Marie Osmond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marie Osmond
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Marie Osmond speaking at The Pentagon in 2017.
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| Born |
Olive Marie Osmond
October 13, 1959 Ogden, Utah, U.S.
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| Years active | 1973–present |
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| Spouse(s) |
Stephen Lyle Craig
(m. 1982; div. 1985)
(m. 2011, remarried)Brian Blosil
(m. 1986; div. 2007) |
| Children | 8 |
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| Relatives | Donny Osmond (brother) |
| Family | The Osmonds |
| Musical career | |
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Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959) is an American singer, actress, and TV star. She is known for her friendly image and long career. Marie has had many hit songs, especially in country music. Four of her songs reached number one on the Billboard charts.
In 1973, when she was 14, her song "Paper Roses" became a number-one country hit. This made her the youngest female artist to achieve this. She also had number-one country songs like "Meet Me in Montana" and "There's No Stopping Your Heart". Marie also hosted the TV show Donny & Marie with her brother Donny Osmond. She has acted in TV movies and Broadway musicals. Marie has also written books and helped start the Children's Miracle Network.
Marie is the eighth of nine children in the famous Osmond family. She first appeared on TV on The Andy Williams Show. At 13, she started her country music career. She also recorded songs with her brother Donny. This led to their own TV variety show, which ran until 1979.
In the 1980s, Marie focused on country music. She signed with Capitol Records in 1985. Between 1985 and 1990, she had three number-one songs. She also released albums like There's No Stopping Your Heart (1985).
In the 1990s, Marie started her own doll collection. These dolls were sold on the QVC network. She made her Broadway debut in The King and I in 1994. From 1998 to 2000, she reunited with Donny for their talk show Donny & Marie. Marie also shared her experiences with postpartum depression during this time. She later wrote a book about it called Behind the Smile. In 2004, she hosted her own radio show. In 2007, she was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.
Marie and Donny performed together in Las Vegas from 2008 to 2019. Their show at the Flamingo hotel was very successful. In 2009, they released an album of their duets. Marie released her solo album I Can Do This in 2010. Her country album Music Is Medicine came out in 2016. In 2021, she released a classical album called Unexpected. Marie also co-hosted The Talk from 2019 to 2020. She has appeared in several Lifetime TV movies.
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Early Life and Family
Olive Marie Osmond was born on October 13, 1959, in Ogden, Utah. She was the eighth of nine children. She was the only daughter of Olive May and George Virl Osmond. Her brothers are Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, and Jimmy Osmond. She grew up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Her brothers Virl and Tom were both born deaf. Her other brothers started performing early as a barbershop quartet. They became famous on The Andy Williams Show in the 1960s. Their success led the family to move to Los Angeles. In 1964, when Marie was four, she first appeared on The Andy Williams Show.
Marie spent most of her childhood at home with her mother. She was closest to Donny, and they often played together. Marie also went with her brothers to concerts. She often helped with stage equipment and costumes. At home, the family often sang and harmonized together. Marie remembers that music was always a part of her childhood.
Music Career Highlights
Starting as a Country Star
By 1970, Marie's brothers had formed their group, The Osmonds. They became very popular with many pop songs. It was then suggested that Marie could have her own music career. She decided to focus on country music. She felt it was a genre where women could have both a family and a career.
As a preteen, she made a demo tape. She sang Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors." Don Ovens from MGM Records heard it and was impressed. He signed her to a solo contract.
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In June 1973, Marie recorded nine songs in Nashville, Tennessee. One of these was "Paper Roses." It was released as her first single in August 1973. The song quickly became number one on the US country songs chart. It also reached number one in Canada. The song even became a top-five hit on the US Hot 100. Marie's first album came out in September 1973. It topped the US country albums chart. At 14, she was the youngest female country artist to have a number-one debut single.
In 1974, her song "In My Little Corner of the World" was a top-40 US country hit. In 1975, "Who's Sorry Now" became a top-40 pop song. Two albums, named after these songs, also reached the US country chart.
