The Osmonds
Encyclopedia
The Osmonds are an American family music group with a long and varied career—a career that took them from singing barbershop music as children, to achieving success as teen-music idols, to producing a hit television show, and to continued success as solo and group performers. The Osmonds are devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and their religious values have influenced their careers.
When it began as a barbershop quartet, the group consisted of brothers Alan Osmond
, Wayne Osmond
, Merrill Osmond
, and Jay Osmond. They were later joined by younger siblings Donny Osmond
and Jimmy Osmond
. Their only sister Marie Osmond
, who never sang with her brothers at that time, would launch a successful solo career in the '70s. Older brothers George Virl Osmond, Jr. (Virl) and Tom Osmond
were born deaf and did not originally perform, although they later made occasional appearances, most notably on the family Christmas specials from the '70s. All of the Osmonds were born in their hometown of Ogden, Utah except the youngest, Jimmy, who was born in Canoga Park, California. The group have sold 102 million records worldwide.
for local audiences in and around their hometown of Ogden, Utah. In their made-for-TV movie "Inside the Osmonds," the Osmonds explain that they originally performed to earn money to support Virl and Tom in buying hearing aids and serving missions for their church. Despite their young ages (in 1958 Alan was 9, Wayne 7, Merrill 5, and Jay 3), within a few years, the boys' talent and stage presence were strong enough that their father, George Osmond, took them to audition for Lawrence Welk
in California. Welk turned them down, but on the same trip, they visited Disneyland and were hired to perform there after joining an adult barbershop quartet for some impromptu singing.
While the Osmond Brothers were performing on a televised Disney special, Andy Williams
' father saw them and was so impressed he told his son to book them for his television show. Andy did, and the Osmond Brothers were regulars on Andy Williams' show from 1962–1969, where they earned the nickname "one-take Osmonds" because of their professionalism and tireless rehearsing. Donny soon joined them on the show, making the Osmond Brothers a 5-member group. Marie and Jimmy were also introduced on the show as the years went by. 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 Osmond Brothers were regulars on the Jerry Lewis
Show in 1969, and they continued to tour and perform with Andy Williams. But soon the Osmond Brothers decided they wanted to perform popular music and shed their variety-show image. They wanted to become a rock-and-roll band. This 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. They achieved only modest success at first, but they found fame in 1971.
saw the Osmonds (no longer called "The Osmond Brothers") perform as a band and recognized that they combined a rare mix of polished performing style, instrumental skill, and vocal talent. He helped the Osmonds get a record contract with MGM, and arranged for them to record at Muscle Shoals
with R&B producer Rick Hall. Under Hall's guidance, the Osmonds hit the top spot on the pop chart with "One Bad Apple
" (Billboard #1) in 1971. The Osmonds soon had hits with other light, R&B-style pop numbers like "Double Lovin'" (Billboard #14) and "Yo-Yo
" (Billboard #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. They included "Sweet and Innocent
" (Billboard #7), "Go Away Little Girl
" (Billboard #1), "Hey Girl
"/"I Knew You When" (Billboard #9), and "Puppy Love
" (Billboard #3). It was at this time, 1971 and 1972, that the Osmonds were at their peak of popularity.
After this early "bubblegum soul" phase, the Osmonds began writing their own music, and their sound moved towards rock and roll with hits like "Down by the Lazy River" (#4), "Hold Her Tight" (Billboard #14), and "Crazy Horses
" (#14). The Crazy Horses album was the band's first really personal statement—the brothers have been quoted as saying that the title song refers to air pollution from cars. 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 back-up, with Jay and Donny sometimes singing lead parts.
during 1972-1974. By this time the Osmonds had broken through in the UK as well: all members of the Osmond family, counting group and solo recordings, charted 13 singles on the UK charts during 1973. Some observers coined a new word, "Osmondmania," to describe the phenomenon.
But changes and challenges soon arrived. The older boys were of age to go on church missions, yet they believed they could reach more people through their music. The Osmonds viewed their music as their mission. As a part of their mission, they recorded an ambitious album in 1973 called The Plan, perhaps best described as a Mormon concept album
with progressive rock
aspirations. One reviewer suggested that The Plan carried a too-strong religious message—Mormonism is, after all, fairly conservative and not usually associated with the themes of rock and roll. He likewise suggested that the music was too varied and experimental. The album produced only two modest hits: "Let Me In" and "Goin' Home" both peaked at #36 on the Billboard 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 and "settling down."
