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Alan Osmond | |
|---|---|
 Osmond in 1971 | |
| Born | Alan Ralph Osmond June 22, 1949 Ogden, Utah, U.S. |
| Died | April 20, 2026 (aged 76) Lehi, Utah, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1962–2007[1] |
| Known for | Eldest brother of the Osmonds |
| Spouse | Suzanne Pinegar (m. 1974) |
| Children | 8, including David |
| Parents |
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Alan Ralph Osmond (June 22, 1949 – April 20, 2026) was an American singer and musician. He was best known for being a member of the family musical group The Osmonds. Prior to that, Alan (aged 12) and his brothers were performing as the Osmond Brothers Boys' Quartet. He served as leader of the group.[2]
Early life
Alan Ralph Osmond was born on June 22, 1949, in Ogden, Utah, the son of Olive May (née Davis; 1925–2004) and George Virl Osmond (1917–2007).[3] He was the oldest of the seven siblings who could sing, as the two oldest brothers, Virl and Tom, are hearing impaired.[4][5]
Music career
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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.[6] It was at Disneyland 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.[7]
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,[6] 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.[8] Leading The Osmonds at a young age, Alan was called "No. 1" by his brothers.[2]
He mostly stopped performing with the group after 2007, and what he professed to be his final performance with them was October 13, 2018, at Neal Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu,[9] 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.[6]
Personal life
Alan, like all the Osmonds, was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[10]
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. During his time in the service, he was known as the Mormon Dream.[11]
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.[10] He stated that this, along with his move into country music in the early 1980s, was a reflection of their patriotic values: "we're kind of flag-wavers. You find that in the country area, too."[12] Stadium of Fire also reflected his lifelong love of pyrotechnics, such that Osmond arranged for a daytime fireworks display for his funeral.[13]
In September 2024, Osmond released his autobiography, One Way Ticket.[10]
Health
Osmond began to experience dysfunction in his right hand during an Osmond Brothers concert in 1987.[14][15] He was later diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS),[16] which he publicly announced during the MDA Labor Day Telethon in 1994.[15] The Osmond Brothers initially adjusted their routines to accommodate Alan's condition before he was forced to retire from the road in the late 1990s.[15] Osmond credited his faith, and belief in the preexistence of the soul, with giving him hope and optimism for the future in the face of his condition.[10] This optimism, in turn, Osmond credited with prolonging his life and quality thereof (mentioning as a counterexample Annette Funicello, who also began experiencing MS symptoms in 1987 but fell into deep despair afterward and eventually died 13 years before Osmond did).[17]
Relationships, marriage and children
Osmond married Suzanne Pinegar, at the time a cheerleader at Brigham Young University, on July 16, 1974.[18] He and Suzanne had eight sons, including entertainer David Osmond.[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.[10] The four oldest performed as the Osmond Boys beginning in 1986,[19] and later expanded to include the younger brothers as The Osmonds Second Generation.[18] At the time of his death, he had 30 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.[20]
Prior to his marriage, Osmond dated extensively,[18] including a brief courtship with singer Karen Carpenter in the early 1970s.[21]
Death
Osmond died at his home in Lehi, Utah, on April 20, 2026, at the age of 76. He had spent a week hospitalized in intensive care before returning home to receive hospice care four days before his death.[14][22][12] He was buried at Spanish Fork City Cemetery in Spanish Fork.[13]
Awards
In November 2021, Alan and Suzanne Osmond were honored as Pillars of Utah Valley.[18] 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 was, "I may have MS, but MS does NOT have me!"[18] He ran the OneHeart Foundation, which Alan and his wife founded, and also worked as a motivational speaker.[23]
In 1986, Alan and his brothers were granted honorary lifetime membership into the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America.[19]
References
- Argetsinger, Amy (November 30, 2014). "A brief musical history of the Osmonds in 13 songs". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 3, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- Langmire, Becca (April 21, 2026). "Alan Osmond, Oldest Member of The Osmonds, Dies at 76". People. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- Sandomir, Richard (April 22, 2026). "Alan Osmond, Who Led His Brothers in Song, Dies at 76". The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- Haddock, Sharon (February 26, 2010). "Osmond son Virl shares memories of his mother". Deseret News. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
Virl is the eldest in the Osmond family and has a 75 percent hearing loss. His brother Tom had an 87 percent loss.
