Donny Osmond facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Donny Osmond
Osmond in 2010
Born	Donald Clark Osmond (1957-12-09) December 9, 1957 (age 67) Ogden, Utah, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter actor television host dancer
Years active	1963–present
Spouse(s)	Debra Glenn ​ (m. 1978)​
Children	5
Musical career
Genres	Vocal pop rock R&B bubblegum pop blue-eyed soul comedy musical theater
Instruments	Vocals piano
Labels	Universal Decca

Donald Clark Osmond (born December 9, 1957) is a famous American singer, dancer, actor, and TV host. He first became well-known as a young star. He performed with his four older brothers in a group called The Osmonds. They had many popular songs and sold millions of albums.

In the early 1970s, Donny started his own singing career. He released several more hit songs on his own. He also became very famous for hosting the TV show Donny & Marie from 1976 to 1979. He hosted this show with his sister, Marie Osmond. Donny and Marie also had many hit songs together.

Later, they hosted a talk show from 1998 to 2000. For 11 years, Donny and Marie performed together in Las Vegas. They stopped their show at the Flamingo Las Vegas in 2019. Donny also won Dancing with the Stars in 2009. He was also the runner-up on The Masked Singer in 2019.

Donny Osmond's Early Life

Donny Osmond was born on December 9, 1957, in Ogden, Utah. He was the seventh son of Olive and George Osmond. He has eight brothers and sisters: Alan, Jay, Jimmy, Merrill, Wayne, Marie, Tom, and Virl. Alan, Jay, Merrill, Wayne, and Donny were all part of the popular singing group, The Osmonds.

Donny grew up in Utah as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His family has roots in Wales, which was shown in a TV program called Donny Osmond Coming Home. When he was young, Donny even had a special license for talking on a ham radio.

Donny's Music Journey

Becoming a Teen Star: 1971–1978

Donny Osmond in 1974

The Osmond Brothers (Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay) were discovered by Andy Williams' father. They were invited to perform on The Andy Williams Show. Donny Osmond made his first appearance on the show in 1963 when he was just five years old. He sang the song "You Are My Sunshine". The brothers became very popular and were regular guests on the show.

In the early 1970s, Donny became a huge teen idol. He sang solo songs while still performing with his brothers. He was often featured on the covers of popular teen magazines like Tiger Beat. His first solo hit was "Sweet and Innocent" in 1971. Other big hits followed, like "Go Away Little Girl" (which reached No. 1) and "Puppy Love". These songs made him famous around the world. He even appeared on the Here's Lucy TV show in 1972.

The Osmonds in the Netherlands (1973)

His Comeback in Music: 1989–1990

In the 1980s, Donny and his brothers wanted to sing for an older audience. Donny was able to restart his pop music career. He worked with music expert Steven Machat and even with famous singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel. In 1989, Donny returned to the music charts with the song "Soldier of Love". This song was a big hit, reaching No. 2. His next song, "Sacred Emotion", also made it into the top twenty.

Donny's Music Today: 1991–Present

Donny Osmond has continued to sing for movies and release albums. He sang "No One Has to Be Alone" for the movie The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water. He also sang "I'll Make a Man Out of You" for Disney's movie Mulan.

In the 2000s, he released a Christmas album and an album of Broadway songs. In 2004, he had another hit song in the UK called "Breeze On By". This song was co-written with Gary Barlow from the band Take That. His 17th solo album, The Soundtrack of My Life, came out in 2015. It features cover songs that are special to Donny. Stevie Wonder even played harmonica on one of the songs.

Donny & Marie in Las Vegas

"Donny & Marie" marquee at the Flamingo Las Vegas

After Marie Osmond was on Dancing with the Stars in 2007, she and Donny decided to perform together in Las Vegas. Their show started in September 2008. It was so popular that it ran for 11 years, ending in November 2019. Donny and Marie performed at the Flamingo Hotel in a 750-seat theater.

Their show was 90 minutes long and included eight dancers and a nine-person band. Donny and Marie sang together and also had their own solo parts. The Flamingo Hotel even renamed their showroom the "Donny and Marie Theater" in 2014. The show won several awards, including "Best Show" in Las Vegas in 2012. Donny also won "Best Singer" in 2012 and 2013.

Donny's TV and Film Career

The Donny & Marie Shows

In 1974, Donny and Marie hosted The Mike Douglas Show for a week. This led to them getting their own TV show, The Donny & Marie Show. This variety show aired on ABC from 1976 to 1979. Donny and Marie received a Pop Culture Award in 2015 for their impact on American TV.

They also hosted a talk show called Donny & Marie from 1998 to 2000. They sometimes performed with musical guests on the show. The show was nominated for awards but was eventually canceled.

