Donny Osmond
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Donny Osmond
OR:
Donny Osmond on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond (born December 9, 1957) is an American singer, dancer, actor, television host, and former
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 ...
. He first gained fame performing with four of his elder brothers as
the 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 ...
, earning several top ten hits and gold albums. Then, in the early 1970s, Osmond began a solo career, earning several additional top ten songs. He further gained fame due to the success of the 1976–1979 variety series ''Donny & Marie''. The ''Donny & Marie'' duo also released a series of top ten hits and gold albums and hosted a syndicated and
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
–nominated 1998–2000 talk show. Most recently, Donny & Marie retired from headlining an 11-year Las Vegas residency 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 3,4 ...
(2008–2019). He also successfully competed on two reality TV shows, winning
season 9 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
of '' Dancing with the Stars'' and being named runner-up for
season 1 Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) * Season 4 (disambiguati ...
of ''
The Masked Singer ''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 ...
''. He also hosted the game show ''
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 ...
'' from 2002 to 2004.


Early life

Osmond was born on December 9, 1957 in Ogden, Utah, the seventh child of Olive May ( née Davis; 1925–2004) and George Virl Osmond (1917–2007). He is the brother of Alan,
Jay A jay is a member of a number of species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the Crow family, Corvidae. The evolutionary relationships between the jays and the magpies are rather complex. For example, the Eurasian m ...
, Jimmy,
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, W ...
, Wayne,
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 Tr ...
, Tom, and Virl Osmond. Alan, Jay, Merrill, Wayne, and Donny were members of the popular singing group
the 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 ...
(known as the
Osmond Brothers 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 ...
before Donny joined them). Osmond was raised as a member 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 nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
in Utah along with his siblings. Osmond has traced some of his family ancestry back to Merthyr Tydfil in Wales; his journey was documented in a BBC Wales program, ''Donny Osmond Coming Home''. On the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's ''
The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weeknights at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas, and Ronan K ...
'', a plaque was unveiled in the town to commemorate 'the ancestors of Donny Osmond.' In his youth, Osmond held a
ham radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communica ...
license, KA7EVD.


Music career


Teen idol: 1971–1978

Andy Williams' father, Jay Emerson Williams, saw the Osmond Brothers (Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay) perform on a
Disneyland Disneyland is a 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 initially envision ...
televised special as a barbershop quartet. In short order, the group was invited to audition for ''
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 ...
''. Williams initially had reservations about featuring children on the program, however, encouraged by his father to try them out, they proved in a short period of time to become an asset to the program, and soon became regulars on the show and gained popularity quickly. In 1963, Donny Osmond made his debut on the show at the age of five singing "
You Are My Sunshine "You Are My Sunshine" is a song published by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell on January 30, 1940. According to Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the song has been recorded by over 350 artists and translated into 30 languages. In 1977, the Louisi ...
". The brothers continued to perform on the show throughout the 1960s along with a visit from their sister Marie. Osmond became a
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 ...
in the early 1970s as a solo singer, while continuing to sing with his older brothers. Osmond was one of the biggest "Cover Boy" pop stars for ''
Tiger Beat ''Tiger Beat'' is an American internet teen fan magazine originally published by The Laufer Company, and marketed primarily to adolescent girls. The magazine had a paper edition that was sold at stores until December 2018. History and profile ...
'' magazine and
16 magazine ''16'' was a fan magazine published in New York City. Origins Founded in 1956, the first issue of ''16'' hit the newsstands in May 1957, with Elvis Presley on the cover. However, its longtime editor-in-chief, former fashion model and subscrip ...
in the early 1970s. His first solo hit was a cover of Roy Orbison's 1958 recording of " Sweet and Innocent", which peaked at No. 7 in the U.S. in 1971. Osmond's follow-ups "Go Away Little Girl" (1971) (U.S. No. 1), "Puppy Love" (U.S. No. 3), and " Hey Girl/ I Knew You When" (U.S. No. 9) (1972) vaulted him into international fame, further advanced by his November 20, 1972 appearance on the '' Here's Lucy'' show, where he sang " Too Young" to Lucy's niece, played by
Eve Plumb Eve Aline Plumb (born April 29, 1958) is an American actress, singer and painter. She is best known for portraying the middle daughter Jan Brady on the ABC sitcom ''The Brady Bunch''. A native of Southern California, Plumb began appearing in co ...
, and sang with
Lucie Arnaz Lucie Désirée Arnaz (born July 17, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Early life Arnaz was born at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of act ...
("
I'll Never Fall in Love Again "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" is a popular song by composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David that was written for the 1968 musical '' Promises, Promises''. Several recordings of the song were released in 1969; the most popular versions wer ...
").


