T.L. Osborn (born on December 23, 1923) and passing away on (February 14, 2013) was a notable American Pentecostal televangelist, renowned singer, prolific author, and respected teacher.
His impactful Christian ministry was centered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he dedicated six decades to preaching the gospel. Osborn also served as the host of the influential religious television program called Good News Today.
| Birth Name | Tommy Lee Osborn |
| Age | 89 years old |
| Birth Date | December 23, 1923 |
| Birth Place | Grady County, Oklahoma |
| Nationality | American |
| Death Date | Died on February 14, 2013 |
| Occupation | Evangelist, Singer, author, Teacher |
| Wife | Daisy Washburn Osborn (died in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 27, 1995, at age 70) |
| Daughter | LaDonna Osborn |
| Parents | Father: Charles Richard Osborn Mother: Mary Osborn (née Brown) |
Tommy Lee (T.L) Osborn entered this world on December 23, 1923, on a humble family potato farm located in Grady County, Oklahoma. He was the youngest of thirteen children and the seventh son, born to Charles Richard Osborn (1883–1966) and Mary Osborn (née Brown) (1885–1951).
While his father identified as a nonpracticing traditional Baptist, the significance of being a seventh son resonated with Tommy Lee. His parents and several siblings possessed musical talents, and at a tender age, Tommy Lee began exploring his own musical abilities.
Growing up during the latter half of the 1920s, Tommy Lee witnessed the hardships endured by his large family during the challenging years of the Great Depression. In 1930, when he was just six years old, his father decided to relocate the family to Skedee, Oklahoma, in search of a more prosperous farm.
It was at a church in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, that Tommy Lee crossed paths with Oral Roberts, a future televangelist. This encounter would mark the beginning of a lifelong friendship spanning over 70 years, until Roberts’s passing in 2009.
Tommy Lee often accompanied Roberts to assist with evangelical gatherings, where Roberts took on the role of the preacher, while Tommy Lee contributed in various ways, such as playing the accordion and piano for the musical segments of the meetings.
In 1937, at the age of 13, T.L. Osborn experienced a significant Christian conversion that would shape the course of his life. It happened when his older brother brought him to a Pentecostal church in Mannford.
Over time, each of his six brothers moved away from the family home, leaving Tommy Lee as the only boy remaining. He devoted his time to supporting his 60-year-old father on their potato farm.
Tommy Lee admitted feeling hesitant and even fearful about approaching his father to seek permission to pursue a different path and embark on a life of travel.
As he helped his father sort potatoes in the cellar, he mustered the courage to make the request, expecting resistance. To his great surprise, his father responded with a resounding “yes,” granting him the permission he sought.
In 1939, at the age of 15, an extraordinary moment unfolded for T.L. Osborn while he was engrossed in milking the cows.
Overwhelmed with emotions, he found himself crying and, falling to his knees, he fervently prayed, seeking answers from God.
It was during this profound experience that he sensed a divine calling to become an evangelist. Amidst a mix of laughter and tears, he grappled with the magnitude of this realization.
Following his calling, Osborn made the decision to discontinue his formal education after completing the eighth grade. Instead, he embarked on a journey with E.M. Dillard, a traveling evangelist.
During their travels, Osborn assumed responsibilities such as organizing evangelistic meetings and overseeing evening youth services.
Together with Dillard, he traversed three states, with their final destination being California. These experiences marked the beginning of Osborn’s remarkable journey as he ventured forth into the world of evangelism.
During his travels in Los Banos, California, T.L. Osborn crossed paths with Daisy Washburn, a young woman who would become his wife. It was in 1941 when Osborn, a mere 17 years old at the time, experienced love at first sight.
On April 5, 1942, Osborn and Daisy tied the knot. Daisy, a graduating high school student and a farmer’s daughter, was just 17 years old, while Osborn was 18. With their marriage, they embarked on a remarkable journey of ministry and missionary travels.
Astonishingly, when Osborn was only 21 years old, the couple ventured to India, carrying the Gospel of Christ to new horizons. They displayed unwavering faith and confidence as they reached out to tens of millions of people worldwide.
Their initial missionary endeavor in India, preaching in Lucknow, unfortunately, did not yield the desired results. Due to critical family illnesses, their stay in India was cut short, and they returned home.
In 1947, the Osborns joyfully welcomed their only daughter, LaDonna Osborn, into the world. LaDonna grew up accompanying her parents on global mass miracle evangelistic crusades, standing alongside them on the platforms as they shared the message of Christ.
Upon their return from India, the Osborns gained significant public attention as evangelists on the Big Tent Revival circuit in the United States and Canada.
Under large tents and in open-air meetings held in settings like fairgrounds and stadiums, they captivated audiences that often exceeded 10,000 attendees.
Notably, other renowned evangelists of the time, including Oral Roberts, Billy Graham, Jack Coe, R.W. Schambach, and A.A. Allen, also participated in this circuit.
Setting themselves apart, the Osborns emphasized the love and compassion of God, deviating from the prevalent “fire and brimstone” theological approach commonly employed by evangelists during that era.
They incorporated supernatural healing into their meetings, practicing miraculous interventions. However, their egalitarian ministry philosophy, which focused on equality and inclusivity, faced resistance from conservative audiences.
By the early 1950s, the Osborns gradually shifted their emphasis toward international missions. They conducted large-scale crusades in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, witnessing exponential growth in crowd sizes, often exceeding 100,000 attendees.
Following Osborn’s crusades in Thailand in 1956 and Uganda in 1957, Pastor Fred Wantaate of Makerere Full Gospel Church expressed that the impact of the Mombasa crusade caused the Pentecostal movement to flourish in East Africa.
During this time, Osborn crossed paths with Marilyn Hickey, a future televangelist who was eight years younger than him. Along with her husband, Wallace, they traveled in their car, conducting tent revival meetings in various towns.
Osborn and Hickey collaborated in praying for the sick, and Hickey became a guest speaker at his conferences. Their friendship endured throughout the years, until Osborn’s passing, which tragically occurred just four months after the loss of Hickey’s husband, Wallace.
Over the following five decades, Osborn and his team journeyed to more than 70 countries, reaching millions of individuals. They produced an abundance of evangelistic and training materials, many of which were translated into over 80 languages. Notably, Osborn’s crusade in Kenya in 1957 played a pivotal role in the spiritual journey of Apostle Dr. Joe Kayo, who later became a prominent figure in the Pentecostal movement in East Africa.
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