Wayne Osmond, one of the original members of the Osmonds sibling singing group, died Wednesday in Salt Lake City. He was 73.
Merrill Osmond, one of Wayne Osmond’s brothers, shared on Facebook that Wayne suffered a massive stroke, and that he was able to get to the hospital in Salt Lake to say his goodbyes before he passed.
In a statement, his family wrote: “Wayne Osmond, beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his loving wife and five children. His legacy of faith, music, love, and laughter have influenced the lives of many people around the world. He would want everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him dearly.”
Wayne Osmond, known for his baritone voice, first performed with his siblings Alan, Merrill and Jay as the Osmond Brothers, when they performed as a barbership quartet. Discovered singing at Disneyland, they made their television debut on “The Andy Williams Show” in 1962, and eventually became series regulars.
When younger brother Donny joined up in 1970, the quintet became a quartet and the name was changed to simply the Osmonds. That switch made it easier when sister Marie later became a member, along with the youngest member, Jimmy. Donny and Marie eventually became a spinoff act as a duo, and Jimmy also went solo, even as the Osmond Brothers resumed working under their original name and quartet format from the 1980s forward. Wayne remained in the group through 2007.
In the early 1970s, while Donny was in the group, the Osmonds had five gold albums, one of which, 1972’s “Phase III,” cracked the top 10 of the Billboard 200. They also had a run of hit singles beginning with “One Bad Apple,” which reached No 1 in 1970. “Yo-Yo,” “Down by the Lazy River” and “Love Me for a Reason” also reached the top 10 on the Hot 100. The group last charted on the Hot 100 in 1976, but thereafter the brothers had a spate of Nashville crossover success, with singles making it onto the country chart in 1982-86.
In 2004, Wayne did an interview with Coping With Cancer magazine in which he was candid about health problems he’d had up to that point, including having a brain tumor as a child. At the time, he was celebrating his 10-year anniversary as a cancer survivor after suffering what he had been told was a recurrence of his childhood cancer, which was finally diagnosed as ependymoma, “a childhood cancer that is very fatal for kids.”
“The greatest part of all this is that I’ve become even closer with my sweetheart, Kathy,” Wayne said about his wife in the 2004 interview. “She’s an absolute angel. I’m a very, very blessed man. That’s what I am. … I’ve been enlightened. And now I look back at it and I think to myself, I’m glad that I got cancer. Isn’t that something? It really opened up my eyes. It made me realize that life really is important. And I’m only 52 years old – I hope I can go another 52!”
Jay Osmond, one of Wayne Osmond’s siblings, shared a heartfelt tribute to his brother on Facebook. He wrote: “A true legend has left the Earth. My heart is deeply saddened for the loss of my brother Wayne. It is said that where there is great love there is great grief as we part during our earthly journey. Throughout my life I have always felt most connected to Wayne out of all of my siblings. He was my roommate and my confidant over the decades.”
Wrote Merrill in his own post: “When I learned that my dear brother Wayne had a massive stroke my immediate response was to fall to my knees and pray for him to receive the assurance that his mission had been accomplished, and he was successful in this endeavor in many ways. I immediately drove to the hospital in SLC to see him and I was able to say my goodbyes…
“My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave as an even greater saint than he came in,” Merrill continued. “I’ve never known a man that had more humility. A man with absolute no guile. An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met. His departure from this earth will be a sad moment for some, but for those who are waiting for him on the other side, there will be a massive celebration beyond anything we can imagine… I am so grateful to have grown up with one of heavenly father‘s greatest sons.”
English (US) ·