Comeback: 1989–1990

In the 1980s, all of the Osmonds abandoned their earlier image that had originally been crafted to appeal to young viewers, hoping to reach a more adult audience. While his brothers moved toward country music to modest success, Donny was able to revive his career in popular music. He made an unlikely appearance as one of several celebrities and unknowns auditioning to sing for guitarist Jeff Beck in the video for Beck's 1985 single "Ambitious" – which was produced by Paul Flattery and directed by Jim Yukich – followed in 1986 by an equally unlikely cameo in the animated
Luis Cardenas Luis Cardenas is a Latin-American drummer who has been active since the early 1980s, both as a solo act and as a member of the rock band Renegade. Renegade Renegade was formed in California in the early 1980s by Cardenas and the band's manager ...
music video "Runaway". He spent several years as a performer, before hiring the services of music and entertainment guru Steven Machat, who got Osmond together with English singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel to see whether Machat and Gabriel could turn the TV Osmond's image into a contemporary young pop act. They succeeded, returning Osmond to the US charts in 1989 with the Billboard Hot 100 No. 2 song " Soldier of Love" (originally announced on radio stations as "from a mystery singer") and its top twenty follow-up " Sacred Emotion". Launching an extensive tour in support of the Eyes Don't Lie record, he enlisted
Earth Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million ...
and
Kenny Loggins Kenneth Clark Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded as Loggins and Messina from 1972 to 1977. His ...
guitarist Dick Smith along with keyboardist Mark Jackson.


Current music career: 1991–present

Osmond was the guest vocalist on
Dweezil Zappa Dweezil Zappa (born Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa; September 5, 1969) is an American rock guitarist and occasional actor. He is the son of musical composer and performer Frank Zappa. Exposed to the music industry from an early age, Dweezil deve ...
's star-studded version of the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" which appeared on Zappa's 1991 album ''Confessions''. The song also included guitar solos from
Zakk Wylde Zachary Phillip Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt; January 14, 1967) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and as the founder, lead guitarist, lead singer, songwriter and producer of the heavy meta ...
, Steve Lukather,
Warren DeMartini Warren Justin DeMartini (born April 10, 1963) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist for glam metal band Ratt, which achieved international stardom in the 1980s. Early life DeMartini was born on April 10, 1963, in Chicago, ...
,
Nuno Bettencourt Nuno Duarte Gil Mendes Bettencourt (born September 20, 1966) is a Portuguese-American guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, and businessman. He became known as the lead guitarist of the Boston rock band Extreme. He has also recorded ...
, and
Tim Pierce Tim Pierce (born 1959 in Albuquerque) is an American session guitarist. He has worked for artists such as Joe Cocker, Crowded House, Goo Goo Dolls, Michael Jackson, Beth Hart, Roger Waters, Alice Cooper, Johnny Hallyday, Phil Collins, and the ...
. Osmond sang "No One Has To Be Alone", which was heard at the end of the film '' The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water''. He also sang " I'll Make a Man Out of You" for Disney's ''
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 ...
''. In the 2000s, he released a Christmas album, an album of his favorite Broadway songs, and a compilation of popular love songs. In 2004, he returned to the UK Top 10 for the first time as a solo artist since 1973, with the
George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...
-sampling "Breeze On By", co-written with former teen idol
Gary Barlow Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the British pop group Take That. Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, havi ...
, from the 1990s UK boy band
Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
, reaching number 8. His 17th solo album (and 61st album including those with his siblings) ''The Soundtrack of My Life'' features a collection of cover songs with personal meaning to Osmond. He enlisted Stevie Wonder to play harmonica on track "My Cherie Amour".


