Jeffrey Osborne: Back On The Record

Where has singer Jeffrey Osborne been for the last eight years? CBS News Early Show Anchor Bryant Gumbel asked him the question.

"Hanging around, doing a lot of live shows. Haven't had a recording deal in a while," was Osborne's reply. "Because when you get older, you don't get those offers anymore. It was really a job just landing a recording deal. I had a lot of things offered, but nothing that made any sense."

It is even difficult for someone like Osborne, who had seen much success in the world of music.

"They sign young artists. If they don't have a hit, they drop them," explained the musician. "When I was coming along in the '70s, they were building careers. They don't do that anymore. And for the older veteran artists, they're just handing you contracts that a young artist would sign, and we've been around a long time, so we just won't sign anything."

So, instead, Osborne decided to do some live shows and to spend time with his family. The release of his new CD, That's For Sure, means that he finally got an acceptable recording deal.

Don't look for Osborne to start performing rap or hip-hop music. Ballads are what he sings best. "That's my strength, without a doubt," he told Gumbel. He is not about to change horses in midstream.

"I just don't believe in that," said Osborne. "I have to stay true to what I've been doing over the years. I have a good fan base and want to stay true to that. It seems like you're selling out…to do something that's so unnatural. I think people can see through that."

Of course, his own children (ages 10 and 16) are into rap and hip-hop, and Osborne quipped that they listen to his music "when they have to."