Alan Osmond

Alan Ralph Osmond (born June 22, 1949) is an American former singer and musician. He is best known for being a member of the family musical group The Osmonds. At the time, Alan (age 12) and his brothers were performing as the Osmond Brothers Boys' Quartet.

Early life

Osmond was born in Ogden, Utah, the son of Olive May (née Davis; 1925–2004) and George Virl Osmond (1917–2007). He was the oldest of the seven siblings who could sing, as the two oldest brothers, Virl and Tom, are hearing impaired.

Music career

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. It was at Disnelyand 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.

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, 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).

He mostly stopped performing with the group after 2007, and what he has professed to be his final performance with them was October 13, 2018, at Neal Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, 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.

Personal life

Alan, like all the Osmonds, is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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.

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.

In September 2024, Osmond released his autobiography, ''One Way Ticket''.

Health

In 1987, Osmond was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis. Osmond has credited his faith, and belief in the preexistence of the soul, for giving him hope and optimism for the future in the face of his condition.

Relationships, marriage and children

Osmond married Suzanne Pinegar, at the time a cheerleader at Brigham Young University, on July 16, 1974. He and Suzanne have eight sons:
*Michael Alan Osmond (born 1975)
* Nathan Osmond
*Douglas Kenneth Osmond (born 1978)
* David Osmond
*Scott Merrill Osmond (born 1981)
*Jonathon Pinegar "Jon" Osmond (born 1983)
*Alexander Thomas "Alex" Osmond (born 1988)
*Tyler James Osmond (born 1990)

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. The octet performed as the Osmond Boys beginning in the late 1980s, and later as The Osmonds Second Generation.

Prior to his marriage, Osmond dated extensively, including a brief courtship with singer Karen Carpenter in the early 1970s.

David Osmond

David Levi Osmond (born 1979) is the lead singer of the Osmonds Second Generation and the Osmond Chapman Orchestra, a big band. He participated in the eighth season of ''American Idol'' on January 28, 2009, with a pass to Hollywood. However, due to laryngitis, he was not able to make it past Hollywood week. David also substitutes for his uncle Donny in stage shows with his aunt Marie, and his song "We Are One" was used as the theme song to the '' Glenn Beck Radio Program'' from 2016 to 2017; he also hosted a brief revival of '' Wonderama'' in 2017. Since 2021, David Osmond has been a host of KUTV's lifestyle/infotainment program ''Fresh Living''.

Like his father, David Osmond was also diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; David's case was diagnosed in 2005 and has, to date, been less severe than his father's.

Nathan Osmond

Nathan George Osmond (born 1977) records as an independent country musician.

Awards

In November 2021, Alan and Suzanne Osmond were honored as Pillars of Utah Valley. 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 is, "I may have MS, but MS does NOT have me!" He currently runs th
OneHeart Foundation
which Alan and his wife founded, and also works as a motivational speaker.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Osmond, Alan
1949 births
Living people
American Latter Day Saints
American male guitarists
American male pop singers
American male saxophonists
American male trumpeters
American rock guitarists
American rock keyboardists
American rock saxophonists
American rock singers
American multi-instrumentalists
Songwriters from California
American rhythm guitarists
Musicians from Ogden, Utah
Singers from Los Angeles
People with multiple sclerosis
California National Guard personnel
The Osmonds members
Osmond family (show business)
Guitarists from Los Angeles
Guitarists from Utah
20th-century American guitarists
21st-century American saxophonists
21st-century American trumpeters
20th-century American male musicians
21st-century American male musicians