." Marie hit #1 on the U.S. country charts in 1973 with "Paper Roses
"--she was only 13 at the time. And Donny achieved near-superstar status. He had a string of pop hits in the early 1970s, including "Go Away Little Girl
" (Billboard #1), "Puppy Love
" (#2), and "The Twelfth of Never
" (#8). From 1971 to 1976, he had 12 top-40 hits, including 5 in the top 10.
Donny's popularity, and his numerous solo hits, have led many to assume he was the group's lead. But Merrill was the lead singer, although Donny would usually sing the chorus of the songs, therefore being a "co-lead" in the group. 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 5 technically separate artists: The Osmonds, Donny Osmond, Marie Osmond, and Jimmy Osmond—plus Donny and Marie had begun recording duets and had hits with "I'm Leaving It Up to You
" (Billboard #4) and "Morning Side of the Mountain
" (#8). Through all the stress and pressures created by these many efforts, the family hung together. "Inside the Osmonds" 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
" reached #10 on the U.S. pop charts and went to #1 in the U.K. The Irish boy band Boyzone
took the song to #2 on the U.K. charts in 1994.
, which was a hit on ABC from 1976-1979. But the success came at a cost. The family built and operated, at great expense, a first-class television studio in Orem, Utah, where the show was produced. As a result, the Osmonds as a performing band became a third or fourth priority to the careers of Donny and Marie, the success of the show, and the operation of the family studio. The older brothers deferred or gave up their dreams of being a rock-and-roll band. Donny experienced stage anxiety, a type of social phobia, and Marie had a brief bout with an eating disorder after a network executive told her she looked heavy. When the show was canceled, the Osmonds found themselves in debt and without a clear direction.
They recovered and eventually paid their debts and re-established their careers. But the various Osmond artists and enterprises began to operate separately.
, Missouri, and opened the Osmond Family Theater, where he and his brothers performed until 2002. They now appear in Branson during the Christmas season.
Marie recorded a number of 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
" with Dan Seals
(country #1). She starred in the Broadway musicals The King and I
(as Anna) and The Sound of Music
(as 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.
Donny returned to the pop-music scene in 1989 and had two Billboard Top-40 hits: "Soldier of Love" (#2) and "Sacred Emotion
" (#13). He performed on Broadway as Gaston in the stage production of Beauty and the Beast
, and also gave over 2,000 performances as Joseph in the touring production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
. He has hosted games shows, continues to appear on television, winning the ninth season (Fall 2009) of ABC's Dancing with the Stars
and still tours in the US and England. He currently performs dates in Las Vegas with Marie.
Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay formed a country group and returned to using the name "The Osmond Brothers." They had two Billboard Country hits in the early 1980s: "I Think About Your Lovin'" (#17) and "It's Like Fallin' in Love (Over and Over)" (#28). They had other country successes, but mostly did not tour, preferring to stay in Branson and perform. 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. Alan has multiple sclerosis, and does not perform as often today. All of the brothers are married, some with large families. Alan's eight sons started performing in the mid-1980s as "The Osmond Boys," now known as "The Osmonds--Second Generation."http://www.osmonds.com/
In 2007-2008 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 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
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 Osmond will record a television special for the British channel ITV1
. An Audience with Donny and Marie is the latest in ITV's long running An Audience with...
series and will be based on their Las Vegas stage show.
, mother of the Osmond siblings, died on May 9, 2004 at age 79. Their father, George Osmond
, died on November 6, 2007 at age 90. The couple were survived by their nine children and 55 grandchildren as well as a number of great-grandchildren; Olive by 22, George by 48. Before Mr. Osmond's death, plans were being made for him and the 120+ members of the Osmond family to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show
to celebrate the family's 50th anniversary in show business. He died just a few days prior to the show being taped. 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
as a tribute to their father. The show aired the following day, the same day as Mr. Osmond's funeral.
.
When it began as a barbershop quartet, the group consisted of brothers Alan Osmond
Alan Osmond
Alan Ralph Osmond was a member of the family musical group The Osmonds. He was the oldest of the seven siblings who could sing, as the two oldest brothers, Virl and Tom, are hearing impaired although Tom is currently under treatment. During much of the Osmonds' career, Alan was the leader of the...
