The Stories You Never Knew About The Osmond Family

When Donny appeared on The Kumars at No. 42 as a special guest, little did he know there was a secret admirer in his midst? Sanjeev Bhaskar, the star of the show, said that his wife had always planned to marry Donny Osmond when she was younger – and even convert to Mormonism. When Donny appeared on the show, Sanjeev joked to her that she could run off with him if she wanted, as she was so excited.

You might not know it, but Donny has lent his voice to plenty of animated TV shows and movies over the years. Turns out his voice sounds just as good animated as it does in real life! One of his most impressive roles was as the voice of Captain Li Shang in Mulan, where he sings “I’ll Make a Man Out of You.” He also featured in Cartoon Network’s smash hit Johnny Bravo, and in The Osmonds back in 1972.

Jimmy Osmond, the youngest of the Osmond family, broke records in the UK; a record he still holds to this day. His 1972 song, Long Haired Lover From Liverpool, reached number one on the UK singles charts when he was just 9-years-old. This made Jimmy the youngest performer to reach the top spot in Britain. Jimmy, however, remains wistful about his childhood. He once said, “The home I grew up in was a string of hotels across the world. I don’t remember my first home, which was somewhere in Los Angeles.” Aww!

Tom and George Virl Osmond, the oldest brothers in the family, were both born deaf. Olive and George Osmond, the parents, couldn’t afford hearing aids and so gathered the other brothers together to perform and raise money for them instead. This is how the entertainment careers of the Osmonds started, by traveling around trying to raise money for hearing aids. Cute, right? What’s even cuter is that the Osmonds often used sign language in their performances to keep their older brothers in the loop.

Marie has an adopted daughter, Jessica Blosil, who came out as gay to Marie very matter of factly, according to Marie’s book. When Marie was named Person of the Year by Diane Sawyer, she admitted that she cried when Jessica first came out to her when she was just 17. She said that she cried because of the judgment from others, having lots of friends who were members of the LGBT community, and saying, “I didn’t want that for my child.”

Donny was often mocked for being so uncool as he was growing up. He could have had any girl he wanted or been seriously rock and roll, but felt as though he was too young and that it would go against his devout Mormon principles. He didn’t drink, take drugs, smoke, swear or even do the deed before he got married. Donny has admitted he’s proud of himself for resisting, as he found that troubled stars often looked to him for advice (including Michael Jackson and Prince).

Both Donny and the rest of his family have always said that “God comes first” in their lives. Donny is often asked how he has managed to maintain his success, in which he almost always answers, “God first.” And what’s second? His family of course. He has said that this formula has helped them through a lot of things, despite people thinking he was naive. Of his critics, he’s said, “you’re not naive growing up in this business. I grew up fast.”

Marie Osmond has had her fair share of ups and downs throughout her life, but she seems quite philosophical in the matter. In recent interviews, it seems as though the starlet has found peace. She once said that she didn’t really have a childhood, nor a typical dating life or friends. However, she’s said, “I don’t know that anyone’s life is perfect.” That’s quite a smart way of looking at things, which shows how much Marie has matured over the years.

Living life in the spotlight often meant that the Osmonds grew up with famous friends – the most famous of which was Michael Jackson. Donny was good friends with MJ and often looks back on their time together fondly. One of his favorite memories was after the American Music Awards when he was just 17 where he asked Michael Jackson if he was hungry. The pair jumped into Donny’s limo, ordered tacos, and drove down Sunset Boulevard hanging out of the sunroof eating tacos.

Marie has her very own demands when it comes to stage and interviews, but it’s not something like only red M&Ms in her dressing room. It’s all to do with the lighting! Donny once revealed that whenever they do an interview, Marie specifically asks for the lighting to be changed in a way that suits her. This isn’t really diva behavior as such, considering lighting and shadows can make such a big difference to one’s face.