Other Hosting Jobs

Donny Osmond hosted the game show Pyramid in the US from 2002 to 2004. He also hosted a British version of Pyramid in 2007. He was even nominated for an award for his hosting on Pyramid. Donny is one of only two game show hosts to host the same show in different countries.

He also hosted a reality-game show called The Great American Dream Vote in 2007. In 2008, he co-hosted the Miss USA Pageant with his sister, Marie. Donny also worked as a commentator for Entertainment Tonight when his sister Marie was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.

Donny in Movies and TV Shows

Donny Osmond has appeared in many TV shows and movies. He voiced himself as a character in the cartoon series Johnny Bravo. He has also made guest appearances on shows like Friends and Hannah Montana.

In 1978, he starred in the movie Goin' Coconuts with his sister Marie. In 1998, Donny was the singing voice for Captain Li Shang in Disney's animated movie Mulan. He sang the popular song "I'll Make a Man Out of You". In 1999, he played the main role of Joseph in the movie version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Donny also appeared in a Pepsi Twist commercial during the Super Bowl with Marie and Ozzy Osbourne. In 2008, he was in the movie College Road Trip. He also appeared in "Weird Al" Yankovic's music video for the song "White & Nerdy" in 2006.

In 2019, Donny was revealed to be the "Peacock" on the first season of The Masked Singer. He finished as the runner-up on the show.

Donny on Dancing with the Stars

Donny Osmond and his dance partner, Kym Johnson, competed on the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars in 2009. He wanted to prove he was a better dancer than his sister Marie, who had also competed on the show.

Donny performed many different dances, including the foxtrot, jive, rumba, and Argentine tango. He often received high scores from the judges. In the final week, he performed a perfect-scoring freestyle dance. Donny won the competition, becoming the oldest winner of the show at that time. When he accepted his trophy, he shared the moment with his wife, Debbie, and his sister, Marie.

Donny later returned to Dancing with the Stars as a guest judge in 2014. He also guest-judged on the British version of the show, Strictly Come Dancing.

Donny's Theater Roles

Donny Osmond in 1998

Donny Osmond has also starred in many musical plays. His first Broadway show was Little Johnny Jones in 1982.

He found great success playing Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He performed this role over 2,000 times starting in 1992. He even moved to Chicago for 16 months to perform the show there. The creator of the musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber, later chose Donny to star in the 1999 movie version.

In 2006, Donny returned to Broadway to play Gaston in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. He was supposed to perform for nine weeks, but he stayed longer because people loved his performance. He played Gaston again for the final show of Beauty and the Beast in 2007.

Donny and Marie also performed a holiday show called Donny & Marie – A Broadway Christmas. They performed it on Broadway in 2010 and in Chicago in 2011. They performed a similar show on Broadway again in 2014. Donny is also set to play the role of Pharaoh in a new production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2024.

Other Things Donny Does

Donny Osmond Home Collection

In 2013, Donny and his wife Debbie started a collection of furniture and home decor. It's called Donny Osmond Home. They work with different companies to create these items.

Donny as an Author

Donny Osmond wrote a book about his life called Life is Just What You Make It: My Story So Far. It was released in 1999. The book shares stories from his time as a teen star. It also talks about how he felt nervous when performing on stage.

Donny's Personal Life

Donny Osmond married Debra Glenn on May 8, 1978. They have five sons together: Don, Jeremy, Brandon, Chris, and Josh. Donny and Debbie became grandparents in 2005 and now have 14 grandchildren. One of their sons, Chris, appeared on a TV show called Claim to Fame. On the show, contestants have to guess which famous person their competitors are related to.

Like his family, Donny is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has said that his career allowed him to share his beliefs with many people. Donny's two oldest brothers, Virl and Tom, are deaf. His nephew, Justin, has hearing problems. Donny has talked about growing up with his brothers and how they used sign language when they performed.

Donny has also learned about his family's history in Wales. This journey was shown in a BBC TV program. A special plaque was even put up in Wales to remember Donny Osmond's ancestors.

Donny Osmond's Music Albums

Studio Albums

• The Donny Osmond Album (1971)
• To You with Love, Donny (1971)
• Portrait of Donny (1972)
• Too Young (1972)
• Alone Together (1973)
• A Time for Us (1973)
• Donny (1974)
• Disco Train (1976)
• Donald Clark Osmond (1977)
• Donny Osmond (1989)
• Eyes Don't Lie (1990)
• Christmas at Home (1997)
• This Is the Moment (2001)
• Somewhere in Time (2002)
• What I Meant to Say (2004)
• Love Songs of the 70s (2007)
• The Soundtrack of My Life (2015)
• Start Again (2021)

Donny Osmond's Filmography

Television Shows

Movies

Voice Roles in Cartoons

Music Videos

Donny Osmond's Theater Performances

Donny Osmond's Commercials and Ads

See also

In Spanish: Donny Osmond para niños