldo]

Estes meninos são bons mesmo.

[bigmrclean]

sonny playin his ol' vega!

[sirb989]

Great video! I can sing a high lead, but not as good as Bobby.

[willburr]

The version of 'Ruby' from this show was featured in 'High Lonesome', a great bluegrass documentary done in the late 80's. Check it out...

[Lizbiddy]

And one of the best versions of Ruby I have ever seen them do! Un-freaking-believable!

[PhosphorDigital]

Geez, how I love this. Grew up on AM & FM rock in the 60s & 70s. but when I first heard this song I was knockd the F*** out.

Nobody will ever do Rocky Top this well again.

Sure wish I could find some earlier B&W TV versions of this. I know they exist because I saw them play on local (Lancaster PA) TV when Rocky Top first hit the airwaves.

[barkerfmx]

why were u marked as spam that's a good comment?

[hindview]

no one will ever top this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[saito125]

Wow!! I got to play that exact same banjo! Sonny gave it to Raymond McLain of the McLain Family Band, and they came to Brazil many years ago, I was their "tour guide" here! GREAT!!

[tjbigdog64]

SMOKIN!!! ;).

It doesn't get any better than this!

[jbash1970]

10-4 Iagree totally

[FlyingTiger64]

This clip is from a documentary shot at Carlton Haney's bluegrass festival in the early 70's, maybe 1971. Sonny was showing out with his 6-string banjo and Bobby was extra strong at this show. There's also some classic footage of the Country Gentlemen picking "Matterhorn" out in the pasture before their set. Awesome piece of bluegrass history.

[pegcage]

Bobby was so sexy in this and singing Ruby at this same show, also on youtube. This must have been the Osbornes at their very prime!

[Lizbiddy]

Funny I was thinking the same thing but since he's twice my age and my Dad would have a shit, I wasn't sure if I should risk it :-D  But he is damn sexy, isn't he?

[Pickinbuddy]

One of the most exciting Bluegrass songs of all time...by one of the most exciting bands!

The Osbornes were on top of the game for DECADES!

[DBPRODUCK252]

john cena is shown in this video he is the little boy in 0:08 with no shirt

[tarheelt107]

really? thats very interesting. how do u know?

just wondering.

[rmstudio]

Wow what a treat of some great footage some good boys playing a great tune... A treasure was saved..

Str8eningthecurves: I agree... I dont get much better than this.

[ender106]

I love this damn song

[Str8eningTheCurves]

just don't get any better....

[rogerlee35]

that is the best video on you tube!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rogerlee35]

awsome video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!