, Wayne Osmond
Wayne Osmond
Melvin Wayne Osmond is the second oldest of the original Osmond Brothers singers and the fourth oldest of the nine Osmond children. He has been performing since he was six years old and made his national television debut on the Andy Williams Show with brothers, Alan, Merrill, and Jay. They...
, Merrill Osmond
Merrill Osmond
Merrill Davis Osmond is the lead singer and bassist of the 1970s music group The Osmonds. He continues to perform with his brothers and also without them as a solo act...
, and Jay Osmond. They were later joined by younger siblings Donny Osmond
Donny Osmond
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long...
and Jimmy Osmond
Jimmy Osmond
James Arthur "Jimmy" Osmond is an American singer, actor, and businessman.-Biography:Jimmy Osmond is the youngest of his siblings and an occasional member of their musical group, The Osmonds. He is the ninth and last child of George and Olive Osmond, and his siblings are Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne,...
. Their only sister Marie Osmond
Marie Osmond
Olive Marie Osmond is an American singer, actress, doll designer, and a member of the show business family The Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a solo country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s...
, who never sang with her brothers at that time, would launch a successful solo career in the '70s. Older brothers George Virl Osmond, Jr. (Virl) and Tom Osmond
Tom Osmond
Thomas Rulon Osmond is the second of the nine Osmond siblings and son of George and Olive Osmond. Tom and his older brother Virl are both hearing impaired....
were born deaf and did not originally perform, although they later made occasional appearances, most notably on the family Christmas specials from the '70s. All of the Osmonds were born in their hometown of Ogden, Utah except the youngest, Jimmy, who was born in Canoga Park, California. The group have sold 102 million records worldwide.
Early years: barbershop and variety shows
The Osmond Brothers' career began in 1958 when Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay began singing barbershop musicBarbershop music
Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era , is a style of a cappella, or unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture...
for local audiences in and around their hometown of Ogden, Utah. In their made-for-TV movie "Inside the Osmonds," the Osmonds explain that they originally performed to earn money to support Virl and Tom in buying hearing aids and serving missions for their church. Despite their young ages (in 1958 Alan was 9, Wayne 7, Merrill 5, and Jay 3), within a few years, the boys' talent and stage presence were strong enough that their father, George Osmond, took them to audition for Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
in California. Welk turned them down, but on the same trip, they visited Disneyland and were hired to perform there after joining an adult barbershop quartet for some impromptu singing.
While the Osmond Brothers were performing on a televised Disney special, Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
' father saw them and was so impressed he told his son to book them for his television show. Andy did, and the Osmond Brothers were regulars on Andy Williams' show from 1962–1969, where they earned the nickname "one-take Osmonds" because of their professionalism and tireless rehearsing. Donny soon joined them on the show, making the Osmond Brothers a 5-member group. Marie and Jimmy were also introduced on the show as the years went by. During this time, the Osmonds also toured Europe, performing with Sweden's most popular singer, Lars Lönndahl
Lars Lönndahl
Lars "Lasse" Lönndahl, born August 19, 1928, is a Swedish singer and actor, born in Stockholm. He is considered the most well-known Swedish singer of the 1950s and 1960s with nicknames including "The Swedish Frank Sinatra" and "World's Oldest Teenager"...
, and even releasing a single where they sang a swedish version of "Two dirty little hands" ("Fem smutsiga små fingrar").
The Osmond Brothers were regulars on the Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
Show in 1969, and they continued to tour and perform with Andy Williams. But soon the Osmond Brothers decided they wanted to perform popular music and shed their variety-show image. They wanted to become a rock-and-roll band. This 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. They achieved only modest success at first, but they found fame in 1971.
The Osmonds: a pop music success - 1971 - 1972
Record producer Mike CurbMike Curb
Michael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, NASCAR and IRL race car owner. A Republican, he served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 under Democratic Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr...
saw the Osmonds (no longer called "The Osmond Brothers") perform as a band and recognized that they combined a rare mix of polished performing style, instrumental skill, and vocal talent. He helped the Osmonds get a record contract with MGM, and arranged for them to record at Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio was formed in Muscle Shoals, Alabama,in 1969 when musicians Barry Beckett , Roger Hawkins , Jimmy Johnson and David Hood left FAME Studios to create their own studio...
with R&B producer Rick Hall. Under Hall's guidance, the Osmonds hit the top spot on the pop chart with "One Bad Apple
One Bad Apple
"One Bad Apple" was a #1 single released by The Osmonds in December 1970. It hit the top of Billboard's Hot 100 Chart in February 1971 and stayed there for five weeks; it also reached #6 on the R&B chart....
