Alan Osmond

Alan Ralph Osmond (born June 22, 1949) is a member of the family musical group The Osmonds discovered by father of Andy Williams, Jay Emerson Williams at an on stage performance at Disneyland which was being filmed for Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color in the episode Disneyland After Dark when performing in the Osmond Brothers Boy’s Courtet at age 12 in 1961.

Alan Osmond
Alan Osmond, 1971
Born
Alan Ralph Osmond

(1949-06-22) June 22, 1949
Ogden, Utah, United States
NationalityAmerican
OccupationSinger, producer
Years active1962–2019[1]
Known forEldest brother of the performing Osmonds
Spouse(s)Suzanne Pinegar (m. 1974)
Children8
Parent(s)Olive Osmond (mother) George Osmond (father)

Life and career

Osmond was born in Ogden, Utah, United States, 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. During much of the Osmonds' career, Alan, being the oldest of the group, was the band's behind-the-scenes leader, playing piano and guitar, co-writing many of their songs, 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).[2] 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.[3]

Four of the Osmonds (Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay) were cast over a seven-year period on NBC's The Andy Williams Show. 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. The series starred then 12-year-old Kurt Russell on a wagon train headed to the American West.[4]

Personal life
David Osmond, the fourth of eight of Alan's sons, is a musician in his own right.

After a brief courtship with singer Karen Carpenter,[5] Osmond married Suzanne Pinegar on July 16, 1974. He and Suzanne have eight sons, who perform as the Osmond Brothers Second Generation: Michael Alan (1975); Nathan George (1977); Douglas Kenneth (1978); David Levi (1979); Scott Merrill (1981); Jonathon Pinegar (1983); Alexander Thomas (1988); and Tyler James (1990). Alan, like all the Osmonds, is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; seven of his sons have served LDS missions, while the youngest son Tyler did not serve.

In 1987, Osmond was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a demyelinating disease which damages the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.[6] His son, David Osmond, lead singer of the group Osmonds 2nd Generation, who was also diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005, participated in the eighth season of American Idol on January 28, 2009 with a pass to Hollywood.[7] 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.

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 the OneHeart Foundation and also works as a motivational speaker.[8]

Military service

Alan enlisted in the California Army National Guard in the late 1960’s. He served at Fort Ord in northern California as a 144th artillery unit clerk.

References
  1. Amy Argetsinger (2014-11-30). "A brief musical history of the Osmonds in 13 songs". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  2. "Inside the Osmonds" (DVD)
  3. https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900048488/george-and-olives-legacy-osmonds-still-standing-on-principles.html
  4. "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (1963-1964)". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  5. Coleman, Ray (1994). The Carpenters: The Untold Story. An Authorized Biography. HarperCollins. p. 330
  6. Alan Osmond Battling MS as a Grandfather and Devoted Mormon
  7. For Some, American Idol is a Second Chance at Fame Yahoo News, February 4, 2009
  8. Osmond's spirit challenges multiple sclerosis
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