Singing with Donny
In 1974, Donny was recording "I'm Leaving It All Up to You." He had trouble hitting the high notes. Marie came in to sing harmony, and the song became a hit. It reached number four on the US Hot 100. The album of the same name sold over 500,000 copies. It also had another hit song, "Morning Side of the Mountain." As a duo, Donny and Marie had five more top-40 hits. These included "Deep Purple" and "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing."
From 1976 to 1979, the siblings hosted their own TV show, Donny & Marie. They released three more albums during the show's run. Two of their 1976 albums sold over 500,000 copies each. In 1977, Marie released a solo album of pop songs called This Is the Way That I Feel.
Country Music Comeback
Marie returned to country music in the 1980s. She signed with Capitol Records. She recorded a duet with Dan Seals called "Meet Me in Montana." Released in 1985, it became her second number-one country song. It also won an award for Vocal Duo of the Year. "Meet Me in Montana" was on her album There's No Stopping Your Heart (1985). The album's title track also reached number one. Its third song, "Read My Lips," was a top-five hit.
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In 1986, Marie was nominated for Top Female Vocalist. She also received a Grammy nomination for her duet with Dan Seals. Marie and her family moved to Nashville to help her country career. She toured a lot, doing many shows each year.
Capitol released her next album, I Only Wanted You, in 1986. It was praised for its country pop sound. The album reached the top 20 on the US country albums chart. It included a duet with Paul Davis called "You're Still New to Me." This song topped the US and Canadian country charts. The album's title track was also a top-20 hit.
In 1988, her album All in Love was released. It reached the top 30 on the US country albums chart. Her last Capitol album was Steppin' Stone in 1989. This album had a more traditional country sound.
In 1990, Curb Records released The Best of Marie Osmond. It included new songs, like "Like a Hurricane." She also re-recorded "Paper Roses." In 1995, she had another country song, "What Kind of Man (Walks on a Woman)." However, Marie decided to change her career path. She found it hard to balance family life with touring.
Las Vegas and Recent Music
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In 2008, Donny and Marie started a show at the Flamingo hotel in Las Vegas. The show was so popular it lasted for 11 years, until 2019. They performed 1730 shows, more than any other singing act in Las Vegas history. They won several "Best of Las Vegas Awards" in 2012. A new album by the duo, Donny & Marie, was released in 2011. It reached the top 30 in the US.
As a solo artist, Marie released Magic of Christmas in 2007. This was her first solo album in almost 20 years. It was followed by I Can Do This in 2010, which featured hymns. Marie initially thought she would stop recording music. But she felt inspired to continue.
In 2016, Marie released her tenth album, Music Is Medicine. This was her first country album since 1989. It featured collaborations with Olivia Newton-John and others. Music Is Medicine reached number ten on the US country chart. This was her first solo top-ten album since Paper Roses.
In 2021, Marie released Unexpected. This album featured operatic and traditional pop music. She was nervous about trying a new style. The album included the Prague Symphony Orchestra. It featured songs like "Nessun Dorma" and "Climb Ev'ry Mountain." Unexpected reached number six on the US classical albums chart.
Voice and Musical Style
Marie Osmond has a soprano vocal range. She discovered this while performing on Broadway in the 1990s. Her music includes country pop, pop, classical, and opera. The Blade newspaper said her voice shows "more than a half century of American pop culture history." Marie explained that she chose country music, but pop was easy for her because her brothers sang it. She also loves the styles she learned from Broadway.
Acting and Television Career
Donny & Marie and Early TV Roles
In 1976, Donny and Marie were offered their own TV variety series. This happened after they performed on The Mike Douglas Show. The show, called Donny & Marie, started on ABC that same year. It attracted about 14 million viewers. On the show, they sang and performed comedy sketches. They also had guest performers and their brothers. The duo became famous for the line, "I'm a little bit country and I'm a little bit rock and roll."
The Donny & Marie show was known for its "family friendly" image. The siblings often worked 18-hour days. They learned scripts, changed costumes, and practiced dances. Marie continued her schooling with a tutor on set. She also had chores at home. At one point, a producer told her to lose weight. Marie continued to perform, feeling responsible to her family and audience. The show was later renamed The Osmond Family Hour and ended in May 1979.
