Alan Osmond | |
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Born | Alan Ralph Osmond June 22, 1949 Ogden, Utah, U.S. |
Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, producer |
Years active | 1962–2019 [1] |
Known for | Eldest brother of the performing Osmonds |
Spouse | Suzanne Pinegar (m. 1974) |
Children | 8 |
Parent(s) | Olive Osmond (mother) George Osmond (father) |
Alan Ralph Osmond (born June 22, 1949) is an American former singer and musician. He is best known for being a member of the family musical group The Osmonds. At the time, Alan (age 12) and his brothers were performing as the Osmond Brothers Boys' Quartet.
Osmond was born in Ogden, Utah, the son of Olive May (née Davis; 1925–2004) and George Virl Osmond (1917–2007). He was the oldest of the seven siblings who could sing, as the two oldest brothers, Virl and Tom, are hearing impaired.
Starting in 1958, Alan and three of his younger brothers (Wayne, Merrill, and Jay in their respective age orders) began singing as a barbershop quartet. In 1961, the group headed to Los Angeles to audition for The Lawrence Welk Show only for host Lawrence Welk to refuse to hear them sing; they met the Lennon Sisters at this audition, who directed them to Disneyland, where they found paying work as performers. [2] It was at Disnelyand that Jay Emerson Williams, Andy Williams's father, discovered the group. In 1962, the four Osmonds were cast over a seven-year period on NBC's The Andy Williams Show , a musical variety program They also appeared in nine episodes of the 1963–1964 ABC western television series, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters , with Alan in the role of young Micah Kissel. [3]
During much of the Osmonds' career, Alan, being the oldest of the group, was the band's creative leader, playing piano and guitar, co-writing many of their songs with Merrill, [2] co-producing most of their recordings and arranging the dance choreography (he nevertheless seldom sang anything more than backing vocals, in contrast to his younger brothers). [4]
He mostly stopped performing with the group after 2007, and what he has professed to be his final performance with them was October 13, 2018, at Neal Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, [5] although, Alan did appear for a get-together with Jay, Wayne and Merrill in 2019, as per request for their sister Marie Osmond's 60th birthday. He was still writing songs at the time of his last performances, including a composition to celebrate the centennial anniversary of Orem, Utah. [2]
After a brief courtship with singer Karen Carpenter, [6] Osmond married Suzanne Pinegar on July 16, 1974. He and Suzanne have eight sons, who perform as the Osmond Brothers Second Generation: Michael Alan (born 1975); Nathan George Osmond (born 1977); Douglas Kenneth Osmond (born 1978); David Levi Osmond (born 1979); Scott Merrill Osmond (born 1981); Jonathon Pinegar "Jon" Osmond (born 1983); Alexander Thomas "Alex" Osmond (born 1988); and Tyler James Osmond (born 1990). Alan, like all the Osmonds, is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; seven of his sons have served LDS missions, [7] while the youngest son Tyler did not serve.[ citation needed ]
In 1980, Alan Osmond, along with his brother Merrill Osmond, created Stadium of Fire, which has become one of the largest Independence Day celebrations in the United States. [7]
Alan enlisted in the California Army National Guard in the late 1960s. He served at Fort Ord in northern California as a 144th artillery unit clerk.
His son, David Osmond, lead singer of the group Osmonds 2nd Generation, participated in the eighth season of American Idol on January 28, 2009, with a pass to Hollywood. [8] However, due to laryngitis, he was not able to make it past Hollywood week. David also substitutes for his uncle Donny in stage shows with his aunt Marie, and his song "We Are One" was used as the theme song to the Glenn Beck Radio Program from 2016 to 2017; he also hosted a brief revival of Wonderama in 2017. Since 2021, David Osmond has been a host of KUTV's lifestyle/infotainment program Fresh Living. [9]
Another one of Alan's sons, Nathan Osmond, found success as an independent country musician. [10] Osmond had initially warned his children against following him into the entertainment business because of the touring commitments but later relented, stating his pride in his children following in the Osmond family tradition. [7]
In September 2024, Osmond released his autobiography, One Way Ticket. [7]
In 1987, Osmond was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis. [11] His son David also has the disease, and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005; [12] David's case has, to date, been less severe than his father's. [7] Osmond has credited his faith, and belief in the preexistence of the soul, for giving him hope and optimism for the future in the face of his condition. [7]
In November 2021, Alan and Suzanne Osmond were honored as Pillars of Utah Valley. In 2000, Alan Osmond received the Dorothy Corwin Spirit of Life Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In his acceptance speech, he stated that he had done some time in the military reserve and that he had taken karate lessons from Chuck Norris, both of which reinforced the "you can do it" attitude that he learned from his father. His motto is, "I may have MS, but MS does NOT have me!" He currently runs the OneHeart Foundation which Alan and his wife founded, and also works as a motivational speaker. [13]
Olive May Osmond was the matriarch of the American Osmond singing family.
