On Wednesday, Brothers Osborne singer and guitarist, T.J. Osborne, publicly came out as gay in an article published by Time magazine.
Listen to your favorite Country music now on RADIO.COM.
The artist then made an appearance on Ellen to share his coming out process and discuss why this moment felt like the right time for him. T.J. alludes to the Time article and an Instagram video he posted and tells Ellen, “Even though I was coming out, it still felt really odd to say it then.”
“I think that’s the beautiful thing about this for me: I’ve never really come out to very many people, mainly because I just find it really awkward and uncomfortable. And so it’s been a really wild experience to have come out to very few people — although a lot of my friends and family knew already — and then to come out publicly in one big fell swoop. In some ways, it’s nice, but it’s made for a very emotional day,” shares the Country singer.
Historically, Osborne is the first and only openly gay man signed to a major Country label. The singer explains that he has no worries about fans in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, or his home in Nashville. But, the singer is curious about the reaction to Brothers Osborne when the band returns for shows in more rural parts of the country.
The 4-time CMA award winner and 7-time GRAMMY nominee says, “not only is it a weight off my shoulders to kind of tell my truth, but I expected a wave of love from my family and friends, and I did not expect it to feel the way it felt. You just know and assume people love you, but it’s different when you hear it and you hear it with sincerity.”
The artist was shocked by the support he received from figures across the industry. “It’s one of those things where I’m like ‘god I wish I could share this love with other people and to feel this way,’ and then to have people I never even expected to say anything reaching out to me, people that I feel like personify masculinity and straight culture to the nth degree, were coming out with a lot of pride for me.”
WATCH MORE: Pop Artists That Identify As LGBTQ
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App
Follow RADIO.COM
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram