The Osmonds were an American family music group who reached the height of their fame in the early to mid-1970s. The group had its best-known configurations as a quartet (billed as the Osmond Brothers) and a quintet (as the Osmonds). The group has consisted of siblings who are all members of a family of musicians from
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau, making it Utah's eighth ...
, and have been in the public eye since the 1960s.
The Osmond Brothers began as a
barbershop quartet
A barbershop quartet is a group of four singers who sing music in the barbershop style, characterized by four-part harmony without instrumental accompaniment, or a cappella. The four voices are: the lead, the vocal part which typically carries t ...
consisting of brothers
Alan
Alan may refer to:
People
*Alan (surname), an English and Turkish surname
* Alan (given name), an English given name
**List of people with given name Alan
''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.''
*A ...
,
Wayne,
Merrill Merrill may refer to:
Places in the United States
*Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska
*Merrill, Iowa
* Merrill, Maine
*Merrill, Michigan
*Merrill, Mississippi, an unincorporated community near Lucedale in George County
*Merrill, Oregon
*Merrill, Wis ...
and
Jay
A jay is a member of a number of species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the Crow family (biology), family, Corvidae. The evolutionary relationships between the jays and the magpies are rather complex. For examp ...
.
They were later joined by younger siblings
Donny and
Jimmy, both of whom enjoyed success as solo artists.
With the addition of Donny, the group became known as the Osmonds; performing both as
teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups.
By region Asia
East Asia possess ...
s and as a
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band, their peak lasted from 1971 to 1975.
Their only sister
Marie
Marie may refer to:
People Name
* Marie (given name)
* Marie (Japanese given name)
* Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973
* Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tro ...
, who rarely sang with her brothers at that time, launched a successful career in 1973, both as a solo artist and as Donny's duet partner. By 1976, the band was no longer producing hit singles; that year, they transitioned into television with ''
Donny & Marie'', a popular
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion), magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is ...
that ran until 1979.
A revival of the original Osmond Brothers lineup in the 1980s achieved moderate success in
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
, and both Donny and Marie separately made comebacks in their respective fields in the late-1980s. The Osmonds have sold over 77 million records worldwide.
The quartet continued to perform through their 50th anniversary in 2007, at which point Alan and later Wayne retired due to health issues; Jimmy was recruited after Alan's retirement, with the group performing as a trio until Jimmy suffered a stroke and retired in 2018. Alan's son David Osmond performed with the group in 2019. On October 14, 2019, the original Osmond Brothers quartet reunited for
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
'
''The Talk'' for their sister
Marie
Marie may refer to:
People Name
* Marie (given name)
* Marie (Japanese given name)
* Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973
* Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tro ...
's 60th birthday, billed as the last appearance for the lineup. The brothers performed "The Last Chapter", written as a farewell song and introduced in 2018.
Donny & Marie ended an 11-year Las Vegas residency on November 16, 2019. Merrill and Jay continued to perform and tour,
as does Donny as a solo artist. Merrill announced his retirement in 2022.
Early careers
George Virl Osmond Sr. and
Olive Osmond
Olive May Osmond (née Davis; May 4, 1925 – May 9, 2004) was the matriarch of the American Osmond singing family.
Life and career
Osmond was born in Samaria, Idaho, the daughter of Vera Ann (née Nichols) and Thomas Martin Davis. She moved t ...
, members of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
, resided in
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau, making it Utah's eighth ...
. They bore nine children: Virl,
Tom
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie, and Jimmy. Virl and Tom have both had a severe hearing impairment since birth.
[Biography: The Osmonds, Pure and Simple (documentary)]
The Osmond Brothers' career began in 1958 when Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay began singing
barbershop music
Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era (1930s–present), is a style of a cappella close harmony, or unaccompanied vocal music, characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a primarily ...
for local audiences in and around Ogden. In their made-for-TV movie ''Inside the Osmonds'', they explain that they originally performed to earn money to support Virl and Tom in buying hearing aids and serving missions for the church.
["Inside the Osmonds" (DVD)] Despite their young ages (Alan was nine, Wayne seven, Merrill five, and Jay three) and within a few years, the boys' talent and stage presence were strong enough that their father, George, took them to audition for the
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted the ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. His style came to be known as "champagne music" to his radio, tele ...
show in California. Welk was unable to meet with them, but on the same trip, they visited
Disneyland
Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...
. Tommy Walker, Disneyland's Director of Entertainment and Customer Relations from 1955 to 1966, found the Osmond Brothers singing with
the Dapper Dans
The Dapper Dans are a barbershop quartet that performs at Disneyland in Anaheim, California (since 1959), at the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort (since 1971), and at Hong Kong Disneyland in Lantau Island, Hong Kong (from 2005 to 20 ...
on Main Street. Walker hired the Osmonds to perform on a segment of ''
Disneyland After Dark
"Disneyland After Dark" is an episode of ''Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color'' that aired on April 15, 1962. Later, it was released theatrically overseas as a short subject.
As the name of the episode implies, Walt Disney himself presents a ...
''. This episode aired on 4/15/62 and 7/01/62.
![Osmond Brothers Andy Williams 1964](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Osmond_Brothers_Andy_Williams_1964.JPG)
While the Osmond Brothers were performing on that Disney special,
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...
's father Jay saw them and was so impressed he told his son to book them for his television show,
The Andy Williams Show
''The Andy Williams Show'' was an American television variety show that ran from 1962 to 1971 (alternating during the summer of 1970 with ''Andy Williams Presents Ray Stevens'')Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time N ...
. Andy did, and the Osmond Brothers were regulars on the show from 1962 to 1969,
where they earned the nickname "one-take Osmonds" among staff due to their professionalism and tireless rehearsing. Donny soon joined them on the show, making the Osmond Brothers a five-member group. Marie and Jimmy were also introduced on the show as the years passed. During this time, the Osmonds also toured Europe, performing with Sweden's most popular singer,
Lars Lönndahl, and even releasing a single where they sang a Swedish version of "Two Dirty Little Hands" ("''Fem smutsiga små fingrar''").
''The Andy Williams Show'' ended its first run in 1967, after which the Osmond Brothers were signed to ''
The Jerry Lewis Show
''The Jerry Lewis Show'' was the name of several separate but similar American variety, talk and comedy programs starring comedian Jerry Lewis that aired non-consecutively between 1963 and 1984. The original version of the series aired on ABC from ...
'', staying with that show until it was canceled (and, coincidentally, ''The Andy Williams Show'' returned for a second run) in 1969.
but soon decided they wanted to perform popular music and shed their variety-show image. They wanted to become a
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
band. The change was a difficult one for their father, who was suspicious of rock and roll, but he was persuaded and the boys began performing as a pop band.
To this end, the Osmonds recorded a single, "Flower Music"
"
I Can't Stop," for UNI records in 1967. They achieved only modest success at first, but they found fame in 1971.
Pop and rock era
Bubblegum: ''Osmonds'' and ''Homemade''
Record producer
Mike Curb
Michael Curb (born December 24, 1944) is an American musician, record company executive, motorsports car owner, philanthropist, and former politician. He is also the founder of Curb Records where he presently serves as the chairman. Curb also ...
saw the Osmonds perform as a band and recognized that they combined a rare mix of polished performing style, instrumental skill, and vocal talent.
He signed the Osmonds to MGM Records and arranged for them to record at
Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located along the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the populati ...
with R&B producer
Rick Hall
Roe Erister "Rick" Hall (January 31, 1932 – January 2, 2018) was an American record producer, songwriter, and musician who became known as the owner of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. As the "Father of Muscle Shoals Music", he was i ...
.
Under Hall's guidance, the Osmonds hit the top spot on the pop chart with "
One Bad Apple
"One Bad Apple" is a song by the Osmonds, released as a single on November 14, 1970. It debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on January 2, 1971. It hit the top of the chart on February 13, 1971 and stayed there for five weeks. It also reached No. ...
" in 1971. The song, "One Bad Apple", written by
George Jackson, was composed in the style of the
Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...
(it was not originally offered to the Jackson 5, though the Osmonds would later state that the Jackson 5 considered recording it). It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 2, 1971, then hit No. 1 on February 13, 1971, and stayed there for five weeks. The Osmond and Jackson families would eventually meet in 1972 and become friends.
The Osmonds soon had hits with other light, R&B-style pop numbers like "Double Lovin'" (No. 14) and "
Yo-Yo
A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE. The yo-yo was also called a bandalore in ...
" (No. 3). In each of these hits, the formula was the same; Merrill sang lead, and Donny was "co-lead" in essence, singing the "hook" or "chorus" of the song. At this time the Osmonds also recorded several hits that were billed to Donny, the lead soloist on the songs: "
Sweet and Innocent" (No. 7), "
Go Away Little Girl
"Go Away Little Girl" is a popular song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was first recorded by Bobby Vee for Liberty Records on March 28, 1962. The lyrics consist of a young man asking a young attractive woman to stay away from him, s ...
" (No. 1), "
Hey Girl" (No. 9) and "
Puppy Love
Puppy love, also known as a crush, is an informal term for feelings of romantic love, often felt during childhood and early adolescence. It is an infatuation usually developed by someone's looks and attractiveness at first sight. Such feelings f ...
" (No. 3).
With the Osmonds having finally broken through, Uni Records re-released their 1967 single, this time with "I Can't Stop" as the A-side, where it reached No. 96.
Since the transition to pop stars required more elaborate
choreography
Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design ...
than most barbershop quartets had required, older brother
Virl Osmond taught the quintet how to dance. Virl was estimated to hear about 15 percent of what most people can hear, which was good enough to follow a rhythm.
Transition to rock: ''Phase III'' and ''Crazy Horses''
The Osmonds began writing and performing their own music and their sound moved towards
rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
beginning with their album ''
Phase III''. In addition to "Yo-Yo", ''Phase III'' produced the major hit "
Down by the Lazy River
"Down by the Lazy River" is a song written by Alan and Merrill Osmond and performed by The Osmonds, it was produced by Alan Osmond and Michael Lloyd.
"Down By the Lazy River" was released on January 15, 1972 and appeared on the band's 1972 albu ...
" (No. 4).
The following ''
Crazy Horses
"Crazy Horses" is a 1972 hit single by The Osmonds, the title track from the album of the same name. The song, the only hit record from the Osmonds to feature Jay Osmond as lead vocalist, reached number 14 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and num ...
'' album was the band's first personal statementthe brothers have been quoted as saying that the title song refers to air pollution from cars, and its instrumentation featured an even
harder rock sound bordering on early
heavy metal. They wrote all the songs and played all the instruments with Alan on rhythm guitar, Wayne on lead guitar, Merrill on lead vocals and bass, Jay on drums, and Donny on keyboards. All the brothers sang backing vocals and an occasional lead on album cuts (Jay sang lead on some of the harder-edged songs, two of which were released as singles), but Donny largely switched to instrumental contributions for much of 1972 to accommodate his voice change; by 1973, the change was largely complete, as Donny had settled from his former boy soprano range into a smooth
baritenor
Baritenor (also rendered in English language sources as bari-tenor or baritenore) is a portmanteau (blend) of the words "baritone" and "tenor." It is used to describe both baritone and tenor voices. In ''Webster's Third New International Dictionar ...
voice.
With their clean-cut image, talent, and energetic pop-rock sound, the Osmonds toured to crowds of screaming fans in the US. They even had their own 19721973 Saturday-morning cartoon series,
''The Osmonds'', on
ABC-TV. By this time, the Osmonds had broken through in the UK as well: counting group and solo recordings, members of the Osmond family charted 13 singles on the UK charts in 1973. Some observers coined a new word, "Osmondmania", to describe the phenomenon, by analogy with the similar "
Beatlemania
Beatlemania was the fanaticism surrounding the English rock band the Beatles in the 1960s. The group's popularity grew in the United Kingdom throughout 1963, propelled by the singles "Please Please Me", "From Me to You" and "She Loves You". By ...
" of the previous decade.
Donny's voice change was a major upset to the group's formula that had proved so successful, mainly in that it eliminated Merrill's young-sounding co-lead's voice (forcing Merrill's already mature tenor voice to strain to cover most of the higher notes, with audible difficulty, through the next few years). The success of ''Crazy Horses'' singles "
Hold Her Tight
"Hold Her Tight" is a song written by Alan Osmond, Wayne Osmond, and Merrill Osmond and released by The Osmonds on June 24, 1972. It was featured on their 1972 album, ''Crazy Horses''. The song reached No. 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on Aug ...
" (No. 14) and title track "
Crazy Horses
"Crazy Horses" is a 1972 hit single by The Osmonds, the title track from the album of the same name. The song, the only hit record from the Osmonds to feature Jay Osmond as lead vocalist, reached number 14 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and num ...
" (on which Donny did not sing, but did contribute with a prominent synthesizer riff) kept the group very popular through 1973. As the group toured, Donny continued to sing his solo hits, with the band progressively lowering the
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
until his voice change was complete.
Emergence as teen balladeers: ''The Plan'' and ''Love Me for a Reason''
The older male Osmonds were of age to go on church missions, yet they believed they could reach more people through their music.
They recorded an ambitious album in 1973 called ''
The Plan'', perhaps best described as a Mormon
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
with
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
aspirations. One reviewer suggested that ''The Plan'' carried a too-strong religious messageMormonism is, after all, fairly conservative and not usually associated with the themes of rock-and-roll. The reviewer likewise suggested that the music was too varied and too experimental. The album produced only two minor hits: "
Let Me In" and "
Goin' Home" (both No. 36 in the United States, although they both went top 5 in the United Kingdom and "Let Me In" was also a major hit on the
easy listening
Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...
charts). Furthermore, the older boys may have wanted to reduce the regular touring that is a necessity in popular music but not so good for marriage; Alan, Wayne, and Merrill would all marry their wives in 1973 and 1974 (Donny married in 1978; Jay would not marry until 1987).
But ''The Plan'' was a major departure from the pop music which made them so popular. The combination of this album, along with Donny's voice change the year before, meant that with young fans the Osmonds' popularity would soon wane.
Another major factor in the band's decline was the sheer diversity of its output: within three years, the Osmonds had waffled between bubblegum pop, hard rock, and easy listening, and Donny's solo career as an
oldies
Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...
cover artist further muddled the band's direction. Donny's collaboration with
Steve and Eydie
Steve and Eydie is the name of an American pop vocal duet, consisting of Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé. They originally began working together on ''Tonight Starring Steve Allen'' in 1954 and performed together until Gormé retired in 2009. Both ...
, "
We Can Make it Together" (billed as featuring all of the Osmonds as Alan, Wayne, and Merrill had penned the track for Donny), came out on the easy listening charts at the same time the much harder "Crazy Horses" song was charting.
Donny's solo career, and the emergence of Marie and Jimmy as spin-off acts
![The Osmonds 1974](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/The_Osmonds_1974.JPG)
Donny, and to a lesser extent, Marie and Jimmy, soon began to emerge as solo artists. Jimmy was becoming "
big in Japan", and in 1972 had a No. 1 hit in the United Kingdom with "
Long Haired Lover from Liverpool
"Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" is a pop song best known as a hit for Little Jimmy Osmond. Written by Christopher Kingsley (somehow credited as Christopher Dowden on the UK release) and produced by Mike Curb and Perry Botkin Jr, "Long Haired L ...
". Marie, then 13 years old, hit No. 1 on the US country chart in 1973 with "
Paper Roses
"Paper Roses" is a popular song written and composed by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre. It first was a top five hit in 1960 for Anita Bryant. Marie Osmond recorded it in 1973 and took her version to number one on the US country chart.
Anita B ...
" (a song originally recorded by
Anita Bryant
Anita Jane Bryant (born March 25, 1940) is an American singer known for anti-gay activism. She scored four "Top 40" hits in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Paper Roses" which reached No. 5 on the charts. She was th ...
a decade before). Donny had a string of pop hits with
covers of earlier teen-pop songs, including "
Go Away Little Girl
"Go Away Little Girl" is a popular song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was first recorded by Bobby Vee for Liberty Records on March 28, 1962. The lyrics consist of a young man asking a young attractive woman to stay away from him, s ...
" (No. 1, originally by
Steve Lawrence
Steve Lawrence (born Sidney Liebowitz; July 8, 1935) is an American singer, comedian and actor, best known as a member of a duo with his wife Eydie Gormé, billed as " Steve and Eydie", and for his performance as Maury Sline, the manager and fr ...
), "
Puppy Love
Puppy love, also known as a crush, is an informal term for feelings of romantic love, often felt during childhood and early adolescence. It is an infatuation usually developed by someone's looks and attractiveness at first sight. Such feelings f ...
" (No. 3, a
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and " (You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...
composition) and "
The Twelfth of Never
"The Twelfth of Never" is a popular song written in 1956 and first recorded by Johnny Mathis the following year. The title is a popular expression, which is used as the date of a future occurrence that will never come to pass. In the case of t ...
" (No. 8, originally recorded by
Johnny Mathis
John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...
). From 1971 to 1976, he had twelve Top 40 hits, including five in the Top 10; for most of these, the Osmonds were still performing as a full band, but backing and giving star billing to Donny for songs on which he sang lead.
Donny's numerous solo hits have led many to assume he was the group's lead singer. Merrill was usually the lead singer; Donny would usually sing the choruses on songs billed to the Osmonds, thus being a "co-lead". (All five members of the group sang lead at various times; Jay would sing lead on some of the group's harder rock tunes, while Alan and Wayne would occasionally contribute a lead vocal on some album tracks.) Donny's emergence as a solo star and the record company's desire to appeal to the teen-girl audience often thrust Donny out in front of the group.
By now the family was touring, recording, creating, and producing for five technically separate artists: The Osmonds, Donny Osmond, Marie Osmond, and Jimmy Osmondplus Donny and Marie had begun recording duets and had hits with "
I'm Leaving It Up to You" (No. 4) and "
Morning Side of the Mountain
"Morning Side of the Mountain" is a song written by Larry Stock and Dick Manning and first recorded in 1951 by Tommy Edwards. It settled at #24 on the pop chart. Edwards re-recorded it in 1959, reaching #27 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The re ...
" (No. 8). Through all the stress and pressures created by these many efforts, the family hung together. The 2001
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
-TV movie ''
Inside the Osmonds
''Inside the Osmonds'' is a 2001 ABC-TV movie about the personal lives and professional careers of The Osmonds, and how the stresses and strains of their careers and the turbulent 1970s and 1980s affected their relationships with each other and t ...
'' depicts the family mottoes as being "It doesn't matter who's out front, as long as it's an Osmond" and "family, faith, and career. In that order".
The original Osmonds as a group still produced hits. In 1974, "
Love Me for a Reason
"Love Me for a Reason" is a song by Johnny Bristol. It was recorded most famously by The Osmonds, and released in 1974. Twenty years later, Boyzone covered the song. Both versions were successful, reaching the top ten of the charts in many count ...
" reached No. 10 in the United States and No. 1 in the United Kingdom. The Irish boy band
Boyzone
Boyzone were an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's '' The Late Late Show''. Their most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Steph ...
took the song to No. 2 in the UK in 1994. "Love Me for a Reason" was the title track to the
album of the same name, which featured a
blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul (also called white soul) is rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul music performed by white artists. The term was coined in the mid-1960s, to describe white artists whose sound was similar to that of the predominantly-black Motown and Stax ...
format (their fourth style change in less than a decade) arranged by
H. B. Barnum.
Fall from pop prominence: ''The Proud One'' and ''Brainstorm''
![Donny and Marie Osmond Donny and Marie Show 1977](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Donny_and_Marie_Osmond_Donny_and_Marie_Show_1977.JPG)
By 1976, though, the group's record sales were softening; Osmondmania had long faded and been replaced by "Rollermania", as the
Bay City Rollers
The Bay City Rollers are a Scottish pop rock band known for their worldwide teen idol popularity in the 1970s. They have been called the "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh" and one of many acts heralded as the "biggest group since the Beat ...
became the hot pop band of choice in the mid-1970s. Their 1975 album ''
The Proud One
"The Proud One" is a 1966 single written by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe and originally performed by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, and credited to Valli solo; that version peaked at #68 in the U.S. and #64 in Canada. ''Billboard'' claimed that ...
'' sold poorly (despite
the title track providing a chart-topping easy listening hit and the group's last US top-40 hit to date), and MGM Records was sold to
PolyGram
PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...
. Their first album on the subsidiary label
Polydor
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
was the album ''Brainstorm''; that album sold only slightly better than its predecessor, and its lead single, "
I Can't Live a Dream
"I Can't Live a Dream" is a 1976 single by The Osmonds as the first track on their ''Brainstorm'' LP..
It was written by Arnold Capitanelli and first recorded by Frankie Valli in 1975 on his solo album ''Closeup''. After The Osmonds charted a to ...
", fell short of the top 40. Polydor would release two more albums from the family (
a Christmas album that included all of the performing family members, and a greatest hits compilation).
Television era
The Osmonds poured themselves into a new venture: the older brothers began producing ''
The Donny & Marie Show'' which was a hit on ABC from 1975 to 1979.
But the success came at a cost. The family built and operated at great expense ''Osmond Studios'', a first-class television studio in Orem, Utah, where the show was produced beginning in 1977.
As a result, the Osmonds as a performing band became a lower priority to Donny and Marie. The older brothers deferred or gave up their dreams of being a rock-and-roll band, although Donny and Marie as a duo continued to record hits into 1978; in an interview with ''
The Lost 45s
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', Wayne Osmond suggested their abandonment of songwriting and not working on material during the TV run may have been a mistake, as their career never recovered from the hiatus. Donny experienced stage anxiety, Merrill struggled with
bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
, and Marie had a brief bout with an eating disorder after a network executive told her she looked heavy. Both Donny and Marie were offered roles in a
film adaptation of the hit musical ''
Grease'', with Donny being considered for the role of the
Teen Angel and Marie for the role of Sandy; Marie turned the role down, concerned that the character's rebellious turn at the end was not a fit for her.
Frankie Avalon
Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), better known as Frankie Avalon, is an American actor, singer, and former teen idol. He had 31 charting U.S. ''Billboard'' singles from 1958 to late 1962, including number one hits, "Venus" an ...
and
Olivia Newton-John
Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...
played the respective roles instead.
When their show was canceled in 1979, the Osmonds were taken by surprise, as they had believed that the show would be renewed, and found themselves in debt and without a clear direction. The group switched from Polydor to corporate affiliate
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...
and attempted another album, ''Steppin' Out'', which was a major failure with the album failing to chart and its only charting single, "You're Mine," reaching only to No. 138 on the ''
Record World
''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...
'' charts; it would be their only album on the Mercury label. ''Steppin' Out'' was a transitional album for the Osmonds and was produced under the auspices of
Maurice Gibb
Maurice Ernest Gibb (; 22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) was a British musician. He achieved fame as a member of the pop group Bee Gees. Although his elder brother Barry Gibb and fraternal twin brother Robin Gibb were the group's main le ...
; among its tracks was the first recorded version of "
Rest Your Love on Me
"Rest Your Love on Me" is a country Sentimental ballad, ballad performed by the Bee Gees written and sung by Barry Gibb. It was the B-side of the US No. 1 hit "Too Much Heaven". Andy Gibb recorded the song as a duet with Olivia Newton-John for hi ...
", a
country song that would become a hit for Gibb's group, the
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...
, and topped the country charts in a cover version by
Conway Twitty
Harold Lloyd Jenkins (September 1, 1933 – June 5, 1993), better known by his stage name Conway Twitty, was an American singer and songwriter. Initially a part of the 1950s rockabilly scene, Twitty was best known as a country music performer. ...
. ''
Goin' Coconuts
''Goin' Coconuts'' is a 1978 American musical adventure comedy film directed by Howard Morris and starring Donny and Marie Osmond. The feature film was released in theaters on October 18, 1978. It was both a critical and commercial failure. Shoo ...
'', a film produced by the Osmonds as a musical for Donny and Marie, was a major critical and commercial flop, although its lead track "On the Shelf" reached the top 40. They produced two unsuccessful projects for Marie, a
sitcom pilot that never aired and a
variety show revival that lasted seven episodes in 1980 and 1981.
Donny permanently separated from the group (and, for a time, from Marie) shortly thereafter.
They recovered and eventually paid their debts and re-established their careers. Rather than go into bankruptcy, they resolved to honor all of their financial obligations.
But the Osmond artists and enterprises began operating separately.
Later careers
Jay Osmond was the primary choreographer for the Osmonds’ concerts and some television concerts.
Jimmy worked as a businessman and manager. He eventually moved to
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The community was named after Reuben Branson, postma ...
, and opened the Osmond Family Theater, where he and his brothers performed until 2002. They appear in Branson during the Christmas season.
Marie recorded several successful duets with Donny and continued to sing country music; she had several Top 40 country hits in the mid-1980s, the biggest of which was "
Meet Me in Montana
"Meet Me in Montana" is a song recorded by American country music artists Dan Seals and Marie Osmond. It was released in July 1985 as the lead-off single from Seals' album ''Won't Be Blue Anymore'', and the second single from Osmond's 1985 album ...
" with
Dan Seals
Danny Wayland Seals (February 8, 1948 – March 25, 2009) was an American musician. The younger brother of Seals and Crofts member Jim Seals, he first gained fame as one half of the soft rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley, who charted ...
(No. 1). She starred in the
Broadway revivals of the musicals ''
The King and I
''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the childre ...
'' (as the lead, Anna) and ''
The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Se ...
'' (as the lead, Maria) in the mid-1990s. She returned to television first in the short-lived 1995 ABC sitcom ''Maybe This Time'' and then with Donny in 1998 to co-host ''
Donny & Marie'', a talk-entertainment show that lasted two seasons.
Marie suffered from
postpartum depression
Postpartum depression (PPD), also called postnatal depression, is a type of mood disorder associated with childbirth, which can affect both sexes. Symptoms may include extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and chan ...
and wanted to help other women who suffered from it. In 2001 Marie, Marcia Wilkie, and Dr. Judith Moore wrote a book on postpartum depression titled, ''Marie Osmond Behind the Smile''. Marie remarried her first husband Stephen Lyle Craig in 2011. She was able to wear the same wedding dress after 26 years.
Donny returned to the pop music scene in 1989; when he released "
Soldier of Love" to much success in the United Kingdom, American music industry insiders were wary of the Osmond brand and promoted the song as being by a "mystery artist". The song became a
turntable hit
Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
in this manner, and when Osmond's identity as the mystery artist was revealed, "Soldier of Love" eventually rose to No. 2 on the US charts and was enough of a success to warrant follow-up singles, including "
Sacred Emotion
"Sacred Emotion" is a pop ballad performed by Donny Osmond. The song was the second single released from the 1989 album '' Donny Osmond''. It reached No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of r ...
", which peaked at No. 13, and "
My Love Is a Fire
"My Love Is A Fire" is a pop song written by Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers and performed by Donny Osmond. The song was the first single released from the October 1990 Donny Osmond album ''Eyes Don't Lie''. The single reached #21 in the Billboard Hot ...
," which peaked at No. 21. In 1998, Donny sang "
I'll Make a Man Out of You
"I'll Make a Man Out of You" is a song written by composer Matthew Wilder and lyricist David Zippel for Walt Disney Pictures' 36th animated feature film ''Mulan ''(1998). Appearing on the film's soundtrack '' Mulan: An Original Walt Disney Reco ...
" for the film ''
Mulan
Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history.
According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
''. He performed on Broadway as Gaston in the stage production of ''
Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...
'', and also gave over 2,000 performances as Joseph in the touring production of ''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. Thi ...
''. He has hosted games shows in the United States and the United Kingdom (most notably the 20022004 revival of ''
Pyramid
A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...
'' and the British version of ''
Identity
Identity may refer to:
* Identity document
* Identity (philosophy)
* Identity (social science)
* Identity (mathematics)
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film
* ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...
''), continues to appear on television, winning the ninth season (Fall 2009) of ABC's ''
Dancing with the Stars
''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
'', and still tours in the United States and England. From September 2008 to November 2019, Donny & Marie performed a 90-minute show at the
Flamingo Las Vegas
Flamingo Las Vegas (formerly The Fabulous Flamingo and Flamingo Hilton Las Vegas) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment.
The property includes a casino along with 3,46 ...
.
The show began in September 2008 and was originally scheduled to run for six months. The response was so overwhelming that the Flamingo immediately asked for a two-year extension. The Donny & Marie Show ultimately ran for 11 years, ending its run in 2019. ''Donny & Marie'' has been awarded “The Best Show in Las Vegas” for 2012, 2013, and 2014, according to the ''Las Vegas Review-Journal''. The showroom was renamed "The Donny and Marie Showroom" in 2013.
Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay returned to using the name "the Osmond Brothers" and, building on the boom in
country pop
Country pop (also known as pop country or urban cowboy) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres ...
crossover artists and drawing from the success of the covers of "Rest Your Love on Me" from the previous album, started focusing on recording country music full-time.
They had two top-30 Billboard Country hits in the early 1980s: "
I Think About Your Lovin'
"I Think About Your Lovin'" is a song written by Diana Trask and performed by The Osmond Brothers as the lead single of their 1982 self-titled album. It reached #17 on the ''Billboard'' country music chart in 1982.
"I Think About Your Lovin'" m ...
" (No. 17) and "It's Like Fallin' in Love (Over and Over)" (No. 28), in addition to a handful that reached the bottom of or narrowly missed the top 40. The Osmond Brothers' record sales were hampered by a reluctance to go on tour; the group instead opted to stay in
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The community was named after Reuben Branson, postma ...
and promote their music through promotional
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
s. The brothers continue to perform with various line-ups and sometimes with their children in Branson.
Merrill performs and records as a solo artist as well; his biggest hit independent of his siblings was a duet with Jessica Boucher, "You're Here to Remember, I'm Here to Forget", a piece Merrill specifically chose to break from his
family-friendly
A family-friendly product or service is one that is considered to be suitable for all members of an average family. Family-friendly restaurants are ones that provide service to families that have young children. Frequently, family-friendly produc ...
image (like Donny, Merrill had to hide his Osmond identity and recorded the song under the name "Merrill and Jessica") and which became a hit on the country charts in 1987. Alan has multiple sclerosis, and does not perform as often today; likewise, Wayne, who survived a brain tumor in 1997, retired from the group in the early 2010s. All of the brothers are married, some with large families.
![David Osmond (28001415197)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/David_Osmond_%2828001415197%29.jpg)
Alan's eight sons started performing in the mid-1980s as "the Osmond Boys", later known as "the Osmonds—Second Generation". David Osmond, the fourth of those eight sons, has since emerged as a solo artist; he also performs as the lead of the Osmond Chapman Orchestra and frequently appears with his aunt and uncles in Osmond's performances.
In 20072008 all of the Osmonds went on a tour of Europe to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their career in show business. A special televised concert in Las Vegas (the only tour stop in the US), commemorating the anniversary, aired on US
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
stations on March 10, 2008. Alan played piano with the orchestra for most of the show and Virl and Tom provided signed lyrics for two songs. The Osmonds' long-time friend and mentor
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...
made a surprise appearance, reminiscing about how his father had told him to put the brothers on his variety show.
In 2009, Donny and Marie recorded a television special for the British channel
ITV1
ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the Channel 3 public broadcast service across all of the United Kingdom except for t ...
: ''An Audience with Donny and Marie'', part of ITV's long-running ''
An Audience with...'' series was based on their Las Vegas stage show.
From 2008 to 2019, Donny and Marie performed a residency in Las Vegas at the Flamingo. Both tour extensively around the world, with Alan's son David Osmond occasionally filling in for Donny. Merrill, Jay, and Jimmy also sing together at the Suncoast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, along with some limited touring, mostly in the United Kingdom. Since Andy Williams's death, Merrill, Jay, and Jimmy took over operations of his long-running Christmas show, which they perform in
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The community was named after Reuben Branson, postma ...
in November. In 2012, the trio released their first studio album in 28 years, ''I Can't Get There Without You'', which featured the recording debut of Jimmy as lead singer.
Alan and Wayne rejoined the group for one time only for what was billed as their last-ever performance as the Osmond Brothers at
Neal S. Blaisdell Center
The Neal S. Blaisdell Center is a community center near downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. The complex has a multi-purpose arena, concert hall, exhibition hall, galleria, meeting rooms, Waikiki Shell and others.
Constructed in 1964 on the historic Wa ...
in
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
in October 2018, a concert that also included Marie and David among the performers. Since that time, Merrill and Jay toured as "the Osmonds", sometimes appearing with Marie and David; in these shows (billed as "Marie and the Osmonds"), Jay and Merrill sing many of their old hits, and substitute for the late
Paul Davis and Dan Seals on Marie's country duets. Jimmy toured separately with various projects at the time before suffering a stroke in December 2018; he stated in April 2019 that he was in good health and had decided to take a "long-overdue break" from performing. Alan and Wayne made a second "last ever performance" in October 2019, appearing on ''
The Talk'' for Marie's birthday.
In 2022, Merrill announced his retirement from performing; his final American show was in April 2022 and featured a special appearance by Donny.
Lack of radio airplay
The Osmonds rank among the poorest performers in terms of having their hits of the 1970s survive in
recurrent rotation
In broadcasting, rotation is the repeated airing of a limited playlist of songs on a radio station or satellite radio channel, or music videos on a TV network. They are usually in a different order each time. However, they are not completely shu ...
