Osmonds

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The Osmonds are an American family pop group who achieved enormous worldwide success as teenybopper idols in the 1970s.

The group originally comprised brothers Alan Ralph Osmond (born June 22, 1949), Melvin Wayne Osmond (known as Wayne Osmond) (born August 28, 1951), Merrill Davis Osmond (born April 30, 1953), and Jay Wesley Osmond (born March 2, 1955).

The Osmonds’ career started with a big break at Disneyland, followed quickly by regular appearances on The Andy Williams Show in the early 1960s. In the mid-60s they performed with Sweden’s most popular singer Lars Lönndahl, and gained a lot of popularity in Sweden. However, their most successful period was the early 1970s, when they achieved a string of chart hits.

They were joined for a time by younger brothers Donny Osmond (born December 9, 1957) and subsequently ‘Little’ Jimmy Osmond (born April 16, 1963). They had a self-titled Rankin/Bass-produced Saturday morning cartoon series on ABC-TV from 1972 to 1973. Donny, and to a lesser extent Jimmy, both achieved success as solo artists, as did their one sister, (Olive) Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959). Marie’s signature hit was the country song “Paper Roses” (hence the recurring theme on their variety show where Marie sang, “I’m a little bit country,” and Donny responded by singing “and I’m a little bit rock and roll”). Jimmy achieved particular success in the UK and Japan (most notably for his single “I’m a Long-Haired Lover from Liverpool”), while Donny and Marie’s success was nearly worldwide. Donny and Marie also performed as a duo, and hosted their own variety show, Donny & Marie, on ABC from 1976 to 1979.

The family members are well-known as devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Osmonds are of English descent on both their paternal and maternal sides

The Osmonds’ breakthrough US hit, “One Bad Apple”, featuring lead vocals by Merrill and Donny, bore an uncanny similarity to the ‘bubblegum soul’ sound of their contemporaries, The Jackson 5. The song spent five weeks at No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1971, and even hit #6 on the R&B chart. The single and the accompanying debut album (also called “One Bad Apple”) were recorded at Muscle Shoals by the legendary R&B producer Rick Hall.

The follow-up to “One Bad Apple”, “Double Lovin’” stalled at #14, but the mildly psychedelic “Yo-Yo” climbed all the way to #3 in late 1971. “Yo-Yo” marks the point where the brothers began recording as a self-contained rock and roll band (instead of relying on session musicians.) In spite of their squeaky clean image, the Osmonds had a soulful, sometimes raucous sound which was a precursor of the power pop of later years. (For a time in the mid-1970s, they were the one of the few rock acts on TV, since the entire Osmond family appeared on a variety show which was mostly devoted to Donny and Marie, but where the Brothers were given a segment or two each week to rock out.)

Their first single release of 1972, “Down By The Lazy River”, headed to #4 and finally broke the group in the UK, where it peaked at #40. Their British fanbase exploded overnight. All members of the Osmond family, counting group and solo recordings, charted an astonishing thirteen singles in the UK charts during 1973.

 

 

The front and back covers of their 1972 LP

Their 1972 LP Crazy Horses and its title track were met with mixed critical reaction. The album attempted a more rock-oriented sound and image, its lead track, “Hold Her Tight” bearing a marked similarity to Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song with its churning bass line and wailing guitar breaks. The album, however, was a real testament to the brother’s ability to write and play (they played all the instruments on the album) and featured some serious songwriting, singing and playing chops.

Following quickly on its heels was the ambitious 1973 release, The Plan, perhaps best described as a Mormon concept album with prog rock aspirations. These albums were followed with gentler, more sentimental songs such as “Let Me In” and “Love Me For A Reason”. This music, combined with the brothers’ good looks and clean image, greatly appealed to the teenybopper market. Like the word ‘Beatlemania’, a new word, ‘Osmania’, was coined to describe the phenomenon.

The Osmonds today

Wayne, Jay, and Merrill continue to perform as The Osmond Brothers, with frequent appearances in Branson, Missouri, as well as the UK, both as a quartet with Jimmy. Merrill also performs as a solo artist. Alan no longer performs except on very rare occasions, as he suffers from multiple sclerosis (although his typically positive Osmond motto is ‘I may have MS… but, MS does not have me!’). Today, their sound is more country & western, with a bit of rock, and adult contemporary thrown in.

Jimmy performs in Branson and the UK, as well, and has become a successful businessman. He recently appeared in the UK series I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.

Marie has been a radio host and makes and sells dolls.

Donny maintains a successful touring and recording pop career in the UK, and occasionally the US. He was a theatrical hit, starring for a time in the lead role of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

All of the brothers are married with some of them having large families themselves. Alan’s eight sons sometimes perform as “The Osmonds – Second Generation” or “2ndG”. Due to a resurgence of interest, they are to tour the UK in February and March of 2006.