Donny & Marie in Las Vegas

Following Marie's stint on ''Dancing with the Stars'' in 2007, the pair teamed up for a limited six-week engagement in Las Vegas. The residency began in September 2008, but proved so successful that it was ultimately extended for an eleven-year run through November 2019. Donny and Marie performed at the 750-seat showroom at the
Flamingo Hotel 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 3,4 ...
. "Donny & Marie" was a 90-minute show. The singing siblings were backed by eight dancers and a nine-piece band. Donny and Marie sang together at the beginning and end of the show, and had solo segments in between. The
Flamingo Hotel 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 3,4 ...
's showroom was updated in 2014 and renamed the Donny and Marie Theater. Osmond and the show earned three of the '' Las Vegas Review-Journal''s Best of Las Vegas Awards in 2012 including "Best Show", "Best All-Around Performer" (Donny & Marie), and "Best Singer". Osmond earned "Best Singer" for a second time in the ''Las Vegas Review-Journal''s Best of Las Vegas Awards in 2013.


Film, radio and television


''Donny & Marie''

In 1974, Osmond and his sister Marie co-hosted ''
The Mike Douglas Show ''The Mike Douglas Show'' was an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went into natio ...
'' for a week.
Fred Silverman Fred Silverman (September 13, 1937 – January 30, 2020) was an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at all of the Big Three television networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as '' ...
offered them a show of their own, '' The Donny & Marie Show'', a television variety series which aired on
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 ...
between 1976 and 1979. In honor of their impact on American pop culture, Donny and Marie received the Pop Culture Award at the 2015
TV Land Awards The TV Land Icon Awards was an American television awards ceremony that generally commemorates shows now off the air, rather than in current production as with the Emmys. Created by Executive Producer Michael Levitt, the awards were hosted and broa ...
. In the past, Osmond has expressed regret that the show was canceled, not that he and Marie decided when to end the show. Donny and Marie also co-hosted an eponymous and syndicated talk show '' Donny & Marie'' from 1998 to 2000. They would occasionally perform with musical guests. Though they received back-to-back nominations for the
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host was an award given every year at the Daytime Emmys ceremony from 1974 to 2014 until the award was divided into two categories: Informative and Entertainment. In the lists below, the winner of ...
in
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
and 2001, the show was canceled.


Other hosting opportunities

For two seasons in the US, Osmond hosted ''
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 ...
'' (2002–2004), a syndicated version of the
Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting '' American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 19 ...
-hosted television game show. He reprised hosting for a British version of ''Pyramid'' on Challenge in 2007. For his performance on ''Pyramid'', Osmond was nominated for a
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host was an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It was given to honor the outstanding work of a ...
in 2003; the award went to Alex Trebek. Osmond is one of two game show hosts to host two different versions of the same game show in different countries; the other being Howie Mandel for ''
Deal or No Deal ''Deal or No Deal'' is the name of several closely related television game shows, the first of which (launching the format) was the Dutch '' Miljoenenjacht'' (''Hunt/Chase for Millions''). The centerpiece of this format is the final round (a. ...
''. Osmond returned to
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 ...
as host of '' The Great American Dream Vote'', a primetime
reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...
-game show that debuted in March 2007. After earning lackluster ratings in its first two episodes, the program was canceled. Osmond hosted the daytime British version of the game show ''
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), ...
'' on BBC Two. On April 11, 2008, he hosted the 2008 Miss USA Pageant in Las Vegas with his sister Marie. He appeared on '' Entertainment Tonight'' as a commentator covering the ABC show '' Dancing with the Stars'' during his sister Marie's run as a contestant on the 5th season of the American version of the show in 2007.


