Marie Osmond Turns 67, A Lifetime After ‘Paper Roses’

Marie Osmond turned 67 on October 13, celebrating another milestone in a career that began when she was barely old enough to remember it. Born in 1959 as the only daughter among nine Osmond children, she grew up surrounded by music and entertainment. While her brothers were already finding fame as a singing group, Marie carved out her own path, becoming a country music sensation at just 13 years old. From hit records to television variety shows, she became one of the most recognizable faces in American entertainment.

But Osmond’s life has included far more than the cheerful performances audiences remember from Donny & Marie. Behind the famous smile, she has experienced professional setbacks, personal struggles, and devastating family losses. Through it all, she has continued performing, raising her family, and speaking openly about some of the most difficult chapters of her life. More than five decades after “Paper Roses” made her a star, her story is one of remarkable longevity, reinvention, and resilience.

Marie Osmond Was A Teenage Country Star

She was still a teenager when “Paper Roses” became a country smash in 1973, announcing that the girl from the famous singing family had a voice all her own. Variety shows were the family business, and she was a natural in front of a camera from the start.

“Paper Roses” wasn’t just a hit. It made Osmond one of the youngest performers ever to top Billboard’s country singles chart, reaching No. 1 shortly after her 14th birthday. The song, originally recorded by Anita Bryant in 1960, also crossed over to mainstream pop radio, climbing to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut album of the same name reached No. 1 on the country albums chart, proving that Marie could find success independently of her famous brothers. While Donny was conquering the pop charts, Marie was establishing herself as a country music star.

Donny And Marie, Then And Now

From 1975 to 1979 she co-hosted the Donny & Marie variety hour with her brother, the pairing that defined her to a generation, and the two later ran an 11-year Las Vegas residency at the Flamingo through 2019.

Her country music career enjoyed another major resurgence in the 1980s. In 1985, Osmond teamed up with Dan Seals for “Meet Me in Montana,” a duet that topped the country charts and earned the pair the Country Music Association’s Vocal Duo of the Year award. She followed it with another No. 1 hit, “There’s No Stopping Your Heart,” and later recorded “You’re Still New to Me” with Paul Davis. The success demonstrated that she was more than a former child star or television personality. More than a decade after “Paper Roses,” she was still producing chart-topping country records.

These days the joy is family, as she showed when she celebrated her son Matthew’s wedding. Her full life and career spans every corner of American entertainment.

Behind her cheerful public image, Osmond has also endured tremendous personal heartbreak. In February 2010, her 18-year-old son Michael Blosil died by suicide after struggling with depression. Later that year, she spoke candidly with Oprah Winfrey about the devastating loss, describing it as one of the most difficult experiences of her life. Osmond has also discussed her own experience with postpartum depression, a subject she explored in her 2001 book Behind the Smile. Through her public conversations about grief and mental health, she has revealed a much more complicated life than audiences might imagine from her upbeat television persona.

A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, and 67 years young.