Alan Osmond Dead, Eldest Brother in Osmonds Family Band Dies at 76

Alan Osmond, the eldest singing member of The Osmonds family singing group has died at 76. The family announced the news to KSL TV 5 in the group’s native state of Utah, with no cause of death revealed at press time. The family revealed that Osmond died on Monday (April 20), surrounded by his wife Suzanne and their eight sons.

Osmond — who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987 — and his nine siblings grew up as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ogden, Utah, getting their start in music singing in their church choir. At age nine, he started a barbershop quartet with brothers Wayne, Merrill and Jay in 1958, with the squeaky clean group quickly picking up gigs at Disneyland in L.A. and frequent guest spots NBC’s The Andy Williams Show variety hour from 1962-1967. Alan, referred to as “No. 1” by his younger brothers, took up the mantle as the group’s leader, with the family band originally forming as a way to raise money for hearing aids for their hearing impaired older brothers, Virl and Tom Osmond.

In 1963, the brothers were joined by younger sibling and future break-out star Donny, then six-years-old, who made his debut on the Williams Show, turning the quartet into a quintet. A few years later, their youngest brother, Jimmy, joined the band as well.

The Osmonds, who were known as “one-take Osmonds” for their efficiency, precision and constant rehearsing, moved on to The Jerry Lewis Show from 1967-1969 and slowly morphed from a vocal group to a pop/rock group, signing to MGM Records and recording at the famed Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama. It was there they recorded their only No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit, 1971’s Jackson 5-esque bubblegum pop bop “One Bad Apple.”

The legendarily clean-cut, family-friendly band followed up with the more R&B-leaning, horn-spiked “Yo Yo” (1971, No. 3 on Hot 100), “Down By the Lazy River” (1972, No. 4), the lush ballad “Love Me For a Reason” (1974, No. 10) and the rocking “Crazy Horses” (1972, No. 14), which were among the 13 songs the group landed on the Hot 100. They released more than a dozen albums form 1968 through their swan song, 1984’s One Way Rider, four of which landed in the top 20 on the Billboard 200 album chart: 1972’s Phase III (No. 10), 1972’s The Osmonds “Live” (No. 13), 1971’s Osmonds (No. 14) and 1972’s Crazy Horses (No. 14). The group also charted nine other records on the Billboard 200 during their run.

Alan Ralph Osmond was born on June 22, 1949 in Ogden, Utah. He married Suzanne Pinegar, a BYU cheerleader, in 1974 and they had eight sons. In 1980, Alan and brother Merrill founded the Stadium of Fire in Provo, Utah, which now regularly hosts one of the biggest Fourth of July celebrations in the country.

Donny Osmond paid tribute to his brother in a loving Instagram post on Tuesday (April 21) that featured one of the earliest black and white pictures of the pair as children. “Even back then, you can see that he had his arm around me, watching over me. That’s who he was. My protector. My guide. The one who quietly carried so much responsibility so the rest of us could shine,” Donny wrote. “Alan was our leader in every sense of the word. His tireless work helped build everything we became. I will always be grateful for the sacrifices he made and the love he showed — not just to me, but to every member of our family.”

Donny added, “I owe him more than I can ever fully express. I love you, Alan. Thank you for always being there for me. Till we meet again.”

Alan, who in addition to singing and playing rhythm guitar was also a producer on the ABC variety program the Donny & Marie Show (1976-1979) and a key songwriter and producer of the family band, retired from performing in 1987 following his MS diagnosis. The singer and his family were also key players behind the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon, which raised more than $2 billion for children’s hospitals in the U.S. He also helped found the One Heart Foundation, which provided support to orphans.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Alan’s final public performance was in 2019, when he appeared alongside Merrill, Wayne and Jay on The Talk for sister Marie’s 60th birthday.