Music

Osmond is mentioned in the lyrics of
Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
's song " Department of Youth" on the album '' Welcome to My Nightmare''. As the song fades, Cooper can be heard asking the youth choir backing him up, "Who's got the power?" to which a crowd of young people screams "We do!" After a couple of repetitions, this changes to "We've got the power" with a cheering response. On the final repetition, Cooper changes the question to "...and who gave it to you?" The crowd answers, "Donny Osmond!" Cooper then responds "What?!" Osmond is featured in the song "Start the Par-dee" with
Lil Yachty Miles Parks McCollum (born August 23, 1997), known professionally as Lil Boat, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer. He first gained recognition on the internet in 2015 for his singles "One Night" and "Minnesota" (featuring ...
. His most iconic line is "My name is Donny O, and you know I love my ravio's".


Musical theater

His first foray into Broadway musical theater was the lead role in a revival of the 1904
George M. Cohan George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer. Cohan began his career as a child, performing with his parents and sister in a vaudev ...
show ''
Little Johnny Jones ''Little Johnny Jones'' is a musical by George M. Cohan. The show introduced Cohan's tunes " Give My Regards to Broadway" and " The Yankee Doodle Boy." The "Yankee Doodle" character was inspired by real-life Hall of Fame jockey Tod Sloan. Bac ...
''. Osmond replaced another former teen idol,
David Cassidy David Bruce Cassidy (April 12, 1950 – November 21, 2017) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was best known for his role as Keith Partridge, the son of Shirley Partridge (played by his stepmother, Shirley Jones), in t ...
, who left the show while it was on its pre-Broadway tour. After 29 previews and only one performance, the show closed on March 21, 1982. Osmond found success in musical theater through much of the 1990s when he starred as
Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...
in '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' for over 2,000 performances beginning in July 1992 in the Elgin Theatre's Toronto production. He relocated to Chicago where Joseph played for 16 months in 1993–94. During his performances for the musical, he suffered from
social anxiety disorder Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is an anxiety disorder characterized by sentiments of fear and anxiety in social situations, causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some aspects o ...
, which caused him to feel light-headed and extremely nervous during his performances. In 1997, Osmond left his starring role in the tour to participate with his family in the cast of the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Creator Andrew Lloyd Webber later chose Osmond to star in the 1999 film version. He returned to Broadway on September 19, 2006 as Gaston in
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
's ''
Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...
''. He was scheduled to perform for nine weeks, but due to popular demand, he extended his run through December 24. Liz Smith of the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'' wrote, "I am here to tell you he is charmingly campy, good-looking and grand as the villain 'Gaston', patterned after our old friend
Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
", and noting "Donny is divine". On July 29, 2007, Osmond played Gaston again for the final performance of ''Beauty and the Beast''. Osmond and his 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 Tr ...
starred in a holiday production called ''Donny & Marie – A Broadway Christmas'', originally scheduled to play on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre December 9–19, 2010. The show extended until December 30, 2010 and again until January 2, 2011. ''Donny & Marie – Christmas in Chicago'' played the
Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre The James M. Nederlander Theatre is a theater located at 24 West Randolph Street in the Loop area of downtown Chicago, Illinois. Previously known as the Oriental Theatre, it opened in 1926 as a deluxe movie palace and vaudeville venue. Today the ...
in Chicago from December 6–24, 2011. It was similar to the 2010 Broadway show. In December 2014, they again performed in a similar Broadway show, receiving very positive reviews.


