Donny Osmond Says He Almost Lost His Life During the Time as a Teenage Celebrity

Donny Osmond and his siblings became icons in the 1970s. The Osmonds scored huge success, and alongside his sister Marie, Donny was a natural entertainer with his huge smile and great talent.

As a child, Danny Osmond became a celebrity. However, fame can also be a toxic thing. And for Donny, it was no different.

Donny Osmond was born on December 9, 1957, in Odgen, Utah. Right from the start he was an entertainer, performing alongside his older siblings as a part of the Osmond Brothers when he was just a young child.

His older siblings, Alan, Wayne Merrill and Jay were already entertainers by the time Donny was born, and had sung together for many years.

Donny Osmond – early life

Soon Donny was added to the group – and the rest is pretty much history.

Donny was born as the seventh of nine children. His parents had always dreamed of having a large family and their home was very religious. Donny grew up with strict discipline, but plenty of music as well. Both his parents – Olive and George – were singers, and every Friday night, the whole family got together to sing, play saxophone and talk about things going on in the world.

At three years old, Donny and his family left Utah to pursue their big career in show business. The next destination was Hollywood, but the move wasn’t all great for Donny.

“It was kind of a traumatic day for me, he said. “It was kind of fun at first but then I got homesick for my sandbox, my truck. But it was a new life.”

At this point, Donny’s older siblings Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay had become a real attraction, performing as a child group. In 1962, they were recognized by Walt Disney and got a job at Disneyland, performing on the television show Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.

At just 5 years of age, Donny Osmond entered the world of show business as well. At this point, the Osmond siblings found themselves singing and performing on The Andy Williams Show, and Donny also got his moment.

“I went from an innocent child to a national television star. My career took on a life of its own.”

The Osmonds

What followed was a life as a huge celebrity, one that’s still being lived now.

Donny and his siblings were The Osmonds, performing in front of thousands of screaming fans all over the US and even in Europe. However, life on the road was hard on Donny, since he was just a little kid. He missed his toys, he was homesick and tired.

“It was a life of extremes,” he recalled. “On stage, twenty thousand girls screaming your name and then go to a silence hotel room.”

But Donny didn’t get much sympathy in his letters. His father George – who also was their manager – beat him and lectured him about not complaining.

“It’s easy to blame the parent,” Donny Osmond told The Guardian. “I got over that quickly and realized my father is not perfect but he did the best he could. He was very strict and all that, but you have to remember that he was an army sergeant who was raised by an abusive stepfather and he was kicked out of the house when he was in his teens.”

“When you look at his background, the man is a hero,” Osmond added. “Especially keeping nine children together in the world of show business. He really did it right, in my opinion. He disciplined us the best way he possibly could.”