Jimmy Osmond
Jimmy Osmond | |
---|---|
Born |
James Arthur Osmond April 16, 1963 Canoga Park, California, US |
Occupation | Singer, actor, businessman |
Home town | Ogden, Utah, US |
Spouse(s) |
Michelle Larson (m. 1992) |
Children | 4 |
Parent(s) |
George Osmond Olive Osmond |
Musical career | |
Genres | Pop |
Years active | 1967–present[1] |
Associated acts | The Osmonds |
Website | Official website |
James Arthur Osmond (born April 16, 1963) is an American singer, actor, and businessman. He is the youngest member of the sibling musical group the Osmonds. As a solo artist, Osmond has accumulated six gold records, one platinum record, and two gold albums.
Early life and family
Osmond was born in Canoga Park, California, the ninth and youngest child of Olive May (née Davis; 1925 – 2004) and George Virl Osmond (1917 – 2007). His siblings are Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, and Marie Osmond.[2] He is also the only Osmond of the nine not to have been born in the family's hometown of Ogden, Utah.
Growing up, Osmond was taught by tutors to accommodate his professional life.[2]
Career
He received his first gold record at age five for a song he recorded in Japanese, "My Little Darling". He was the first Osmond to achieve this.
His recording of "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" in 1972 resulted in The Guinness Book of World Records designating him the youngest performer to have a #1 single on the UK Singles Chart.[3] The song was credited to "Little Jimmy Osmond".
In 1978, Osmond starred in the feature film The Great Brain. He starred in other acting roles as well, including two episodes of the TV series Fame. He performed on stage and television often with his older siblings.
In 1985, he met Latino impresario Manuel Montoya at A&M Records, and this led to his only Spanish recording, "Siempre Tu". He toured Latin US markets, including Puerto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela and Chile.
The 2012 Osmonds album I Can't Get There Without You was performed with Jimmy Osmond on lead vocals; it was the first album to feature Jimmy as lead singer, as older brother Merrill Osmond historically held that role in the band. In live performances, Jimmy often serves as a co-lead singer with Merrill, a role previously held by Donny during the band's heyday in the early 1970s.
Jimmy Osmond is president of Osmond Entertainment. He has developed and supervised most of the Osmonds' merchandising business, as well as producing hundreds of hours of programming for networks including ABC, PBS, the BBC and the Disney Channel.
He has also featured in musical theater. Like his brother Donny many years earlier, he starred in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He also starred in Boogie Nights in 2004 at the Grand Theatre, Blackpool. In 2005, Jimmy Osmond's American Jukebox Show toured the UK in 2005, again to the Grand Theatre in Blackpool. Co-stars of the show included Billy Pearce and Jimmy's brothers Jay and Wayne. From December 11, 2010 to January 2, 2011, he played Buttons in Cinderella at the White Rock Theatre in Hastings, and from December 16, 2011, to January 15, 2012, the role of Wishee Washee in Aladdin at Grand Theatre, Swansea and currently from December 1, 2017, to January 7, 2018 the role of Abanzar in Aladdin at His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen.
He has appeared on several UK TV shows, including the reality TV series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! broadcast by ITV in 2005 (he finished in fourth place), a 2006 appearance on All Star Family Fortunes, a celebrity version of Come Dine with Me, Celebrity Family Fortunes, and Everybody Dance Now. In January 2010, Osmond participated in the British ITV1 celebrity reality television programme Popstar to Operastar. In 2016 Jimmy was a finallist on the UK version of Celebrity Masterchef.
In 2014, Osmond authored a semi-autobiographical children's picture book, Awesome Possum Family Band.
The same year, he took over the operations of the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri, where he is now responsible for producing and booking shows.[4]
In 2015, Osmond was awarded an honorary doctorate of arts and humanities by Iowa Wesleyan University.[5] The first Osmond family member to receive that distinction, he delivered the keynote commencement speech on May 9, 2015.
In 2017 he played Abanzar in the pantomime Aladdin, at His Majestic’s Theatre Aberdeen.
Personal life
Osmond married Michele Larson on June 7, 1991. They have four children.
Like the rest of his family, Osmond is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Recordings
Jimmy Osmond has earned six gold records.