Film and television

In the animated television series ''
Johnny Bravo ''Johnny Bravo'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Van Partible for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. It is the second of the network's Cartoon Cartoons, which aired fr ...
'', Osmond voiced himself as a recurring character. He has also done guest spots on numerous other television shows such as '' Friends'', '' Diagnosis: Murder'', and '' Hannah Montana''. He also appeared in a
Pepsi Twist Pepsi Twist is a lemon flavored cola, marketed by PepsiCo as an alternative to regular Pepsi. History The first incarnation of Pepsi Light was cola and lemon flavor with 50% fewer calories. It was soon replaced with lemon-flavored diet cola of ...
commercial during the Super Bowl with his sister, Marie, and Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. In 1982, he co-starred with
Priscilla Barnes Priscilla Anne Barnes (born December 7, 1952) is an American actress."Priscilla Barnes"
AllMovie.com; retr ...
and
Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primeti ...
in the television movie '' The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch'' for Aaron Spelling. In 1978, he appeared in ''
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 ...
'' with sister Marie. His future wife Debbie made a cameo appearance at the end of the film. In 1998, Osmond was chosen as the singing voice of Shang in
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
's ''Mulan''. He sang " I'll Make a Man Out of You". Also in 1999, he starred as
Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...
in the movie version of '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' by Andrew Lloyd Webber's request who said, "to me, there is no better selection." In 2002, he sang "No One Has to Be Alone" for the end credits of '' The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water''. In the ''
Bob the Builder ''Bob the Builder'' is a British animated children's television series created by Keith Chapman for HIT Entertainment and Hot Animation. The series follows the adventures of Bob, a building contractor, specialising in masonry, along with ...
'' special "Built to be Wild", he played Jackaroo the pickup truck. Osmond remarked in an interview that his movie appearance on ''
College Road Trip ''College Road Trip'' is a 2008 American family comedy film directed by Roger Kumble and starring Martin Lawrence, Kym Whitley, Raven-Symoné, Brenda Song, Margo Harshman, and Donny Osmond. The film centers on college-bound teen Melanie Port ...
'' and upcoming appearances on two Disney Channel shows would mean that he would be coming full circle since he and his family were discovered by
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
. Osmond appears in the music video of "Weird Al" Yankovic's song " White & Nerdy". The song is a parody of Chamillionaire's "
Ridin' "Ridin'" is a song by American rapper Chamillionaire featuring fellow American rapper Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, released on February 27, 2006, as the second single from his debut studio album '' The Sound of Revenge'' (2005). Pro ...
"; Osmond's role is analogous to that of
Krayzie Bone Anthony Henderson (born June 17, 1973), better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper, singer, producer, and entrepreneur. He is a member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Personal life Henderson comes from a fourth generation fami ...
's role in the original video. Yankovic asked Osmond to appear because "if you have to have a white and nerdy icon in your video, like who else do you go for?" In February 2019, he was revealed to have portrayed "Peacock" on ''
The Masked Singer ''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 ...
'' where he was the runner-up.


''Dancing with the Stars''

