More About the Author
An avid collector of recorded music since 1960, Jerry Osborne has also worked full-time as an author of record price guides and reference books since 1975.
From the first "Record Collector's Price Guide" (1976) to present, Jerry's published works now number over 160, along with over 150 periodicals. As busy as ever, he still produces several new books per year.
Jerry has, since 1986, written the popular, weekly newspaper feature, "Mr. Music." Distributed to papers nationally by World Features Syndicate, the column answers readers' questions about music and records. Jerry's column is also prominently featured in each issue of Cashbox Magazine.
Osborne's past is saturated with music. After high school, he began a 14-year career in broadcasting (1962-'76), first as a dee jay then chief engineer, music director, and program director.
He founded and published three collectors news and marketplace magazines: "Record Digest," "Music World" and "DISCoveries." In the '80s, he published "The Osborne Report," a monthly newsletter covering new releases.
His influence and involvement in record collecting has been chronicled in virtually every major magazine and newspaper in the country: "Reader's Digest," "The Wall Street Journal," "USA Today," "People Magazine," "Esquire," "TV Guide," "Oui," "National Enquirer," "Money," "Changing Times," "Photoplay," "High Fidelity," "Billboard," "Cash Box," "Music City News," "Collectibles," "Kiplinger's," "Woman's Day" and "Rolling Stone" -- just to name a few.
Jerry is a frequent guest on numerous major radio and TV talk shows, discussing the record collecting hobby. Among these are: "Good Morning America," "Today Show" "The Nashville Network," and "Backstage Live."
He served as a technical advisor and music consultant for shows like ABC-TV's "The Century" and "Our World," CBS-TV's "West 57th Street," MSNBC's "Headliners & Legends with Matt Lauer," and cable's HBO, and CNN's Larry King Show. CNN even profiled Jerry on their "CNN NewsStand" show, in October 1999. Visit Jerry's profile on IMDb for more info on this phase of his career.
In January 1999, the hobby honored Osborne by naming him "Pop Collectibles Author of the Year 1998."
In 2007, The Hit Parade Hall of Fame invited Jerry to be one of the Charter Members of their Nominating Committee. Of course he accepted.
Osborne was also chosen to be a charter member of the Album Cover Hall of Fame, founded in 2010 to honor deserving album cover art and design.
Also an accomplished emcee, Jerry has managed shows with virtually all of the top stars of the '50s, '60s and '70s. He hosted Dick Clark's "Caravan of Stars" in the mid-'60s and has, since its inception in 1990, emceed the annual "Good Rockin' Tonight" all-star extravaganza in Memphis, Tennessee.
Jerry has written the liner notes for countless releases, and has conceived and produced dozens of albums and CDs. He still works closely with the reissue labels -- especially Varèse Sarabande.
Clearly, no one person has been more responsible -- directly or indirectly -- for the amazing growth of the music collecting hobby.
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