In 1978, Donny and Marie starred in their first movie, Goin' Coconuts. The film was not a big success. Later that year, Marie appeared in the TV movie The Gift of Love. It was based on the O. Henry story The Gift of the Magi.
In the late 1970s, Marie was considered for the role of Sandy in the movie Grease. She later said the original character was "a lot edgier" than her image. Between 1980 and 1981, Marie briefly had her own variety show called Marie. In the early 1980s, she acted in more TV movies. These included I Married Wyatt Earp. In 1984, she voiced a character in The Velveteen Rabbit. In 1982, she played her mother Olive in the TV movie Side by Side: The True Story of the Osmond Family. She also hosted Ripley's Believe It or Not! in 1985.
Broadway and Return to Television
Marie focused on her music career in the 1980s. She returned to acting in the 1990s when her touring schedule made it hard to spend time with her children. She wanted a career that allowed her to balance family life. Her manager helped her meet the creators of a new touring show, The Sound of Music. She agreed to play the lead role of Maria von Trapp. She worked with a vocal coach to train her voice for the part. From 1994 to 1995, she toured with the show across the United States. Variety praised her performance. In 1997, Marie starred as Anna Leonowens in The King and I. This was her first performance on Broadway.
In the mid-1990s, Marie returned to television. In 1995, she starred in the sitcom Maybe This Time. She played a divorced mother balancing an entertainment career. The show also featured Betty White. It was canceled after 18 episodes in 1996. Then, Dick Clark asked her to bring back the Donny & Marie show as a talk show. She was unsure about working with her brother again but agreed. In September 1998, Donny & Marie launched as a daytime talk show. The duo filmed one-hour shows six times a week. After two seasons, the talk show was canceled.
In 1999, Donny and Marie co-hosted the Miss America pageant. Marie was the first female host to announce the winner. In 2004, Marie hosted a five-hour radio show called Marie and Friends. The show featured conversations with guests and played current music. It was mainly for women.
In 2006, Marie was a judge on the TV show Celebrity Duets. This show paired celebrities with professional musicians. In August 2007, Marie joined Dancing with the Stars. She was paired with a professional dancer for weekly competitions. In her autobiography, she wrote that she "didn't know how to dance." She experienced breathing problems and fainted on air during one episode. She was medically checked and was fine. She continued on the show and finished in third place in November 2007.
Recent TV Roles
In the early 2010s, Marie was asked again to host her own talk show. In 2012, it was announced she would have a show on the Hallmark Channel called Marie. The show featured guests discussing social issues and giving lifestyle advice. Marie also performed and shared tips on cooking and fashion. The show debuted in late 2012 with Betty White as her first guest. Hallmark canceled the show after one season.
After leaving Hallmark, Marie became a regular guest co-host on the CBS show The Talk. She guest-hosted 40 times. In 2019, she became an official co-host. She joined Sheryl Underwood, Carrie Ann Inaba, Sharon Osbourne, and Eve. In September 2020, Marie left the show after one season. She said she wanted to focus on family and other TV opportunities.
After leaving The Talk, Marie acted in several TV movies. In 2019, she played a Nashville singer in the Lifetime film The Road Home for Christmas. In 2020, she co-starred in The Christmas Edition. In 2021, she co-starred in A Fiancé for Christmas. The Digital Journal praised her performance. The same year, Marie appeared on an episode of Fantasy Island. In 2023, she appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful.
Business Ventures
Children's Miracle Network
Marie was inspired to help sick children. She saw how her deaf brothers struggled to learn to speak. Her parents also taught her to help others. In 1981, Marie and her brothers were with actor John Schneider. Both Marie and John wanted to help sick children. This led them to co-found the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
This organization raises money for sick children. The donations go to hospitals across the country. Since it started, the organization has raised billions of dollars for children. Marie has met with many families through the network. She is part of the program's yearly broadcast to raise funds. She is thankful that the Children's Miracle Network helps families get support and technology.
