In the entertainment industry, people are constantly performing their lives for an audience. Things can become even more complicated when an entire family is in the public eye. Nobody could have suspected picture-perfect Osmond siblings were living in a world of darkness behind closed doors. Now, the youngest Osmond brother is revealing that each day as a member of the superstar troupe was a struggle that the world never got a chance to see.
Untapped Potential
The 1970s might have just been another decade for some, but for the Osmonds, it was a turning point. Brothers Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, and Donny were foraying into pop stardom. But there was some real untapped potential in the youngest brother, Jimmy…
Young Star
Marie Osmond wouldn’t become a celebrity until later. For the time being, Jimmy was thrust into the limelight alongside his brothers. Jimmy was the youngest in the family so far. His earliest memories were those of touring and recording. As the years passed, Jimmy did his best to prove that he was just as talented as his siblings, if not more.
Gifted Boy
Jimmy’s parents, George and Olive, saw their son had a gift. He was only ten years old, but Jimmy knew how to entertain and act like a professional. After all, he had been raised in the industry. Showbusiness was the only life he had ever known.
Going Solo
Jimmy’s parents encouraged him to keep performing and even scheduled a few guest appearances with his older siblings. That’s when George and Olive had an idea: instead of adding to the original group, what if Jimmy had his own solo career?
Popular Overseas
For some reason, the first songs Jimmy produced were designed to target foreign markets. At the age of five, Jimmy earned his first gold record for singing “My Little Darling” in Japanese. Even though this was quite impressive for a young boy, his biggest accomplishment occurred on another continent.
Risking it All
Jimmy ended up taking a chance, singing the provocatively-titled “Long Haired Lover from Liverpool” at the age of nine. Luckily, Great Britain loved his rendition of the song, shooting the song up in the charts to #1. Jimmy was only nine when he became the youngest artist in history to reach the top of the UK charts…
Something Was Missing
Soon, Jimmy became a true star. He began touring all over the globe, even getting a chance to meet his idol, Elvis Presley. However, even though Jimmy was living a life of luxury before he was old enough to sit in the front seat of a car, he felt empty inside.
Real Childhood
It later occurred to Jimmy that his professional career had hindered his ability to have a real childhood. “The home I grew up in was a string of hotel rooms across the world,” he said. “I don’t remember my first home.”
Was This What He Wanted?
Jimmy’s career was rapidly on an upswing; he had no time to reflect. Touring and recording for both his solo career and with his siblings was using up all the reserves of Jimmy’s time and energy. As Jimmy entered his teenage years, he started to question everything.
Trying Something New
Would it be possible for Jimmy to branch out from music and find his own identity? Inspired to try something new, Jimmy landed the lead in The Great Brain, a 1978 children’s movie, for which he also performed original music. However, it wasn’t the instant hit he was hoping it would be…
Slowly Fading
Even though Jimmy’s career started off hot, he slowly saw it petering. His older siblings were focused on their group dynamic and his younger brother and sister were each launching their own careers as solo performers. Donny and Marie soon eclipsed Jimmy in success.
Donny & Marie
Not long afterward, a TV variety show produced by the older Osmond brothers began airing. It was called Donny & Marie. Although the Osmonds were famous before, nothing compared to the attention Donny and Marie were receiving as A-list celebrities.
Burned Out
Meanwhile, Jimmy found his fame dwindling. He had six gold records under his belt, but the contract he had signed as a young child barely left him any money. Just as he reached a crossroads in his career, Donny and Marie began to grow distant.
Deep Dive
As Jimmy’s success faltered, he decided to dive headfirst into the business side of things. Jimmy Osmond soon became a successful producer. He made millions selling Osmond merchandise, producing TV shows and even helping to pioneer Disney on Ice.
Missing the Spotlight
Even with Jimmy’s monetary success, he missed performing. As he entered middle age, Jimmy worked more closely with his family, but he could never match his brother Donny. Still, Jimmy soon realized that fame and fortune were less important than finding someone who makes you happy.
Loving Connection
Even though Jimmy had more than enough fans, he didn’t find true love until he met a woman named Michelle Larson. Jimmy married her in 1992 and together, they had four children. Even though Jimmy had a family of his own, he still found himself missing the glory days as an Osmond brother…
He Didn’t Know What Was Coming
As the years passed, the Osmonds grew apart. Even though they were once the closest family in showbusiness, the distance had become irreconcilable. Jimmy barely spoke to his siblings anymore of his own volition. Then, he came close to never hearing their voices again.
Tragedy Strikes
In 2018, Jimmy joined a British production of Peter Pan as Captain Hook. The tour got off to a good start… until Jimmy suffered a stroke mid-show.
Come Together
The 55-year-old Jimmy survived, but he soon vanished from the spotlight. Even though Jimmy was seemingly gone from the public eye, the incident caused his siblings to reunite for the first time.
