Wayne Osmond, a core member of the family band The Osmonds, who achieved numerous chart-topping hits in the 1970s, has passed away at 73.
Wayne was a singer and guitarist and co-wrote many of their biggest hits, including “Crazy Horses”, “Goin’ Home”, and “Let Me In”.
He was the ultimate optimist and was widely adored by all.
His late brother “a prodigy in music composition” who was ” able to touch the hearts of tens of millions of people and help them draw closer to God”.
He continued, “I’ve never known a man with such profound humility. A man devoid of deception. An individual who was quick to forgive and had the capacity to offer unconditional love to everyone he ever encountered.”
Merrill and Donny said the cause of death was a cerebral vascular accident.
Born in August 1951 in Ogden, Utah, Wayne was the fourth child in a family of nine siblings and grew up in a Mormon family.
As a young boy, he began singing with a barbershop quartet alongside his siblings Alan, Merrill, and Jay.
By 1961, the harmonizing brothers had become regular performers at Disneyland in Florida. A year hence, they made their television debut on The Andy Williams Show.
They rapidly became regulars on the show, earning the nickname “one-take Osmonds” due to their flawless, exhaustively rehearsed performances.
Younger brother Donny joined the lineup in 1963, and they started to expand their repertoire to include clean-cut pop songs.
Their initial releases failed to gain traction, but following the success of the Jackson 5, which demonstrated that family pop could be financially rewarding, MGM Records agreed to sign the band and sent them to work at the renowned R&B studio Muscle Shoals.
The duo was presented with a song called “One Bad Apple (Don’t Spoil the Whole Bunch),” which had been created for the Jacksons by the record label, but ultimately rejected.
The upbeat and energetic song reached number one on the US singles chart for five weeks in 1971, marking the band’s continued success a decade after their professional debut in the music industry.
The siblings caused their own hysterical popularity for a period similar to that of The Beatles.
When the band landed at Heathrow Airport in 1973, approximately 10,000 teenage fans flocked to the rooftop garden of an adjacent office building to catch a glimpse of their arrival. In the crush of the crowd, a section of the balcony railing and a portion of the wall gave way, resulting in minor injuries to 18 women.
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However, pop is an unpredictable industry, and The Osmonds’ record sales began to decline by the mid-1970s.
In addition, Donny and Marie Osmond were offered a television variety show of their own, which enjoyed massive success in the United States and was broadcast by One in the United Kingdom.
As a result, the band went on hiatus and ultimately disbanded in 1980, although they regularly reformed for county fairs and reunion tours in the subsequent decades.
Wayne Osmond faced a series of health issues throughout his life. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor at an early age, leading to issues with his cognitive abilities.
In 1994, he realized his condition was deteriorating.
I would have had trouble standing up straight on stage because my knees would give way under me, and this started to happen within just a week.
The subsequent surgery and associated cancer treatments led to lasting hearing loss. He also experienced a stroke in 2012.
In 2019, the musician joined his siblings Alan, Merrill, and Jay for their last ever performance on the TV show The Talk.
The original quartet took to the stage in front of a screen displaying a montage of their career highlights, delivering a performance of their song The Last Chapter, a special tribute to their dedicated fans.
Sister Marie, who presented the show, joined them afterwards to pay tribute, saying: “I am extremely proud to be your sister. I love you both. You’ve put in a tremendous amount of effort. Make the most of your retirement.”
He used his retirement to enjoy various hobbies, including fly fishing and spending time with his family. In an interview with the Utah newspaper Desert News, He spoke positively about the impact of hearing loss on his life.
I switch off my hearing aids, completely deaf, tune out everything, it’s truly delightful.
He was survived by his wife, Kathlyn, and their five children, Amy, Steven, Gregory, Sarah, and Michelle.
He also leaves behind his eight siblings: Virl, Tom, Alan, Merrill, Jay, Donnie, Marie, and Jimmy