" (Billboard #1) in 1971. The Osmonds soon had hits with other light, R&B-style pop numbers like "Double Lovin'" (Billboard #14) and "Yo-Yo
Yo-Yo (song)
"Yo-Yo" is a song written by Joe South that had some success as a single for Billy Joe Royal in 1966, peaking at #117 on the Billboard chart. In 1971, it became a major hit for The Osmonds, with the single reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was included on the Osmonds' album Phase III....
" (Billboard #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. They included "Sweet and Innocent
Sweet and Innocent (Donny Osmond song)
"Sweet and Innocent" was a pop single released by Donny Osmond in 1971. The song, billed as his first solo single release, reached No. 7 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart in June 1971....
" (Billboard #7), "Go Away Little Girl
Go Away Little Girl
"Go Away Little Girl" is a popular song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The lyrics consist of a young man asking an attractive young woman to stay away from him, so he won't be tempted to betray his steady girlfriend by kissing her...
" (Billboard #1), "Hey Girl
Hey Girl (Freddie Scott song)
"Hey Girl" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, first recorded by Freddie Scott in 1963. It became a hit, peaking at number ten on both the Billboard Pop Singles and R&B charts. In 1966, the Righteous Brothers covered this song on their Soul & Inspiration album from Verve Records...
"/"I Knew You When" (Billboard #9), and "Puppy Love
Puppy love
Puppy love is an informal term for feelings of love or infatuation felt by young people during childhood and adolescence, so-called for its resemblance to the adoring, worshipful affection that may be felt by a puppy. 'Simple infatuation is often called a "crush" or "puppy love"...
" (Billboard #3). It was at this time, 1971 and 1972, that the Osmonds were at their peak of popularity.
After this early "bubblegum soul" phase, the Osmonds began writing their own music, and their sound moved towards rock and roll with hits like "Down by the Lazy River" (#4), "Hold Her Tight" (Billboard #14), and "Crazy Horses
Crazy Horses (song)
"Crazy Horses" is a 1972 hit by The Osmonds reaching number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. The song is claimed to be a protest about the amount of pollution created by cars. It is a heavy rock style which was a major stylistic departure from the type of music...
" (#14). The Crazy Horses album was the band's first really personal statement—the brothers have been quoted as saying that the title song refers to air pollution from cars. 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 back-up, with Jay and Donny sometimes singing lead parts.
Rock and roll and Osmondmania
With their clean-cut image, their talent, and their energetic pop-rock sound, the Osmonds toured to crowds of screaming fans in the U.S., and they even had a short-lived Saturday-morning cartoon series on ABC-TVAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
during 1972-1974. By this time the Osmonds had broken through in the UK as well: all members of the Osmond family, counting group and solo recordings, charted 13 singles on the UK charts during 1973. Some observers coined a new word, "Osmondmania," to describe the phenomenon.
But changes and challenges soon arrived. The older boys were of age to go on church missions, yet they believed they could reach more people through their music. The Osmonds viewed their music as their mission. As a part of their mission, they recorded an ambitious album in 1973 called The Plan, perhaps best described as a Mormon concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
with progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
aspirations. One reviewer suggested that The Plan carried a too-strong religious message—Mormonism is, after all, fairly conservative and not usually associated with the themes of rock and roll. He likewise suggested that the music was too varied and experimental. The album produced only two modest hits: "Let Me In" and "Goin' Home" both peaked at #36 on the Billboard 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 and "settling down."
Solo careers take off
Donny, and to a lesser extent, Marie and Jimmy, soon began to emerge as solo artists. Jimmy had hits in Japan, and in 1972 had a #1 hit in the United Kingdom with "Long Haired Lover from LiverpoolLong Haired Lover from Liverpool
"Long Haired Lover From Liverpool" is a pop song by Jimmy Osmond.Written by Christopher Kingsley and produced by Mike Curb and Perry Botkin Jr, "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" was a UK number one single for Jimmy Osmond...
." Marie hit #1 on the U.S. country charts in 1973 with "Paper Roses
Paper Roses
"Paper Roses" is a popular song written by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre which was a hit in 1960 for Anita Bryant with Monty Kelly's Orchestra and Chorus and later for Marie Osmond in 1973....