The Osmond Sister
Jimmy tried to avoid discussing his health. He knew the other members of his family were dealing with their own battles. For instance, his sister Marie at first seemed invincible when she signed a record deal with MGM. Marie set herself apart from the crowd with a unique country sound. Unfortunately, Marie’s rise to success soon took a nosedive…
Paper Roses
Marie skyrocketed to the top of the country charts with her 1973 debut single “Paper Roses.” She then came out with “In My Little Corner of the World,” which also made the Top 40 charts on Billboard.
Solo Performers
However, as Marie rose to fame, her siblings started to lose steam. Record sales had all but come to a halt in the mid-1970s, and the brothers took off on their own paths, trying new solo projects. One Osmond brother saw more success than the others…
Teen Idol
Donny appeared to benefit the most from the group’s dissemination. He soon established himself as a teen idol and hits began topping the charts. With Donny and Marie taking the music industry by storm, fans made it clear they wanted the siblings to join forces.
Wish Granted
In 1974, the audience got their wish. “I’m Leaving It All Up To You” and “Morning Side of the Mountain” were released as duets together. Both reached Top 10 on the charts, which made it evident that Donny and Marie were the perfect pairing.
The Show
Trailing on the coattails of their joint success, Donny and Marie soon dove into the entertainment industry together, hosting their own Variety show called Donny & Marie. The risk paid off and Donny & Marie was picked up mid-season by ABC. Soon, it became one of the most popular TV programs from 1976 to 1978.
Everything That Glitters Isn’t Gold
While life seemed perfect on the surface for Marie Osmond, things weren’t always as they appeared. Despite her happy-go-lucky personality and sparkling eyes, something terrible was happening to Marie Osmond behind the scenes.
The Truth Is Out
Though the rumor mill had been churning for years, Marie herself only confirmed their veracity herself during an interview with Dr. Oz in 2018. According to Marie, her seemingly idyllic life as a pop star was secretly haunted by regular sexual abuse.
Terrible Crimes
Marie’s abusers have long since died, but she refused to name names regardless. Marie said she was victimized by “people with very temporary access to my life, people I didn’t know well.” She also alleged they not only invaded her privacy but even stole earnings from her.
Tight Lips
When Marie was questioned as to why she stayed silent on the matter for so many years, she explained that abuse in the entertainment industry wasn’t discussed at the time. But Marie had even more of a reason: she wanted to protect her family from scrutiny.
Keeping it Inside
Marie’s abusers were supposedly very well-connected in the industry. She was worried that if she were to report the abuse, it could cost her whole family their hard-earned careers. So, in an effort to hide her secret from the world, Marie vowed to keep her trauma inside. But she had no idea the toll it would take on her health…
Not Doing Well
Soon, Marie began to publicly struggle with her weight. Many believed that the stress of being a celebrity had gotten to her. Marie, however, revealed the truth: her weight gain wasn’t a result of superstardom, but it was due to the abuse she was enduring.
All She Could Do
“For me, I think part of my weight issue was that I didn’t want to be pretty,” she said. “It was almost like a defense.” Marie subconsciously believed that gaining weight would disincline her abusers from pursuing her.
Public Eye
Unfortunately, the weight became a problem for her career. Marie was under constant scrutiny in her professional life. She spent nearly every day in front of a camera, and producers behaved mercilessly, critiquing her appearance beyond the point of reason.
Abusive Language
Marie said producers used to take her into the parking lot when she was 103 pounds and say that she was “obese, disgusting, and a disgrace to [her] family.” She recalled they told her that she “needed to keep food out of [her] fat face.”
Traumatized
The producers’ cruel comments, much like the sexual abuse she had endured, destroyed Marie’s confidence and made her fear for her family’s success. She felt that if she didn’t lose weight, Donny & Marie would collapse, and hundreds of people would lose their jobs.
Overcoming Her Inner Demons
It took years, but Marie was finally able to overcome her battles with weight, eventually becoming a spokeswoman for Nutrisystem weight-loss program. With the truth out in the open, Marie was free to focus on her career with her brother, Donny.
Not Forever
Since 2008, Donny and Marie have been performing a live version of their variety show at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. The show won the “Best Show” award in 2012. However, the show might not be lasting much longer…
Wild Ride
Unfortunately, health issues began taking their toll on Donny. It turned out that working nearly all day every day for years on end was catching up t him. While they were growing up, Donny and Marie worked what was essentially the opposite of a 9 to 5 job…
Crazy Days
The pair worked an incredibly intense schedule, often including 20-hour days during which the sibling duo learned scripts, songs, and dance routines. They were taught never to let their exhaustion show.
Guest Stars
Donny & Marie built its reputation on bringing exciting guest stars to the show, which the viewers ate up. The teenage hosts, however, had a much different experience.
What Happens in Vegas…
They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. For Donny and Marie, this is certainly the case. They began performing their Vegas show in the year 2008 and have yet to stop! The performance is 90 minutes long and full of classic hits and wild dance movies. Megafans are even able to meet Donny and Marie after the show.
