What Happened? Jeffery Osborne

L.T.D.

 Jeffery Osborne

L.T.D. (which stands for Love, Togetherness, and Devotion), was formed in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1968, when Arthur "Lorenzo" Carnegie (alto and tenor saxes, flute, guitar), Jake Riley (trombone) Carle Wayne Vickers (trumpet, flute, soprano sax) and Abraham "Onion" Miller (tenor sax, vocals), who had been working as members of the 15 piece "Fantastic Soul Men Orchestra" backing the ever popular duo of Sam & Dave, along with Jimmy "J.D." Davis (keyboards, vocals), formed their own band named Love Men Ltd. Then they drove to New York City, in a car that they purchased together (a 1956 Chevy), and lived in Spanish Harlem on 149th and Broadway, where Toby Wynn (baritone sax) joined them. While performing on a gig in Providence, Rhode Island, Jeffrey Osborne (drums, lead vocals) was recruited by them.

Jeffery Osborne is the youngest of 12 children and is part of a musical family. His brother Billy was an L.T.D. bandmate). Osborne's father, Clarence "Legs" Osborne, was a popular trumpeter who played with Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington and died when Osborne was thirteen. Osborne started his music career in 1970 with a band called Love Men Ltd., who would later become known as L.T.D.

After two years in New York, they drove two cars and a trailer to Los Angeles, California, where Jeffrey's brother, Billy Osborne (organ, drums, keyboards, co-lead vocals), Celeste Cole (vocals), Henry E. Davis (bass, vocals) and Robert Santiel (congas, percussion) joined them.

1974 found them signing with A&M Records as L.T.D. (Love Togetherness & Devotion).

 1975 Gittin' Down their sophomore album was released.

In 1976, Johnny McGhee (guitar) joined the band and they released Love To The World. Jeffrey was moved out front as the lead vocalist, and Alvino Bennett replaced him on drums in 1978.

1977 Something To Love

1978 Togetherness

1979 Devotion

Soon after the band's 1980 album Shine On, Jeffrey and Billy Osborne departed to start solo careers. Andre Ray and Leslie Wilson (Formerly of New Birth) were then chosen as lead vocalists their next album Love Magic which produced two more hits, "April Love", and "Kicking Back".

Leslie Wilson left to continue his solo career and L.T.D. stayed busy in the music industry by recording for small independent record labels, and doing their own

1981 Love Magic

In 1982,  Jeffery Osborne released his self-titled debut album, which featured two hit singles, "On the Wings of Love" and "I Really Don't Need No Light", peaking at #29 & #39 on the pop chart respectively.

The next year Jeffery followed his success with Stay with Me Tonight, his first gold album (later reaching platinum album status), which spawned two more hits, "Don't You Get So Mad" (#25) and the title track (#30). "Stay with Me Tonight" (April 1984, #18)

In 1983 L.T.D. also released For You.  

In 1984 Jeffery Osborne released Don't Stop (A&M)

In 1985, he wrote the lyrics to the Whitney Houston hit "All at Once" (music by Michael Masser). He appeared on USA for Africa's fundraising single, "We Are the World" in 1985. He would later appear on Celebrity Duets in 2006, performing "On The Wings Of Love" with Alfonso Ribeiro. Osborne lent his vocals to the theme song of the soap opera, Loving, from 1992 to 1995 as well as the first season theme song for the Kirstie Alley comedy Veronica's Closet

In 1986 Jeffery Osborne released Emotional (A&M) the album climbed as high as     #27 on the Billboard Chart & R&B #5. Emotional, included highest charting solo pop hit, "You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song)", which peaked at #13 in 1986.

The following year, Osborne had the highest-charting hit of his career duetting with Dionne Warwick on "Love Power", which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also topped the Adult Contemporary singles chart.

In 1988 The release of One Love: One Dream (A&M) only charted at #86 on the Pop chart & R&B #12. This was a turning point in his pop success, as his albums and singles began charting lower and lower on the pop charts. Osborne's 1988 single "She's on the Left" would be his final Hot 100 entry, as well as his only #1 R&B hit.

After scoring two more substantial R&B hits in the early 1990s, "Only Human" and "If My Brother's in Trouble", Osborne would be absent from the charts for the remainder of the decade.

Jeffery Osborne performed the national anthem prior to Game 3 of the 1988 World Series, a feat he repeated two years later at Game 3 of the 1990 World Series, both at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. He also regularly sang the national anthem before Hartford Whalers games.

In 1999, a L.T.D. copycat band lost a federal court battle with the current 3 original members of L.T.D. retaining the rights, and ownership of the name L.T.D. The three original members, Arthur "Lorenzo" Carnegie (saxes,flute, guitar,vocals), Carle Wayne Vickers (trumpet,flute,saxes,vocals), Johnny McGhee (guitar, vocals), along with new members, Bob Henley III,(lead vocals,keys), Aya Iwata,(keys, bg vocals), and Tefere Hazy (drums, vocals) have been touring all over the U.S. since 1999.

Jake Riley (original trombonist) of L.T.D. died in 2000.

In the new millennium, he returned with a series of albums, The first being 2000’s That's for Sure (Private Music) - US #191, R&B #50.

The albums to following would not chart on the Pop charts only R&B, the 2003: Music Is Life (Koch) - R&B #50 & In 2005: From the Soul (Koch) - R&B #72, while far from the success he enjoyed in the 1980s, returned him to Adult R&B radio, scoring modest chart singles such as "Rest of Our Lives" (#75, 2003) and his cover of Barbara Mason's classic "Yes, I'm Ready" (#64, 2005).

2007 L.T.D. released their last Album Bringing It  Home

James "JD" Davis (keyboards, vocals), died on May 22, 2008.

In 2008, Osborne sang the national anthem before Game 4 of the NBA Finals at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, a feat which he repeated in 2009, before Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals, and also again in 2010 before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, all at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

On March 1, 2010, Osborne appeared on The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love season finale, "After the Final Rose", singing his hit "On the Wings”

2012 Jeffery Osborne along with Freddie Jackson, Peabo Bryson and Howard Hewett combined to tour as The Men of Soul.  The tour spawned across America and Trinidad.