Donny Osmond

Biography: An American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long running variety program, The Andy Williams Show. Donny went solo in the early 1970s covering such hits as "Go Away Little Girl" and "Puppy Love."

For over thirty five years, he and younger sister Marie have gained fame as Donny & Marie, partly due to the success of their 1976-79 self-titled variety series, which aired on ABC. The duo also did a 1998-2000 talk show and have been headlining in Las Vegas since 2008. Between a highly successful teen career in the 1970s, and his rebirth in the 1990s, Osmond?s career was stymied during the 1980s by what some have perceived as his "boy scout" image. Osmond stated on the May 1, 2009 Larry King Live show that longtime friend Michael Jackson suggested he change his name to boost his image. Osmond?s agent even suggested that spreading false rumors about drug arrest charges might recharge his career. Osmond felt said allegations would have familial ramifications, and couldn?t reconcile how lying to create a nefarious drug image could be explained to his children, nieces and nephews. In 1989, Osmond had two big-selling recordings, the first of which, "Soldier of Love," was initially credited to a "mystery artist" by some radio stations.

From 1992-1997 Osmond played Joseph in the Toronto production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Creator Andrew Lloyd Webber, impressed by Osmond?s talents and the show?s successful six year run, chose him for the 1999 film version.

In 2009, Osmond won the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars.

Osmond was born in Ogden, Utah, the seventh son of Olive May Osmond (née Davis) and George Virl Osmond. He is the brother of Alan, Jay, Jimmy, Merrill, Wayne, Marie, Tom, and Virl Osmond. Alan, Jay, Merrill, Wayne, and Donny were members of the popular singing group The Osmonds (also known as The Osmond Brothers, which later included tracks with youngest brother Jimmy as well). Donny was raised as a Mormon in Utah along with his siblings. Osmond later traced his family ancestry back to Merthyr Tydfil in Wales; his journey was documented in a BBC Wales program, Donny Osmond Coming Home. On the BBC?s The One Show a plaque was unveiled in the town commemorating ?the ancestors of Donny Osmond?.

Osmond married Debra Glenn (born in Billings, Montana on February 26, 1959) on May 8, 1978, in the Salt Lake Temple. Together they have five sons.

Osmond became a grandfather for the first time on August 21, 2005, when his second son Jeremy and daughter-in-law Melisa had a son.

Like the rest of his family, he is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In retrospect, he has written, "It would have been nice to be able to have served a regular full-time mission, but when I was of that age, my career was such that everyone, including my parents and the leaders of the church, thought that I could do a lot of good in the world by continuing being in the public eye, by living an exemplary life and sharing my beliefs in every way that I could". He continues sharing his beliefs in an extensive letters-and-comments portion of his website