Osmond and professional
Kym Johnson Kym Herjavec (née Johnson; born 4 August 1976) is an Australian professional ballroom dancer and television performer who appeared in the first three seasons of the Australian version of ''Dancing with the Stars'' as a professional dancer, b ...
were paired for the ninth season of ''Dancing with the Stars''. He participated in the show to prove he was a better dancer than his sister. It was very difficult for him to manage to get to rehearsals and host his show in Las Vegas with 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 Tr ...
. For the first week, the two were assigned to dance a Foxtrot and a 30-second
Salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: ...
. His Foxtrot was said to be "too theatrical" and was scored 20/30 from the judges. He, however, managed to maintain a good score when his Salsa scored 10 points and was safe that week. He danced a Jive the following week which was guest judged by
Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962), known professionally as Baz Luhrmann, is an Australian film director, producer, writer and actor. With projects spanning film, television, opera, theatre, music and recording industries, he is re ...
. He scored 25 and was scored second place, called first to be safe. That following week he danced a
Rumba The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba. ...
and scored 21. After his comments, he "toyed with" openly gay judge
Bruno Tonioli Bruno Tonioli (; born 25 November 1955) is an Italian choreographer, ballroom and Latin dancer, and Television personality. He has appeared as a judge on the British television dance competition '' Strictly Come Dancing'' and American adaptatio ...
, first kissing him, before embracing him and tipping him back in a mock-passionate move after Bruno called Osmond's dance "a bit airy-fairy". The following week introduced four new dances including the Charleston which he danced and scored 24. That following week, the two danced an Argentine Tango which scored 29/30, the highest scored dance to date until it was beaten by then top scorer and future runner-up
Mýa Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), (stylized as Mýa), is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born into a musical family, she studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Initially, Mýa began her career as a VJ ...
and her 70s-themed Samba. He had also received that week's encore. Following that week, Osmond and Johnson danced a train-station themed
Jitterbug Jitterbug is a generalized term used to describe swing dancing. It is often synonymous with the lindy hop dance but might include elements of the jive, east coast swing, collegiate shag, charleston, balboa and other swing dances. Swing danc ...
and was scored a 24. He then danced a
Mambo Mambo most often refers to: * Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form *Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music Mambo may also refer to: Music * Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particul ...
against all couples and was eliminated 6th receiving seven points for a total of 31/40. The following week, he danced a Quickstep which he quotes "was one of the worst moments of my life" and scored 24 and a Team
Tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...
along with
Joanna Krupa Joanna Krupa (; born April 23, 1979) is a Polish-born American model and actress. She is known internationally as the host and head judge of Polish '' Top Model'' as well as for appearances on reality television shows ''Dancing with the Stars'' ...
and
Kelly Osbourne Kelly Michelle Lee Osbourne (born 27 October 1984) is an English television personality, singer, actress, model, and fashion designer. The daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, she appeared on the reality show '' The Osbournes'' (2002–2005) w ...
and received 28/30 and the encore. In the 8th week of competition, Osmond was required to dance a Ballroom and decade-themed Latin dance. His Ballroom
Viennese Waltz Viennese waltz (german: Wiener Walzer) is a genre of ballroom dance. At least four different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in b ...
received 26 but his 1980s themed
Paso Doble Pasodoble ( Spanish: ''double step'') is a fast-paced Spanish military march used by infantry troops. Its speed allowed troops to give 120 steps per minute (double the average of a regular unit, hence its name). This military march gave rise ...
received 24 being quoted by judge
Len Goodman Leonard Gordon Goodman (born 25 April 1944) is an English professional ballroom dancer, dance judge, and coach. He has appeared as head judge on the television dance programmes ''Strictly Come Dancing'', a programme where various celebrities c ...
as "the scariest, bizarre Paso Doble we've ever seen" being awarded the last place on the judges' leaderboard for the first time. Following that week, he danced a Tango and got advice from past runner-up
Gilles Marini Gilles Marini (; born 26 January 1976) is a French actor known for his roles in the film ''Sex and the City'', and in the American television shows '' Brothers & Sisters'', '' Switched at Birth'' and ''Devious Maids''. He was also the runner-up i ...
. He got tangled in Johnson's dress and received 21 and saying the cause was that "I saw Marie." He then danced the samba to a song originally recorded by his brothers and himself called "
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. ...
", receiving 26 and a Jitterbug scored 27. He once again was scored last place. For the finals week, he danced a Cha-Cha-Cha (27), a Megamix dance alongside Mya and Kelly Osbourne (28), the only perfect-scoring Freestyle (30) and a repeat of his Argentine Tango (30) and won the competition. As he accepted his trophy, he hugged fellow finalist Mya and grabbed his wife, Debbie, and his sister, Marie, on stage. On Season 18, he guest judged week five on Disney Night. In October 2014, he guest judged on the British version of the show, '' Strictly Come Dancing'', on week 3 (movie week) of the 12th series.


Public image

Osmond states that he has had a tremendous public-image struggle since ''Donny & Marie'' ended in 1979. Reviews from Allmusic noted that while Osmond remained a gifted singer, a series of creative missteps in the late 1970s led to his virtually disappearing from the public eye during the 1980s.
Allmusic review AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
/ref> He was described in the 1980s as having an "unhip image", and he said he was embarrassed that the Osmond name was not considered cool. A publicist suggested that Osmond purposely get arrested for drug possession in order to change his image. In March 2010, Osmond criticized
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
and Beyoncé for using profanity and sex in their "Telephone" video.


