Goodbye to Wayne Osmond, member of The Osmonds

Wayne Osmond, singer and guitarist of the band he founded together with his brothers Alan, Merrill and Jay, initially known as the Osmond Brothers and then as the Osmonds, a group not particularly popular in Italy but which in the 1970s in Great Britain it sparked scenes almost similar to Beatlemania.

The sad news of his passing was shared by his family. As reported by his brother Merrill, Wayne passed away in a hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, after a “serious stroke.” “I have never known a more humble man,” wrote Merrill Osmond on Facebook: “A man with absolutely no malice. A person who was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he met.”

In a statement, the Osmond family said: “His legacy of faith, music, love and laughter has touched the lives of many people around the world. He wanted everyone to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, to know that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him dearly.”

Born on August 28, 1951 in Ogden, Utah, Wayne Osmond was the fourth of nine children. He learned to sing in church and kicked off his career as a boy when he founded the Osmond Brothers in 1958 with his older brother Alan and younger brothers Merrill and Jay. After being discovered at Disneyland, the group gained more and more visibility by participating in television programs such as “The Lawrence Welk Show” and “The Andy Williams Show”. The other brothers Donny and Jimmy then joined the band. The band reached the height of their fame in the 1970s, with the hit single “One Bad Apple” spending five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.