01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, April 11, 2006

BY ANDY SMITH
Journal Television Writer

One of the pleasures of living in Rhode Island was the chance to hear Clay Osborne sing.

Osborne had an unerring command of tone, rhythm and emotion, plus an easy rapport with his audience honed over decades of performance.

He was equally comfortable swinging with a big band or delivering intimate, beautifully phrased ballads such as "Where Do You Start?"

When Osborne sang "Georgia," one of his signature numbers, he almost made you forget the Ray Charles version.

"I think Clay brought more joy to the people of Providence than just about anybody," his brother, the pop singer Jeffrey Osborne, said yesterday. "He was the voice of Providence; he just filled up that city with song."

Now Clay Osborne's voice has been stilled. He died Friday at the age of 78.

Osborne, who lived in East Providence, faced serious health problems since 1998, when circulation problems required the amputation of both legs.

His wife, Eileene Osborne, said her husband died of complications following additional leg surgery last week.

Losing his legs didn't stop Osborne from singing. Until last week, he was still performing with John Allmark's Jazz Orchestra on Monday nights at Bovi's Tavern in East Providence.

Bob Saraceno, who played with Osborne and also functioned as his booking agent, remembers when Osborne performed for the first time after his amputations.

One Monday night, Osborne said he wanted to go to Bovi's to see Allmark's big band. As soon as his wheelchair entered the room, he got a huge ovation. Saraceno said he rolled the chair in front of the band and signaled Allmark to play "Georgia."

"He absolutely nailed it," Saraceno said. "Not a dry eye in the house."

In a 1998 interview, Allmark remembered that Osborne's dry sense of humor stayed intact.

"We've been waiting for you -- where've you been?" Allmark asked.

"I couldn't find my shoes," Osborne replied.

In September 1998, the Osborne family organized a sold-out tribute to Clay at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Brother Jeffrey supplied the star power: himself, Al Jarreau, Grover Washington Jr. and comedian Sinbad.

The finale had both Osbornes and Jarreau singing "Georgia," the three singers trading off verses. Clay more than held his own, and he beamed with pleasure when his brother and Jarreau took their verses.

"Clay, to me, was as good a singer as anyone I've ever heard," Jeffrey Osborne said. "His voice was very pure. He had a way of phrasing that was uncanny -- he could make you feel the emotion in a song."

Offstage, Jeffrey said, his brother also had a gift.

"He could sit down and talk to you, and just lighten your burden. He was so personable -- he just had that way about him. I don't know anyone who didn't like Clay," he said.

Bandleader John Allmark also remembered Osborne as a masterful singer.

"He was the only singer I knew who sang like an instrumentalist played -- or wished they played," Allmark said. "You didn't need to tell him anything. You could change a song, and he would adapt instantly. It's a gift you rarely see. When Clay sang, magic would happen."

Clarence J. Osborne was the oldest of 12 siblings. There's a 21-year age difference between Clay and Jeffrey, the youngest Osborne.

"My dad died when I was 13, so Clay was very much a father figure to me," Jeffrey said. (Their father was Clarence "Legs" Osborne, well-known in the area as a jazz trumpeter.)

Clay Osborne started singing in church -- and on street corners, where four or five singers would gather to harmonize. After a stint in the Army, serving a year in Korea, Osborne worked as a shipper for Ross-Simons and then shipper and salesman for E.H. Ashley Co., a jewelry importer.

He also taught himself piano and formed the Jay Clay Trio with James Berry and James Stock, performing at clubs and functions all over the state. In the late '80s, after three decades with the Jay Clay Trio, Osborne decided he was tired of toting the keyboard around, and went off on his own.

Jeffrey Osborne and Allmark felt that giving up the piano freed him to concentrate on what he did best, singing.

Calling hours will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at the Olney Street Baptist Church. The funeral will be 11 a.m. Saturday at the church.

The Osborne family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The Clarence J. (Clay) Osborne Scholarship Fund, PO Box 27815, Providence, R.I. The fund is designed to assist minority musical performers.