Personal life

On May 8, 1978, Osmond married Debra (née Glenn) of
Billings Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Met ...
,
Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
, in the
Salt Lake Temple The Salt Lake Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. At , it is the largest Latter-day Saint temple by floor area. Dedicated in 1893, it is the sixth templ ...
. Together they have five sons: Don, Jeremy, Brandon, Christopher, and Joshua. The Osmonds became grandparents in 2005 and have 13 grandchildren. Like the rest of his family, Osmond is a member 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 nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
. In retrospect, he has written, "It would have been nice to be able to have served a regular full-time mission, but when I was of that age, my career was such that everyone, including my parents and the leaders of the church, thought that I could do a lot of good in the world by continuing to be in the public eye, by living an exemplary life and sharing my beliefs in every way that I could." He continues sharing his beliefs in an extensive letters-and-comments portion of his website. Osmond commented on his opposition to same-sex marriage after the 2008
Proposition 8 Proposition 8, known informally as Prop 8, was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in cou ...
in California. Latter-day Saints were one of many groups that supported Proposition 8 (to ban same-sex marriage), and Osmond stated that he opposes same-sex marriage but that he does not condemn homosexuality. He believes that homosexuals should be accepted in the LDS Church if they remain celibate. He stated on his website: Osmond's two oldest brothers are
deaf Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...
, and a nephew (Justin) is
hearing impaired Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to acquire spoken la ...
. He has talked about the experience of growing up with his brothers and their use of
sign language Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with non-manual markers. Sign l ...
when performing together.


Discography


Studio albums

* ''
The Donny Osmond Album ''The Donny Osmond Album'' is the debut album by pop singer Donny Osmond. It was released in 1971 on MGM when Osmond was 13 years of age. It was produced by Rick Hall, who was also responsible for most of the arrangements. The album features on ...
'' (1971) * '' To You with Love, Donny'' (1971) * '' Portrait of Donny'' (1972) * '' Too Young'' (1972) * '' Alone Together'' (1973) * '' A Time for Us'' (1973) * '' Donny'' (1974) * ''
Disco Train ''Disco Train'' is the eighth studio album by Donny Osmond. It was released in 1976 on Polydor Records. One single, C'mon Marianne, was released from the album. Some of the songs listed on the album were recorded before a live audience. It reac ...
'' (1976) * '' Donald Clark Osmond'' (1977) * '' Donny Osmond'' (1989) * '' Eyes Don't Lie'' (1990) * ''Christmas at Home'' (1998) * ''This Is the Moment'' (2001) * ''Somewhere in Time'' (2002) * ''What I Meant to Say'' (2004) * ''Love Songs of the 70s'' (2007) * ''
The Soundtrack of My Life ''The Soundtrack of My Life'' is the 18th studio album by American singer Donny Osmond, released in 2014. It contains his versions of popular songs from his youth, like "Ben", " My Cherie Amour", and "Baby Love". The album peaked at No. 181 on t ...
'' (2015) * ''Start Again'' (2021)


Filmography


Television


Films


References


External links


Donny Osmond Official website
* *
Osmond Interview on Fox News RadioOsmondheaven
Popular Fan Site {{DEFAULTSORT:Osmond, Donny 1957 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American singers 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American singers American child singers American contemporary R&B singers American country rock singers American country songwriters American game show hosts American keyboardists American male child actors American male dancers American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male pop singers American male singers American male songwriters American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Welsh descent American pop rock singers American soul singers American television hosts Child pop musicians Dancing with the Stars (American TV series) winners Decca Records artists Latter Day Saints from California Latter Day Saints from Utah Male actors from California Male actors from Orange County, California Male actors from Utah MGM Records artists Musicians from Ogden, Utah Musicians from Orange County, California Osmond family (show business) Participants in American reality television series People from Ogden, Utah Singers from California Singers from Utah Songwriters from California Songwriters from Utah Television personalities from California The Osmonds members Universal Music Group artists