He added, “I was very reluctant to say anything. We grew up in a culture where if you fell over and skinned your knee, you just get up, don’t cry and walk it off. There comes a point in your life where you can’t do that anymore and you need to stop and sort your s— out.”
T.J. noted that he was concerned about his brother’s well-being at the time.
“I remember we were on stage and I could just look at him and tell he did not wanna be there. And that’s when I was like, ‘Wow, like, we need to go home now,'” the 36-year-old said, adding that Brothers Osborne canceled live dates as a result.
John eventually received the help he needed, but said that he contemplated leaving his music career behind.
“With a lot of therapy, a lot of self-help, a lot of love from my friends and family — I was able to kinda get to a better place so we can finish the album,” he said. “This is the God’s honest truth, going into this record, I considered quitting music … which is something I never in my life thought I would want to do.”
During the interview, which airs April 18 at 9 a.m. ET, T.J. also touched on coming out as a gay earlier this year.
“Once I finally made the decision to do what I was going to do, I felt very sure in that,” the musician said. “But it’s just really the fear of the unknown. … Do we lose fans?”
T.J. said he’s received strong support since making the announcement. “I’ve had an incredible amount of support,” he said. “And there’s been some people saying some off-color things to me. But it was a lot, a lot less than I expected.”
Watch a preview of Brothers Osborne’s appearance on CBS Sunday Morning below.