- Comiter, Jordana (April 22, 2026). "Where Are the Members of The Osmonds Now? Inside Their Lives and Legacies After Brother Alan's Death". People.com. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
Their older brothers, George Virl Osmond Jr. and Tom Osmond, were born almost completely deaf and did not originally perform, though they made occasional appearances alongside their siblings.
- Benson, Lee (December 27, 2018). "They're still the Osmond Brothers after all these years". Deseret News. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
- "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (1963–1964)". Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on April 21, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
- "Inside the Osmonds" (DVD)
- Benson, Lee (December 30, 2018). "George and Olive's legacy: Osmonds still standing on principles". Deseret News. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- "Alan Osmond shares his life story in new book 'One Way Ticket'". KUTV. September 24, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- Obituaries, Telegraph (April 21, 2026). "Alan Osmond, creative heart of the Osmonds, luminaries of the 1970s pop scene". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
- "Alan Osmond, the eldest member of the Osmonds, has died at 76". wral.com. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- KSL News Utah (May 2, 2026). Alan Osmond remembered with music, fireworks, and surprise at funeral services. Retrieved May 4, 2026 – via YouTube.
- Mikita, Carole (April 20, 2026). "Alan Osmond dies at 76". Ksltv.com. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- Andalaro, Angela (April 22, 2026). "Alan Osmond Did Not 'Fear the Future' After MS Diagnosis, Thanks to His Mormon Faith and the Support of His Family". People. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
- Sessions, Perry (December 6, 2013). "Alan Osmond: Battling MS as a grandfather and devoted Mormon". The Daily Universe. Brigham Young University. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- "From denial to advocacy: David Osmond's MS journey". Deseret News. April 6, 2026. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- "Alan and Suzanne Osmond honored as Pillars of Utah Valley". heraldextra.com. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- Barbershop Harmony Society (April 21, 2026). Osmond Brothers Quartet - Honorary Lifetime Membership Ceremony - 1986 International Salt Lake City. Retrieved April 22, 2026 – via YouTube.
- Brugger, Megan (April 21, 2026). "Alan Osmond, oldest member of The Osmonds, dies at 76 years old". Kutv.com. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- Coleman, Ray (1994). The Carpenters: The Untold Story. An Authorized Biography. HarperCollins. p. 330
- "Alan Osmond, Eldest Brother of the Osmonds and Renowned Performer, Dies at 76". Abc4.com. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- Morgan, John (October 9, 2000). "Osmond's spirit challenges multiple sclerosis". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 15, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
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Alan Osmond, an original member of the Osmonds, a group of singing brothers known for their pop records and wholesome image — and for their siblings Donny and Marie, who became the biggest stars of the family — died on Monday at his home in Salt Lake City. He was 76.
His brother Merrill announced the death on Facebook. Debbie Ihler Rasmussen, who collaborated with Mr. Osmond on his 2024 autobiography, “Alan Osmond: One Way Ticket,” said the cause was complications of multiple sclerosis.
The Osmonds began as a quartet in the late 1950s, with the brothers Merrill, Wayne, Jay and Alan, the eldest and designated leader. They soon went from singing at churches, fairs and civic events to performing as a barbershop quartet at Disneyland in California.
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Their big break came in 1962, when Alan was 12: They landed an audition for “The Andy Williams Show,” an NBC variety program, at the suggestion of Mr. Williams’s father, who had seen the Osmonds in a Disney TV show.
“I wasn’t sure what to think when everyone, including Andy, laughed at us,” Mr. Osmond wrote in his autobiography. “But it was actually because we were cute and could sing so well.”
The brothers were asked to sing on two episodes, performances that generated enough buzz to earn them a five-year contract to appear regularly on the show through 1967. They returned to appear on a reboot of the program from 1969 to 1970.
During their time there, the Osmond brothers learned to tap dance, ride unicycles, ice skate and juggle. They appeared in skits and were constantly learning new songs. When Mr. Williams went on the road, they accompanied him; they also opened for comic stars like Phyllis Diller and Jimmy Durante.
