Joan Osborne

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Joan Elizabeth Osborne (born July 8, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, known mostly for her song One of Us. She is no relation to the lead singer of heavy metal band Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne.

Originally from Anchorage, Kentucky (now part of Louisville), she moved to New York City in the late 1980's, where Osborne formed her own record label, Womanly Hips, to release a few independent recordings before signing to Mercury Records. Her second (and first major label) album is Relish, which became a hit due to the single "One of Us". The song was much more pop-oriented than the rest of the album, which was steeped in country, blues and folk music. "Right Hand Man" and "St. Teresa" were minor hits following the success of "One of Us", and Osborne's audience grew significantly with her appearance at Lilith Fair. Doing so placed her in the same school of female singer-songwriters as Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. Her third studio album was Righteous Love, a long-delayed release; alas, it fell off the charts quickly.

Osborne was featured in the 2002 film Standing in the Shadows of Motown and toured with legendary Motown sidemen The Funk Brothers. She and her band accompanied the Dixie Chicks for a national tour in the summer of 2003, during which time she also joined veteran San Francisco jam-rockers The Dead (see Grateful Dead) as a vocalist, and released her third album, titled How Sweet It Is, a collection of classic rock and soul covers. During 2005 and 2006 she performed on several occasions with Phil Lesh and Friends.