Doll Business
Marie and her mother started collecting dolls when Marie was young. They would buy a doll as a souvenir in each city they visited. As an adult, Marie started sculpting her own dolls in her free time. This became a business in 1990 called Marie Osmond Fine Porcelain Dolls.
Her dolls were sold at Wal-Mart and on the QVC network. One of her most famous dolls was the Olive May doll, named after her mother. This doll set a record on QVC, selling three million dolls in less than 15 minutes. Her original collection had 40 dolls in six different series. These included the Miracle Children series, which related to the Children's Miracle Network. In 2001, Marie said she had designed about 550 different dolls. According to her website, Marie is now "retired" from making dolls.
Nutrisystem
In the 2000s, Marie gained about 40 pounds. After her mother had a stroke, she told Marie to "take care of yourself." In 2007, Marie decided to change her lifestyle. Her children were worried about her weight. She felt she needed to make a change for her children.
Marie found the Nutrisystem program. She lost 50 pounds and went from a size 14 to a size four. She then became a spokesperson for Nutrisystem. On their website, Marie is listed as a "success story." She has also created a program through the company called "Complete 50" for women aged 50 and older.
Writing Career
Marie Osmond has written four books. Three of them have been on The New York Times Best Seller list. Her first book was Behind the Smile: My Journey Out of Postpartum Depression (2001). She wrote it with Marcia Wilkie and Dr. Judith Moore. The book described her experience with postpartum depression after her child was born. She hoped that by sharing her story, other women would seek help for their mental health. Ability magazine praised the book. Marie was the first celebrity to speak openly about postpartum depression.
Marie and Marcia Wilkie wrote a second book in 2009 called Might as Well Laugh About It Now. This book shared stories and memories from her life. Marie said she wanted to write about things that were meaningful to her. She said it was about attitude and choosing to laugh about life. The Deseret News called the book "funny" and "moving."
Marie wrote two more books in the 2010s. In 2010, she wrote Marie Osmond's Heartfelt Giving: Sew and Quilt for Family and Friends. This "how-to" book gave instructions for craft projects. In 2013, her third book, The Key Is Love, was released. This book shared personal stories, many about her mother.
Personal Life
Marriages and Children
Marie Osmond has been married three times. She married her first husband, Steve Craig, in 1982. He was a basketball player. Their son, Stephen James Craig, Jr., was born in 1983. They divorced in 1985. Marie said she was emotionally exhausted from trying to make the young marriage work.
In 1986, she married record producer Brian Blosil. They had seven children together. Two were biological: Rachael and Matthew. Five were adopted: Jessica, Michael, Brandon, Brianna, and Abigail. After 21 years of marriage, they divorced in 2007.
After her second divorce, Marie thought she would never marry again. However, she and her first husband, Steve Craig, reunited. Their son helped them meet again. They secretly dated for two years before telling anyone. They remarried on May 4, 2011. The private ceremony took place at the Las Vegas Mormon Temple. Marie wore her original wedding dress from 1982. She told People magazine that in a second marriage, you realize what's truly important. She loves being with her husband and says he is the sweetest man she knows.
In March 2020, Marie stated that she plans to leave her fortune to charity. She believes it would be a disservice to her children to leave them money. She wants them to make their own money.
Discography
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Solo Studio Albums
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Donny and Marie Studio Albums
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Filmography
- Films
- Hugo the Hippo (1975)
- The Gift of Love (1978)
- Goin' Coconuts (1978)
- The Velveteen Rabbit (1984)
- Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night (1998)
- O Christmas Tree (1999)
Books
- Behind the Smile: My Journey Out of Postpartum Depression (2001) (with Marcia Wilkie and Dr. Judith Moore)
- Might as Well Laugh About It Now (2009) (with Marcia Wilkie)
- Marie Osmond's Heartfelt Giving: Sew and Quilt for Family and Friends (2010)
- The Key Is Love: My Mother's Wisdom, A Daughter's Gratitude (2013) (with Marcia Wilkie)
Awards and Nominations
Marie Osmond has received many awards and nominations. These include honors from the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, Grammy Awards, and Daytime Emmy Awards.
See also
In Spanish: Marie Osmond para niños
