The Osmonds legend Alan Osmond dies aged 76 after living with multiple sclerosis
He was the oldest member of The Osmonds family band.
Alan Osmond has died at the age of 76, his family has confirmed.
The lead singer and oldest member of The Osmonds family band passed away with his wife and their eight sons at his bedside in his home city of Orem, near Salt Lake City, according to local media in Utah.
He had been living with multiple sclerosis (MS) since his diagnosis in 1987.
Osmond began his career in 1958 as a member of a barbershop quartet with his brothers Wayne, Merrill and Jay.
The group originally started performing to raise money for hearing aids for their brothers, Virl and Tom Osmond, who weren't part of the band.
Their younger siblings Donny and Jimmy later joined the group and they became known as The Osmonds.
In 1962, the family became regular performers on the variety programme, The Andy Williams Show, which cemented the group as a household name.
The band also made many guest appearances acting and performing on US Western series The Travel Of Jaimie McPheeters.
In the 1970s, the group skyrocketed to global fame and became teen heartthrobs with hits such as One Bad Apple, Crazy Horses and Love Me For A Reason.
Osmond was one of the band's key songwriters and composers and helped write some of their biggest songs.
Donny later left the band to go solo, reaching new levels of fame, and went on to form a double act with their sister Marie, who also had a career as a solo artist.
The group remained together right up until their 50th anniversary in 2007, when Alan and Wayne - who died last year at the age of 73 - retired due to health issues.
In 2024, Osmond published his memoir, One Way Ticket, which follows his journey to global fame as the leader of the band, while also detailing his battle with MS.
Reflecting on his diagnosis, he shared: "I was on stage and couldn’t raise my right hand. I trusted my Heavenly Father. You have to have opposition in life - this was my test."
Osmond is survived by his wife Suzanne, their eights sons, 30 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, as well as his siblings Virl, Tom, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Jimmy, and Marie.
Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