Donald Clark Osmond is an American singer, dancer, actor, television host and former teen idol. He first gained fame performing with four of his elder brothers as the Osmonds, earning several top ten hits and gold albums. In the early 1970s, Osmond began a solo career, earning several additional top ten songs.
Olive Marie Osmond is an American singer, actress, television personality, author, and businesswoman. She is known for her girl-next-door image and her decades-long career in many different areas. Her musical career, primarily focused on country music, included a large number of chart singles with four reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Her 1973 cover of "Paper Roses," released when she was 14, made her the youngest female act with a number-one country single. Between 1985 and 1986, she also had number-one country singles with "Meet Me in Montana," "There's No Stopping Your Heart,", and "You're Still New to Me." As a television personality, she has been a host of Donny & Marie and on The Talk. Her acting career includes appearances in television films and Broadway musicals; she has also written several books and helped found the Children's Miracle Network.
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 and a quintet. The group has consisted of siblings who are all members of a family of musicians from Ogden, Utah, and have been in the public eye since the 1960s.
James Arthur Osmond is an American singer and businessman. He is the youngest member of the sibling musical group the Osmonds. As a solo artist, Osmond has accumulated six gold records, one platinum record, and two gold albums.
Jay Wesley Osmond is an American musician. He is a member of the Osmond family of performers. He wrote the story to the 2022 musical The Osmonds, a musical based on the life and music of the family. The musical was shown around the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2022, after being previously postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Melvin Wayne Osmond is a retired American musician. He is the second oldest of the original Osmond Brothers singers and the fourth oldest of the nine Osmond children.
Leigh Adrian Harline was an American film composer and songwriter. He was known for his "musical sophistication that was uniquely 'Harline-esque' by weaving rich tapestries of mood-setting underscores and penning memorable melodies for animated shorts and features."
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters is an American Western television series based on Robert Lewis Taylor's 1958 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, and starring Kurt Russell, Dan O'Herlihy and Charles Bronson. The series aired on ABC for one season, 1963–64, and was produced by MGM Television.
Merrill Davis Osmond is an American musician. He is best known for being the lead vocalist and bassist of the family music group The Osmonds and The Osmond Brothers, as well as an occasional solo artist.
"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. 6 on the R&B chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 4 song for 1971. Both "One Bad Apple" and the Donny Osmond-credited single "Sweet and Innocent" are on the 1970 album Osmonds. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on February 4, 1971.
George Virl Osmond Sr. was the patriarch of the singing Osmond family.
"Crazy Horses" is a song by the Osmonds, the title track from the album of the same name. It was released as the album's second single and reached number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The song is the only hit record from the Osmonds to feature Jay Osmond as lead vocalist. It has since been covered by numerous other performers.
Thomas Rulon Osmond is a member of the Osmond family, though he rarely performs with his musical family.
Osmond is a surname of English origin. It is derived from Anglo-Saxon or Norman, itself from Old Norse Osmundr ; Osmund, a variant form of Old Norse Ásmundr.
Crazy Horses is the fourth studio album by the American singing group The Osmonds, released in 1972. It entered the Billboard Top LPs chart on October 14, where it reached number 14 on December 23, 1972. Two singles were released in support of the album, "Hold Her Tight" and "Crazy Horses", both of which reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 24, 1973.
"Let Me In" is a song written by Alan Osmond, Merrill Osmond, and Wayne Osmond and performed by The Osmonds. It was featured on their 1973 album, The Plan. The song was produced by Alan Osmond.
The Plan is the fifth studio album by The Osmonds, released in 1973. The album contains songs that are about the Mormon faith; its name derives from the Plan of Salvation, a key tenet of the Mormon faith. It reached number 58 on the Billboard Top LPs chart. Two of the album's singles, "Goin' Home" and "Let Me In", both peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's third single, "Movie Man", did not chart.
Side by Side: The True Story of the Osmond Family is a 1982 American made-for-television biographical film about the earlier years of the famed entertainment family, starring Marie Osmond as matriarch Olive Osmond, and Joseph Bottoms as patriarch George Osmond. This film was released on VHS tape in 1998 but has never had an official DVD issue.