Misplaced Pages

Wayne Osmond
Osmond in 1971
Born	Melvin Wayne Osmond (1951-08-28)August 28, 1951 Ogden, Utah, U.S.
Died	January 1, 2025(2025-01-01) (aged 73) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Occupations	Musician singer multi-instrumentalist
Years active	1962–2019
Spouse	Kathlyn White ​(m. 1974)​
Children	5

Melvin Wayne Osmond (August 28, 1951 – January 1, 2025) was an American musician. He was the second-oldest of the original Osmond Brothers singers and the fourth-oldest of the nine Osmond children.

The Osmonds

Starting in 1958, Wayne and three of his brothers (Alan, Merrill, and Jay in their respective age orders) began singing as a barbershop quartet. They were later discovered in 1961 by Jay Emerson Williams, the father of Andy Williams, at a performance at Disneyland which was being filmed for the Disneyland After Dark episode of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. In 1962, the four Osmonds were cast over a seven-year period on NBC's The Andy Williams Show, a musical variety program. After their early singles failed, MGM Records signed the band, inspired by the success of the Jackson 5, and sent them to Muscle Shoals. There, they recorded One Bad Apple, a song initially written for the Jacksons but rejected by their label. Each of these four Osmond brothers were also cast in nine episodes of the 1963–1964 ABC Western series, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, with Wayne in the role of young Leviticus Kissel.

In the band's rock formation, Osmond played guitar and occasionally drums, among many other instruments, with Osmond recalling shortly before his death that he learned to play eight instruments during his time with the band. He was found to have perfect pitch.

His last intended appearance with the Osmonds was October 13, 2018; however, the four brothers performed as a group a year later at CBS daytime show The Talk, as a birthday present to their sister, Marie.

Personal life and death

Osmond was born on August 28, 1951, to Olive May (née Davis; 1925–2004) and George Virl Osmond (1917–2007) in Ogden, Utah. He was the fourth oldest out of nine children: Amy, Steven, Gregory, Sarah, and Michelle. Like the rest of his family, he was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, mainly because he "like(d) being part of that organization," one that aligned with his personal values. In 2004, he said of his faith: "we have a very high moral and ethical code that we live by . . . it's not something that's forced upon us. Anyone can do what they want to; everyone has their free agency. In fact, that's God's greatest gift to mankind, his free agency." He also noted that he had never felt substantial temptation to engage in the stereotypical excesses of musicians such as extramarital affairs, vulgar language or substance abuse.

On December 13, 1974, Osmond married Kathlyn White from Bountiful, Utah, a former Miss Davis County Fair and Miss Utah of 1974. They had five children, three daughters and two sons. In the 1990s, Osmond moved to Branson, Missouri. In 1997, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which was successfully treated at the expense of his hearing; the treatment left Osmond nearly deaf and reliant on a cochlear implant. He continued to tour and perform with Merrill and Jay (Alan had left the touring production due to multiple sclerosis) until a stroke in 2012 left him unable to play guitar. He held a pilot's license, from which he earned the nickname "Wings," and continued to fly aircraft until mobility issues prevented him from doing so near the end of his life. He also mentored Alan's son David Osmond, who had followed in the Osmond family musical tradition.

Osmond suffered another, more severe stroke and died at University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, on January 1, 2025, at the age of 73, surrounded by his wife and five children. The official statement from his family read: "His legacy of faith, music, love, and laughter have influenced the lives of many people around the world. He would want everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him dearly.”

Discography

See also

• List of people with brain tumors

References

1. Amy Argetsinger (November 30, 2014). "A brief musical history of the Osmonds in 13 songs". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 3, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
2. Savage, Mark. "Wayne Osmond, singer with The Osmonds, dies at 73". www.bbc.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
3. ^ Benson, Lee (December 27, 2018). "They're still the Osmond Brothers after all these years". Deseret News. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
4. ^ "Wayne Osmond, brother of Donny and Marie, dies at age 73 - CBS News". CBS News. January 2, 2025. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
5. ^ Culbertson, Mary (January 2, 2025). "Wayne Osmond dies at 73". KSLTV.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
6. "George and Olive's legacy: Osmonds still standing on principles". Deseret News. December 30, 2018. Archived from the original on January 2, 2019.
7. ^ "Wayne Osmond, member of Utah's singing Osmond Brothers, dies at 73". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
8. Gaspich, Caroline; Hunter, Natalie; Salinas, Julianna (January 2, 2025). "Wayne Osmond dies at 73 as famous family pens statement". The Mirror US. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
9. ^ DeYoung, Bill (January 16, 2004). "After 47 years, Osmonds still squeaky-clean". Deseret News. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
10. ^ Stefanich, Logan (January 2, 2025). "'Pillar of kindness, talent and unwavering faith': Utah musician Wayne Osmond dies at 73". KSL. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
11. Cooper-Fiske, Casey (January 3, 2025). "Wayne Osmond dies aged 73". Irish Examiner. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
12. Ables, Kelsey (January 2, 2025). "Wayne Osmond, founding member of the Osmonds, is dead at 73". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
13. ^ Sanders, Hank; Lindner, Emmett (January 3, 2025). "Wayne Osmond, Singer and Guitarist With the Osmonds, Dies at 73". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 3, 2025. Retrieved January 3, 2025.

External links

• Wayne Osmond at IMDb
• Wayne Osmond discography at Discogs

• Biography
• Utah
• California
• United States
• Music
• Television

This article about an American musician is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• 1951 births
• 2025 deaths
• 20th-century American drummers
• 20th-century American flautists
• 20th-century American guitarists
• 20th-century American male musicians
• 20th-century American pianists
• 21st-century American clarinetists
• 21st-century American flautists
• 21st-century American male musicians
• 21st-century American pianists
• 21st-century American saxophonists
• 21st-century American violinists
• American bagpipe players
• American banjoists
• American Latter Day Saints
• American lead guitarists
• American male drummers
• American male guitarists
• American male pianists
• American male pop singers
• American male saxophonists
• American male television actors
• American multi-instrumentalists
• American pop rock singers
• American rock drummers
• American rock guitarists
• American rock pianists
• American rock saxophonists
• American rock singers
• Guitarists from Los Angeles
• Guitarists from Utah
• Musicians from Ogden, Utah
• Osmond family (show business)
• The Osmonds members
• People from Branson, Missouri
• Songwriters from California
• American musician stubs