"--she was only 13 at the time. And Donny achieved near-superstar status. He had a string of pop hits in the early 1970s, including "Go Away Little Girl
Go Away Little Girl
"Go Away Little Girl" is a popular song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The lyrics consist of a young man asking an attractive young woman to stay away from him, so he won't be tempted to betray his steady girlfriend by kissing her...
" (Billboard #1), "Puppy Love
Puppy Love (song)
"Puppy Love" is a popular song written by Paul Anka in 1960 for Annette Funicello, whom he was dating at the time. Anka's version reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #33 on the UK singles chart....
" (#2), and "The Twelfth of Never
The Twelfth of Never
"The Twelfth of Never" is a popular song recorded by Johnny Mathis and later by artists including Cliff Richard and Donny Osmond. The song's title comes from the popular expression "the 12th of Never," which is used as the date of a future occurrence that will never come to pass...
" (#8). From 1971 to 1976, he had 12 top-40 hits, including 5 in the top 10.
Donny's popularity, and his numerous solo hits, have led many to assume he was the group's lead. But Merrill was the lead singer, although Donny would usually sing the chorus of the songs, therefore being a "co-lead" in the group. 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 5 technically separate artists: The Osmonds, Donny Osmond, Marie Osmond, and Jimmy Osmond—plus Donny and Marie had begun recording duets and had hits with "I'm Leaving It Up to You
I'm Leaving It Up to You
"I'm Leaving It All Up to You" is a song first put out by the Don & Dewey duo in 1957 andwritten by Dewey Terry and Donald Harris, the members of that duo. It was popularized by Dale and Grace, becoming a number-one hit for the duo in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in late...
" (Billboard #4) and "Morning Side of the Mountain
Morning Side of the Mountain
"Morning Side of the Mountain" is a song written by Larry Lawrence Stock and Dick Manning and first recorded in 1951 by Tommy Edwards. The song hit number twenty-four on the pop chart...
" (#8). Through all the stress and pressures created by these many efforts, the family hung together. "Inside the Osmonds" 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
"Love Me for a Reason" is a song 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 countries.-Original song:...
" reached #10 on the U.S. pop charts and went to #1 in the U.K. The Irish boy band Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
took the song to #2 on the U.K. charts in 1994.
Donny and Marie: the show and its challenges
By 1976, though, the group's record sales were softening, and the Osmonds poured themselves into a new venture: The older brothers began producing The Donny & Marie ShowDonny & Marie (1976 TV series)
Donny & Marie was an American variety show which aired on ABC from January 1976 to January 1979. The show stars brother and sister pop duo Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond...
, which was a hit on ABC from 1976-1979. But the success came at a cost. The family built and operated, at great expense, a first-class television studio in Orem, Utah, where the show was produced. As a result, the Osmonds as a performing band became a third or fourth priority to the careers of Donny and Marie, the success of the show, and the operation of the family studio. The older brothers deferred or gave up their dreams of being a rock-and-roll band. Donny experienced stage anxiety, a type of social phobia, and Marie had a brief bout with an eating disorder after a network executive told her she looked heavy. When the show was canceled, the Osmonds found themselves in debt and without a clear direction.
They recovered and eventually paid their debts and re-established their careers. But the various Osmond artists and enterprises began to operate separately.
After The Donny and Marie show
Jimmy worked as a businessman and manager. He eventually moved to BransonBranson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
, Missouri, and opened the Osmond Family Theater, where he and his brothers performed until 2002. They now appear in Branson during the Christmas season.
Marie recorded a number of 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
"Meet Me in Montana" is a country music song recorded and made popular by Dan Seals and Marie Osmond. The song was the lead-off single to his 1985 album Won't Be Blue Anymore, and the second single from Marie Osmond's 1985 album There's No Stopping Your Heart."Meet Me in Montana" reached No. 1 on...
" with Dan Seals
Dan Seals
Danny Wayland "Dan" Seals was an American musician. The younger brother of Seals & Crofts member Jim Seals, he first gained fame as the "England Dan" half of the soft rock duo England Dan and John Ford Coley, which charted nine pop and adult contemporary singles between 1976 and 1980, including...
(country #1). She starred in the Broadway musicals The King and I
The King and I
The King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...
