Country Star From MD Comes Out As Gay: Report

DEALE, MD — Country star T.J. Osborne came out as gay in a Wednesday interview with TIME. The lead singer of Brothers Osborne hails from Deale, where he was born and raised alongside his brother and bandmate. With his announcement, Osborne became the first openly gay man signed to a major country music label, TIME reported.

Osborne knows that many conservatives love his music. That's why he worried about coming out in front of such a traditional audience.

"I don’t think I’m going to get run off the stage in Chicago," Osborne told TIME journalist Sam Lansky. "But in a rural town playing a county fair? I’m curious how this will go."

Still, Osborne believes in the good of people. He thanked his fans for their support in an Instagram video.

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"I'm very proud to put this out there," Osborne said. "The person you know is me. Now, you just know more about me."

Brothers Osborne is best known for its 2016 hit "Stay A Little Longer." The song has garnered more than 162 million streams on Spotify.

Nine of the band's releases have landed in the top 40 of Billboard's country charts. Two of them peaked in the top 10.

To read more about Osborne's journey, read TIME's firsthand story.

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