- In the early 1970s, few acts matched The Osmonds in fame, fan frenzy, or chart success. As clean-cut teen idols turned rock performers, they dominated pop culture with hit records, a beloved TV variety show, and sold-out tours worldwide. Blending barbershop harmonies with pop and hard rock experimentation, the Osmonds helped define an era — and became one of America’s most recognizable musical families.
- The original Osmond Brothers began as a barbershop quartet in 1958, performing to raise money for their brothers’ hearing aids.
- Virl and Tom Osmond, the two eldest siblings, were born with severe hearing impairments and never performed musically with the group.
- The family was discovered by Disney entertainment director Tommy Walker while singing at Disneyland.
- Their first national TV appearance was on “The Andy Williams Show” in 1962, earning them the nickname “the one-take Osmonds.”
- Donny joined the group on the Andy Williams show, making them a five-member act at just five years old.
- The Osmonds’ first single was “Flower Music” in 1967, but it failed to chart.
- Their breakout hit “One Bad Apple” hit #1 in 1971 and stayed there for five weeks.
- The song “One Bad Apple” was originally written with The Jackson 5 in mind.
- The Osmonds were among the first artists to record at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.
- The band’s 1972 hit “Crazy Horses” featured no vocals from Donny Osmond.
- Marie Osmond scored a #1 U.S. country hit at just 13 years old with “Paper Roses” in 1973.
- Jimmy Osmond was the youngest artist ever to hit #1 in the U.K. with “Long Haired Lover from Liverpool” in 1972.
- The Osmonds released a concept album called The Plan in 1973, inspired by their Mormon faith.
- The family ran their own television studio in Orem, Utah, where they produced The Donny & Marie Show.
- Donny was nearly cast as the Teen Angel in Grease but turned it down for the film Goin’ Coconuts.
- Merrill Osmond recorded a Top 40 country hit under the pseudonym “Merrill and Jessica” in 1987.
- The Osmonds shifted to country music in the early 1980s and had a string of country chart hits.
- Alan Osmond was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and later retired from performing.
- Alan’s sons performed as a second-generation group called The Osmond Boys in the 1980s and 90s.
- The family avoided bankruptcy in the late ’70s by repaying debts with touring revenue instead of filing.
- The Osmonds’ Las Vegas comeback show in 2008 marked their only U.S. stop during their 50th anniversary tour.
- Jay Osmond wrote the story for The Osmonds: A New Musical, which toured the U.K. and Ireland in 2022.
- The Osmonds received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003.
- Despite 1970s chart dominance, their music is now rarely heard on classic hits radio.
- In 2022, Merrill Osmond retired to serve a church mission, making Jay the final performing member of the original quartet.