(as Anna) and The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
(as 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
Donny & Marie (1998 TV series)
Donny & Marie was an American talk show hosted by Donny and Marie Osmond, that aired in syndication from September 1998 to May 2000. The show had a "house band", featuring Jerry Williams , Kat Dyson , Paul Peterson , and Nick Vincent . The show aired from 1998 to 2000.-External links:*...
, a talk/entertainment show that lasted two seasons.
Donny returned to the pop-music scene in 1989 and had two Billboard Top-40 hits: "Soldier of Love" (#2) and "Sacred Emotion
Sacred Emotion
Sacred Emotion is a pop ballad performed by Donny Osmond. The song was the second single released from the February 1989 album Donny Osmond. It reached #4 in Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart and #13 in The Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1989....
" (#13). He performed on Broadway as Gaston in the stage production of Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (musical)
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
, 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
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
. He has hosted games shows, continues to appear on television, winning the ninth season (Fall 2009) of ABC's Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
and still tours in the US and England. He currently performs dates in Las Vegas with Marie.
Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay formed a country group and returned to using the name "The Osmond Brothers." They had two Billboard Country hits in the early 1980s: "I Think About Your Lovin'" (#17) and "It's Like Fallin' in Love (Over and Over)" (#28). They had other country successes, but mostly did not tour, preferring to stay in Branson and perform. 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. Alan has multiple sclerosis, and does not perform as often today. All of the brothers are married, some with large families. Alan's eight sons started performing in the mid-1980s as "The Osmond Boys," now known as "The Osmonds--Second Generation."http://www.osmonds.com/
In 2007-2008 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 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
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
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 Osmond will record a television special for the British channel ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
. An Audience with Donny and Marie is the latest in ITV's long running An Audience with...
An Audience with...
An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by ITV Studios, in which a host, usually a singer or comedian, performs for an invited audience of celebrity guests, interspersed with questions from the audience, in a light hearted revue/tribute style.The show began as An...
series and will be based on their Las Vegas stage show.
Olive and George Osmond (aka Mother and Father Osmond)
Olive OsmondOlive Osmond
Olive May Osmond was the matriarch of the American Osmond singing family, and mother of entertainers Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond....
, mother of the Osmond siblings, died on May 9, 2004 at age 79. Their father, George Osmond
George Osmond
George Virl Osmond was the patriarch of the Osmond family.George Virl Osmond was born in Etna, Wyoming, the son of Agnes Laverna and Rulon Osmond. Rulon died at age 24 on November 24, 1917 shortly after George was born...
, died on November 6, 2007 at age 90. The couple were survived by their nine children and 55 grandchildren as well as a number of great-grandchildren; Olive by 22, George by 48. Before Mr. Osmond's death, plans were being made for him and the 120+ members of the Osmond family to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
to celebrate the family's 50th anniversary in show business. He died just a few days prior to the show being taped. 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 Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
as a tribute to their father. The show aired the following day, the same day as Mr. Osmond's funeral.
Hollywood Walk Of Fame
In 2003, the Osmond Family were honored for their achievements in the entertainment industry with a star on the Hollywood Walk of FameHollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
.