;
classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980s ...
and
oldies
Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...
stations rarely play any of their music, with the occasional exception of "One Bad Apple." According to Sean Ross at RadioInsight, discussing the fifteen popular songs of 1971 that saw the biggest declines in
airplay
Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
:
Teen acts had been with us from the beginning, of course, but not since the early ‘60s had they seemed so particularly stigmatized (...) Five songs by teen idolsfour of them Osmonds-related. We haven’t shown individual breakouts for every year of the ‘70s, but we can tell you that there’s an Osmonds-related song every year between 1971 and 1976, except for 1973, when Donny Osmond was being challenged by the DeFranco Family
The DeFranco Family, featuring Tony DeFranco, was a 1970s pop music group and family from Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada. The group, all siblings, consisted of guitarist Benny DeFranco (born 11 July 1953); keyboardist Marisa DeFranco (born 23 July ...
and didn’t have a big enough hit.
Ross later noted of the top 100 songs in the 1970 to 1974 period ranked by a drop-off in airplay, the Osmond family had six listed, the most of any collection of acts; this was twice as high as the next two artists on the list (
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
and
Helen Reddy
Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a showbusiness family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on rad ...
, each of whom recorded three). The Osmond family as a whole ranked the most neglected musical act of the era of the classic hit, from 1970 to 1994. Broadening to the period of 1960 to 1999, the top 100 most neglected songs (which had a disproportionate number of early 1960s songs largely neglected by modern radio) had three performed by at least one Osmond, tied for the most with
Connie Francis
Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937),
known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...
on the list; this was especially notable because other neglected 1970s artists such as Reddy and
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...
failed to make the broader list at all. Such was the Osmonds' fall into obscurity that Karen Osmond, Jay's second and current wife, had never heard of the group before meeting him.
Parents
Olive Osmond
Olive May Osmond (née Davis; May 4, 1925 – May 9, 2004) was the matriarch of the American Osmond singing family.
Life and career
Osmond was born in Samaria, Idaho, the daughter of Vera Ann (née Nichols) and Thomas Martin Davis. She moved t ...
, mother of the Osmond siblings, died on May 9, 2004, at age 79. Their father,
George Osmond
George Virl Osmond Sr. (October 13, 1917November 6, 2007) was the patriarch of the singing Osmond family.
Life and career
Osmond was born in Etna, Wyoming, the son of Agnes LaVerna (née Van Noy) and Rulon Osmond. Rulon died at age 24 on Novem ...
, died on November 6, 2007, at age 90.
The couple was survived by their nine children and 55 grandchildren as well as a number of great-grandchildren. Before George Osmond's death, plans were being made for him and the 120-plus members of the Osmond family to appear on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
'' to celebrate the family's 50th anniversary in show business. He died just a few days prior to the taping. The family ultimately decided to go on with the show as scheduled, and on Thursday, November 9, the entire Osmond family appeared on stage with
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
as a tribute to their father. The show aired the following day, the same day as George Osmond's funeral.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
In 2003, the Osmond Family was honored for their achievements in the entertainment industry with a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Osmonds
The Osmonds were an American family music group who reached the height of their fame in the early to mid-1970s. The group had its best-known configurations as a quartet (billed as the Osmond Brothers) and a quintet (as the Osmonds). The group ...
'' (1970)
* ''
Homemade
Homemade may refer to:
*Handicraft, things that are made by hand
*''Homemade'', '' T4'' TV series 2006
*''HomeMADE'', Australian reality TV series 2009
*''Homemade TV'', a Canadian children's television series 1976 to 1977
* ''Homemade'' (album), ...
'' (1971)
* ''
Phase III'' (1972)
* ''
Crazy Horses
"Crazy Horses" is a 1972 hit single by The Osmonds, the title track from the album of the same name. The song, the only hit record from the Osmonds to feature Jay Osmond as lead vocalist, reached number 14 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and num ...
'' (1972)
* ''
The Plan'' (1973)
* ''
Love Me for a Reason
"Love Me for a Reason" is a song by Johnny Bristol. It was recorded most famously by The Osmonds, and released in 1974. Twenty years later, Boyzone covered the song. Both versions were successful, reaching the top ten of the charts in many count ...
'' (1974)
* ''
The Proud One
"The Proud One" is a 1966 single written by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe and originally performed by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, and credited to Valli solo; that version peaked at #68 in the U.S. and #64 in Canada. ''Billboard'' claimed that ...
'' (1975)
* ''
Brainstorm'' (1976)
* ''
Osmond Christmas Album
''Osmond Christmas Album'' is a holiday album by the Osmond family, released in 1976. The album peaked at No. 127 on the U.S. Billboard Top LP's chart, a modest improvement from their previous two albums.
The original double album consisted ...
'' (1976)
* ''
Steppin' Out'' (1979)
References
External links
The Osmond Store Official websiteMerrill Osmondon
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
Jay Osmondon Facebook
*
Osmond Official Videos on YouTubeThe Osmonds Biographyon YouTube
The Osmonds Branson Show
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osmonds, The
Osmond family (show business)
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