Uncle Donny
Donny commonly goes by “Uncle Donny” during his show in Las Vegas. Whenever Donnie has guests, he takes them all to the Bellagio bridge to see the Donny & Marie ad projected onto the Flamingo. The projection itself is so large that Donny’s eye alone measures 6 feet tall and 10 feet wide!
This is It
In the ’80s, the Osmond siblings went through a brief period where they split off and tried out solo careers. However, Donny and Marie missed working together so much that they decided to get back together. When Donny found the Flamingo, he called his sister and told her, “This is it.”
Purple Sock Obsession
Nobody could figure out why, but Donny Osmond was always wearing purple socks. After years of speculation, Donny finally revealed that colored socks were part of his mother’s system to figure out whose socks belonged to who. Each Osmond sibling had their own color, and Donny’s was purple.
Hard Life
Marie had two children of her own and adopted five others. Sadly, in 2010, one of her sons committed suicide. Marie had a difficult time coping, but she found a strong support system within her children. When her daughter Jessica made an announcement, Marie was determined to be there for her in the same way…
Happy Family
Jessica came out as gay when she was 17 years old. Marie admitted in an interview with Diane Sawyer that when her daughter came out, she cried, terrified about the judgment of others. As time went on, Marie publicly expressed support for her daughter and her daughter’s partner, with whom she had been living. The two were married in 2019.
Pet Peeve
Apparently, it drives Donnie nuts when people spell his name with an “ie” instead of a “y” at the end. In fact, the Flamingo crew thought it would be hilarious to prank the star by spelling his name wrong on the dressing room door. Even though he surely didn’t appreciate it, he let the incident slide.
Healthy Again
Marie had a history of heart disease in her family, which killed both her mother and her sister. Between her time on Dancing with the Stars and the Flamingo Las Vegas Show, Marie managed to lose 47 pounds. Marie had a wakeup call about taking care of herself when her son said, “Mom, you’re all we have.” Sometimes the truth is hard, but it’s also necessary.
Tech Savvy
It turns out that Donny is more than just a performer. He’s also a total tech fanatic! Donny designed the video control room at the Flamingo in Las Vegas. He also designed some of the other audio and computer systems used backstage. “It’s my little world in here,” he said. He even put together some video montages that were used in the Las Vegas show.
Charitable Family
The Osmonds don’t keep all their wealth to themsleves. The family is devoutly Mormon and donate 10% of all their earnings to the church. Donny and Marie also work with other charities: Marie works with the Children’s Network Miracle and Donny runs the Osmond Foundation for the Children of the World.
Barbie World
When Donny and Marie hosted their popular television program in the 1970s, they were turned into Barbie Dolls! Donny has also been drawn as a cartoon character on at least two occasions, the first of which was in Rankin-Bass’ Saturday moring series The Osmonds and later as a recurring character on the show Johnny Bravo.
Bigger the Bettter
After a decades-long hiatus from performing side by side, Donny and Marie announced they would be reuniting in 2008 for a 6-month Las Vegas run. The catch? Marie only agreed to the gig if she got a larger dressing room than her brother. “Hey, I have more children, and I live here. I need the space,” she said, jokingly adding, “But George Wallace’s is bigger than mine.”
Like Life
Even if the show comes to an end, Donny and Marie will live on forever through the medium of wax. Madame Tussauds unveiled their wax figures inside the duo’s showroom at the Flamingo. “It’s amazing how real they look… I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have sister,” said Marie, to which her brother replied, “I have one sister and one is enough!”
Keeping Things Separate
You might think these two have gotten sick of one another since the beginning of their career in the 1970s, but they have a secret recipe to keeping things from boiling over. Donny says the secret is “not hanging out together all the time and having our own separate careers.”
Favorite Tunes
Both Donny and Marie have a favorite song to perform. Donny’s is “Moon River”, and the one Marie most looks forward to and challenges her every night is “Nessun Dorma”.
Confession
Even though their dressing rooms are right beside one another, Donny and Marie actually don’t see much of one another until it’s time to perform. After the end of their sets, Donny has one thing on his mind: “When I have time off, and I’m not doing anything, I’d rather go home and see my wife and kids.”
Whoops!
Donny says his most embarrassing moment was during Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat during which his loincloth came off in Salt Lake City, Utah. He said he grabbed a basket and covered himself, but the ensemble and cast were chasing him around and pulled it back off!
It’s A Man’s World
Marie had the unique experience of being the only girl in a family with 9 children. Having eight brothers has forced her to become quite the jokester. She once said, “My mom said to me, ‘You’re Marie Osmond: Your M.O. is to keep [the Osmond brothers] all humble.”
Inevitable
In the early 1980s, Donny and Marie split and decided to re-establish their careers as individual artists. “We always knew that we’d come back together again,” Donny said.
Happy Siblings
Marie and Donny are inseparable. In fact, Marie says that Donny is her favorite person to be on stage besides. “Of all the performers I’ve shared a stage with in my career, Donny has proved to be the most all-around gifted entertainer,” she said.