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Country | CAN | ||
| 1962 | Songs We Sang on The Andy Williams Show
|
— | — | — |
| 1962 | We Sing You A Merry Christmas
|
— | — | — |
| 1963 | Preview: The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters
|
— | — | — |
| 1964 | The New Sound of The Osmond Brothers Singing More Songs They Sang on The Andy Williams Show |
— | — | — |
| 1970 | Hello! The Osmond Brothers
|
— | — | — |
| Osmonds
|
14 | — | 34 | |
| 1971 | Homemade
|
22 | — | 27 |
| Phase III
|
10 | — | 6 | |
| 1972 | The Osmonds Live
|
13 | — | 8 |
| Crazy Horses
|
14 | — | 10 | |
| 1973 | The Plan
|
58 | — | 20 |
| 1974 | Love Me for a Reason
|
47 | — | 29 |
| 1975 | The Proud One
|
160 | — | 89 |
| Around the World: Live in Concert
|
148 | — | — | |
| 1976 | Brainstorm
|
145 | — | — |
| The Osmonds Christmas Album
|
127 | — | — | |
| 1977 | The Osmonds Greatest Hits
|
192 | — | — |
| 1979 | Steppin' Out
|
— | — | — |
| 1982 | The Osmond Brothers
|
— | 54 | — |
| 1984 | One Way Rider
|
— | 57 | — |
| 2000 | The All-Time Greatest Hits of the Osmond Family (Box Set)
|
--- | --- | --- |
| 2008 | 50th Anniversary Reunion Concert
|
177 | — | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
CAN | CAN AC | UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 1971 | "One Bad Apple One Bad Apple "One Bad Apple" was a #1 single released by The Osmonds in December 1970. It hit the top of Billboard's Hot 100 Chart in February 1971 and stayed there for five weeks; it also reached #6 on the R&B chart.... " |
1 | 37 | — | 1 | — | — | Osmonds |
| "Double Lovin'" | 14 | — | — | 9 | — | — | Homemade | |
| "Yo-Yo Yo-Yo (song) "Yo-Yo" is a song written by Joe South that had some success as a single for Billy Joe Royal in 1966, peaking at #117 on the Billboard chart. In 1971, it became a major hit for The Osmonds, with the single reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was included on the Osmonds' album Phase III.... " |
3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | Phase III | |
| 1972 | "Down by the Lazy River" | 4 | — | — | 1 | — | 40 | |
| "Hold Her Tight" | 14 | — | — | 6 | — | — | Crazy Horses | |
| "We Can Make it Together" (w/ Steve and Eydie Steve and Eydie Steve and Eydie is the name of an American pop vocal duet, consisting of Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé. They have been a husband and wife team since they wed in 1957. Both have also had separate careers as solo singers. The performer name on their duet releases was denoted as "Steve and Eydie",... ) |
68 | 7 | — | — | — | — | single only | |
| "Crazy Horses Crazy Horses (song) "Crazy Horses" is a 1972 hit by The Osmonds reaching number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. The song is claimed to be a protest about the amount of pollution created by cars. It is a heavy rock style which was a major stylistic departure from the type of music... " |
14 | — | — | 12 | — | 2 | Crazy Horses | |
| 1973 | "Goin' Home" | 36 | — | — | 30 | 91 | 4 | The Plan |
| "Let Me In" | 36 | 4 | — | 15 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1974 | "I Can't Stop" | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | Love Me for a Reason |
| "Love Me for a Reason Love Me for a Reason "Love Me for a Reason" is a song 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 countries.-Original song:... " |
10 | 2 | — | 18 | 5 | 1 | ||
| 1975 | "Having a Party" | — | — | — | — | — | 28 | |
| "The Proud One The Proud One "The Proud One" is a 1975 single written by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe and performed by The Osmonds. The single was the group's final entry in the US Top 40, peaking at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It was their only number one on the Easy Listening chart where it spent one week... " |
22 | 1 | — | 25 | 4 | 5 | The Proud One | |
| "I'm Still Gonna Need You" | — | 38 | — | — | — | 32 | ||
| 1976 | "I Can't Live a Dream" | 46 | 38 | — | 70 | 35 | 37 | Brainstorm |
| "Back on the Road Again" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982 | "I Think About Your Lovin'" | — | — | 17 | — | — | — | The Osmond Brothers |
| "It's Like Falling in Love (Over and Over)" | — | — | 28 | — | — | — | ||
| "Never Ending Song of Love" | — | — | 43 | — | — | — | ||
| 1983 | "She's Ready for Someone to Love Her" | — | — | 67 | — | — | — | One Way Rider |
| 1984 | "Where Does an Angel Go When She Cries" | — | — | 43 | — | — | — | |
| "One Way Rider" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "If Every Man Had a Woman Like You" | — | — | 39 | — | — | — | singles only | |
| 1985 | "Anytime Anytime (1921 song) "Anytime" is a popular song written by Herbert "Happy" Lawson. The song was published in 1939.The song is best known in a 1952 recording by Eddie Fisher... " |
— | — | 54 | — | — | — | |
| "Baby, When Your Heart Breaks Down" | — | — | 56 | — | — | — | ||
| 1986 | "Baby Wants" | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | |
| "You Look Like the One I Love" | — | — | 69 | — | — | — | ||
| "Looking for Suzanne" | — | — | 70 | — | — | — | ||
| 1987 | "Slow Ride" | — | — | — | — | 27 | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||
External links
- www.osmond.com Official Web site
- Behind the Teeth: Know Your Osmond at Confessions of a Pop Culture Addict
- The Osmonds Biography on YouTube