Singles
Year | Single Both sides from same album except where indicated |
Peak chart positions | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | UK | |||
1971 | "If Santa Were My Daddy b/w "Silent Night" |
Non-album tracks | ||
1972 | "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool" / | 38 | 1 | Killer Joe |
"Mother Of Mine" | 101 | |||
"Tweedle Dee" b/w "Mama'd Know What To Do" |
59 | 4 | ||
1974 | "Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus" b/w "If Santa Were My Daddy" |
Non-album tracks | ||
"I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door" b/w "Give Me A Good Old Mammy Song" |
11 | Little Arrows | ||
"Little Arrows" b/w "Don't You Remember" |
54 | |||
1978 | "There from 'The Great Brain' (You're There)" b/w "Life Is Just What You Make It" (Non-album track) |
"The Great Brain" soundtrack | ||
1980 | "She Put The Light On" b/w "Uncertain" |
Non-album tracks | ||
Singles from other countries
- "My Little Darling" / "Peg O' My Heart" (Japan)
- "Chuk Chuk" / "Jimmy's Lullaby" (Japan)
- "Jingle Bells" / "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (Japan)
- "Red Roses for a Blue Lady" (Sweden)
- "Happy Robbers" / "I Found a Little Happiness" (Japan)
- "Goodbye Mr. Tears" / "Put Your Hand in the Hand"
- "Kimi Wa Pretty" / "Tokyo Savannah" (Japan)
- "Long Distance" / "After All" (Japan)
- "Living in Love" / "One More Chance" (Japan)
- "Siempre Tu" (Mexico)
- "Dos En Uno" (Mexico)
- "Otono Y Primavera" / "Tu Me Haces Falta" (Mexico)
- "Shine"
Albums
- Little Jimmy Osmond (Japan, 1972)
- Killer Joe (1972)
- Little Arrows (1975)
- Kimi Wa Pretty (Japan, 1981)
- Siempre Tu (in Spanish; Mexico, 1985)
- Keep The Fire Burnin’ (US 2000, UK 2001)
Soundtracks
- Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus (1974)
- The Great Brain (1978)
- Hugo The Hippo (1976)
- The Osmonds (animated TV series, 1972)
Movies
- The Great Brain (1978) based on the book by John D. Fitzgerald, portraying title character.
- Hugo the Hippo (1976), singer
Television
- The Osmonds (1972) – animated TV series
- Donny & Marie (1976–1979)
- Nichiyō Owarai Gekijyō (日曜お笑い劇場, lit. "Sunday Comedy Theater") (1981) - Nippon TV
- Fame (1982)
- E20) (1982)
- Inside the Osmonds (2001)
- We Are Family (2003)
- Branson Jubilee (2005)
- I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! (2005)
- All Star Family Fortunes (2006)
- Celebrity Come Dine with Me
- Never Mind The Buzzcocks (2011)
- Celebrity Bedlam (2012)
- Celebrity MasterChef (2016)
- Celebrity Antiques Road Trip (2016)
- Countdown (2017)
- A Christmas Chase: Celebrity Special (2017)
Books
- Osmond, Jimmy (2014). Awesome Possum Family Band. Illustrations by Bob Ostrom. Washington, DC: Regnery Kids. ISBN 9781621572114. LCCN 2014003306. OCLC 854611747.
The Love Boat (Getting Started; Daughter's Dilemma) (1985)
References
- ↑ "Andy Williams Show". Osmondmania.com. March 12, 1967 was the date of Jimmy Osmond's debut on the Andy Williams Show. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
- 1 2 Davis, Sharon (2012). Every Chart Topper Tells a Story: The Seventies. Random House. ISBN 9781780574103. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ↑ "Record Breakers and Trivia : Singles : Artists : Age". Everyhit.com. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ↑ "Jimmy Osmond Celebrates Anniversary by taking over Moon River Theatre". Branson Tri-Lakes News. March 11, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
- ↑ "Iowa Wesleyan College awards Jimmy Osmond Honorary Doctorate". May 9, 2015.
External links
- Jimmy Osmond on IMDb
- Jimmy Osmond at the Official site of the Osmond Family
- Jimmy Osmond on Twitter
- Jimmy Osmond's profile for the ITV reality show I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/506827-Little-Jimmy-Osmond
Preceded by Benny Hill Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West) |
UK Christmas Number One single
Long Haired Lover from Liverpool 1972 |
Succeeded by Slade Merry Christmas Everybody |