By Megan Riedlinger
5:29am PST, Dec 9, 2020
The Osmond family made a splash in the music world nearly 60 years ago, making their debut on an episode of "Disneyland After Dark" in 1962. From there, they were discovered by Andy Williams' father, whose son then featured them as regulars on his show for the rest of the decade. By the early '70s, they were household names thanks to their bubblegum pop music, and a few of the siblings went on to launch solo careers and continue to keep the Osmond family name going in Hollywood. In honor of one of the most famous siblings — Donny Osmond — celebrating his 63rd birthday on Dec. 9, 2020, Wonderwall.com is checking up on all the Osmond kids to find out where they are today! Keep reading for more…
RELATED: Our favorite TV shows and films set in the '60s
Donny Osmond became the breakout star of the Osmond family after rising to fame alongside his siblings in the Osmond Brothers. He kicked off the '70s as a teen heartthrob, putting out hit singles like "Go Away Little Girl" and "Puppy Love" early that decade. Donny later found even more success after teaming up with little sister Marie Osmond for the "Donny & Marie" variety series in the late '70s. So what's Donny up to today?
RELATED: '70s rock bands: Where are they now?
Donny Osmond never left the spotlight! He continued to find success in the entertainment world, transitioning to Broadway in the '90s where he starred as Joseph in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (and later played that same role in the 1999 big-screen version.). He lent his singing voice to Shang in Disney's animated film "Mulan" in 1998 and would later work on another Disney-inspired project in 2006 when he returned to Broadway to star as Gaston in "Beauty and the Beast." Donny teamed up with sister Marie Osmond again in the late '90s for "Donny & Marie" once more — but this time instead of a variety show, it was a syndicated talk show! More recently, the dynamic brother-sister duo closed out an 11-year residency at the Flamingo Las Vegas. Over the last two decades, he's done a bit of hosting on the game show "Pyramid" from 2002 to 2004 (which earned him a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for outstanding game show host!) and on the Miss USA Pageant alongside Marie in 2008. In 2009, he competed on "Dancing with the Stars" and won the entire series alongside pro Kym Johnson. He made a return to reality TV a decade later to compete on "The Masked Singer" in 2019, coming in as the runner-up. Off stage, Donny has been happily married to Debra Glenn since 1978. They share five sons — Donald Jr., Jeremy, Brandon, Christopher and Joshua. He's a proud grandpa 11 times over (only two are girls!) and in 2020 had one more grandchild on the way (another boy!).
RELATED: Marie Osmond's life in photos
Marie Osmond is the only Osmond sibling who was never a part of the family singing group, but she found fame as a solo artist beginning in the '70s. Unlike her brothers, who stuck to rock and pop, Marie started out in the country music genre. Her first single, "Paper Roses," was released in 1973 and became a No. 1 country hit that even achieved major crossover success and also hit the top 5 on Billboard's pop chart. Apart from music, Marie also made waves on television co-hosting "Donny & Marie" alongside brother Donny Osmond in the late '70s.
Marie Osmond has remained in the spotlight over the years. From co-hosting the talk show "Donny & Marie" with her brother from 1998 until 2000 to scoring a variety show, "Marie," on the Hallmark Channel that debuted in 2012 to a run on CBS's "The Talk" from 2013 until 2019, she's continued to pop up on television often. And, like her big brother Donny, Marie also did a few stints on Broadway, starring as Anna in "The King and I" and as Maria in "The Sound of Music." She also appeared on "Dancing with the Stars" ahead of her brother — in 2007's season 4, she came in third dancing alongside pro Jonathan Roberts. More recently, she starred alongside her brother in the Las Vegas variety show "Donny & Marie," which ran for an impressive 11 years at the Flamingo hotel and wrapped in 2019. Marie is also well-known for her successful doll line, which has appeared on QVC since 1991. As for her personal life, Marie has been married three times — to two men. Marie wed Stephen Craig in 1982 and welcomed one son, Stephen, before their divorce in 1985. She then married Brian Blosil in 1986; they share two biological children, Rachael and Matthew, and five adopted children, Jessica, Michael (who died in 2010), Brandon, Brianna and Abigail. The couple announced their divorce in 2007 and Marie remarried first husband Stephen in 2011 (wearing her original wedding dress!).
Merrill Osmond is the fifth child in the family. He served as the lead singer and bassist in The Osmonds and The Osmond Brothers.
Merrill Osmond continued to perform throughout the years. After the sibling groups disbanded, he teamed up with brother Jay Osmond to keep playing. He transitioned to country music in the late '70s and had one hit in the '80s independent of his siblings — a duet with Jessica Boucher, "You're Here to Remember (I'm Here to Forget)," in 1987. He was actually the first of the Osmond sibling to get married, tying the knot with Mary Carlson in 1973. The two share four sons and two daughters and these days also have an impressive 15 grandchildren.
The sixth Osmond son, Jay Osmond, served as the drummer for The Osmonds family band.
Once Donny Osmond went solo, Jay Osmond teamed up with brothers Merrill Osmond and Wayne Osmond to move into the world of country music in the '80s. In 1987, he married Kandilyn Harris, with whom he shares three sons — Jason, Eric and Marcus. The couple split in 2011.
Alan Osmond was the oldest member of the Osmond musical group (the siblings' two oldest brothers, Virl and Tom, were hearing impaired and not involved in the band, though Virl, a TV producer, took many of his siblings' publicity photos). Alan played piano and guitar and also co-wrote many of their songs.
After performing with his brothers off and on for decades, Alan Osmond — who served in the National Guard in California in the 1960s and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987 — gave his final performance with the group in 2018 at a family concert in Honolulu. Alan married Suzanne Pinegar in 1974; the couple went on to have eight sons. Their kids formed a band called the Osmond Brothers Second Generation and one of their boys, David, competed on "American Idol" in 2009. David was diagnosed with MS in 2005.
Wayne Osmond was the second oldest brother in the group and served as its lead guitarist and a singer. He also helped write many of the hit songs alongside Merrill Osmond and Alan Osmond.
Wayne Osmond continued to play with his brothers through the '70s and later moved to Branson, Missouri, in the '90s to perform at the Osmond Family Theater alongside some of his brothers. Wayne married Kathlyn White in 1974. They have three daughters and two sons.
Youngest brother Jimmy Osmond rounds out the group. He found success as a solo artist — namely with the song "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool," which landed him in the Guiness Book of World Records as the youngest performer to have a No. 1 single on the U.K. singles chart. Aside from singing, Jimmy also acted, starring in the 1978 film "The Great Brain."
Jimmy Osmond found success in various areas of entertainment over the years. Like siblings Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond, he thrived in musical theater and has starred in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and the stage version of "Boogie Nights" over the years. More recently, he's been featured on the small screen, popping up on British reality shows like "I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!," "All Star Family Fortunes," "Popstar to Operastar" and "Celebrity Masterchef." He's been married to Michelle Larson, with whom he shares four kids, since 1991.