The four brothers were eventually joined on the Williams show by their younger siblings Donny and Marie, who would later become famous with solo careers and their own variety series, “Donny & Marie,” which ran on ABC from 1976 to 1979. The youngest Osmond brother, Jimmy, also later joined the group, which was sometimes compared to the Jackson 5.
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The group hit its peak from 1971 to 1975, when it had a No. 1 hit, “One Bad Apple,” on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and three Top 10 hits, “Yo-Yo,” “Down by the Lazy River” (written by Alan and Merrill) and “Love Me for a Reason.”
The family was at home listening to the radio on a Sunday in February 1971 when they heard the disc jockey Casey Kasem announce that “One Bad Apple” had reached No. 1.
“We screamed like crazy, and Wayne ran outside and ran around our house,” Mr. Osmond wrote. “That was our goal, and we finally made it!”
They had already sold 20 million records when they made their first visit to England the next year, a trip that included performing for Queen Elizabeth II at the London Palladium. As Bernard Weinraub wrote in The New York Times, the brothers “seemed to be living proof that toothpaste grins, innocuous voices and well-timed routines are enough to make them millionaire culture heroes.”
Alan Ralph Osmond was born on June 22, 1949, in Ogden, Utah. His father, George, sold insurance and real estate and ran a small farm. His mother, Olive (Davis) Osmond, helped with the insurance and real estate businesses, owned a dress shop and managed the household, which grew to include nine children.
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In 1957, on a family trip to Yellowstone National Park, Mr. Osmond recalled, his parents were singing “The Old Oaken Bucket” when he added his alto voice to his father’s while his mother sang melody. Then his brothers joined in.
Recognizing their talent, “Mother taught us to sing in three-part harmony,” he wrote. “Our little quartet was born, and we called ourselves the Osmond Brothers.”
The boys soon began rehearsing after their chores were done; their bond would carry them for decades.
At the height of their success, they took a break from pop music to release “The Plan” (1973), a concept album inspired by the family’s faith as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
As Mr. Osmond recalled, “I said to my brothers, ‘We need to say something — something important!’”
It was a departure from their previous albums, and one that their record label and distributor struggled to sell, although Mr. Osmond managed to persuade KHJ, a popular radio station in Los Angeles, to play one of the songs, “Traffic in My Mind.” The album went gold in England but not in the United States, a distinction that four of the group’s previous albums had achieved.
Harold B. Lee, the president of the church, however, gave it a rave review. According to Mr. Osmond’s autobiography, after reading the lyrics, Mr. Lee said, “This was inspired.”
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The group’s record sales never recaptured their early 1970s peak, but the brothers continued to release music and had some modest country hits in the 1980s, including “I Think About Your Lovin’.”
In addition to his brother Merrill, Mr. Osmond is survived by his wife, Suzanne (Pinegar) Osmond; his sons Michael, Nathan, Scott, Alex, Tyler, Douglas, Jonathan and David, who was also diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; his siblings Donny, Marie, Jay, Jimmy, Virl and Tom; 30 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. His brother Wayne died last year.
For about a decade after his multiple sclerosis diagnosis, in 1987, Mr. Osmond continued to perform with his brothers.
He was involved in other ventures as well, including running Stadium of Fire, an annual July Fourth fireworks and music extravaganza in Provo, Utah, which he started in 1980 and continued until 1992. He also produced albums, some of them by family members, and directed the video for Marie’s 1985 song “There’s No Stopping Your Heart,” a No. 1 country hit.
In 2019, for her 60th birthday, Marie Osmond reunited the quartet.
“When my husband and I decided to fly the original four Osmond brothers to Hawaii to perform together one last time and honor them for starting it all,” she wrote on Facebook after Mr. Osmond’s death. “Alan, with tears in his eyes, said, ‘So you’re producing me now.’”
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Mr. Osmond wrote several children’s books with his wife: “If the Shoe Fits” and “Just Right,” both published in 1998, and “Huff ‘N’ Puff” (1999), based on fairy tales.
Reflecting on his career trajectory, he told The Daily Herald of Provo in 1997: “Well, you can look at it many ways, and I have chosen to adapt.”
He added, “I’ve examined myself, and guess what? I’m still me.”
Richard Sandomir, an obituaries reporter, has been writing for The Times for more than three decades.
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