Alan Osmond, 'crazy Horses' Co-songwriter And Eldest Member Of The Osmonds, Dies At 76

Alan Osmond, nan eldest personnel of showbiz family the Osmonds, died Monday. He was 76.

According to a family spokesperson, Alan was location pinch his wife, Suzanne Osmond, and their 8 sons astatine nan clip of his death. Before his passing, Alan utilized a wheelchair and spent a week successful intensive attraction earlier returning to his Lehi, Utah, location connected Thursday. Osmond had lived for decades pinch aggregate sclerosis.

Donny Osmond shared a tribute to his relative connected societal media Tuesday morning, posting a photograph of a young Alan holding a babe Donny.

“Even backmost then, you tin spot that he had his limb astir me, watching complete me,” Donny wrote. “That’s who he was. My protector. My guide. The 1 who softly carried truthful overmuch work truthful nan remainder of america could shine.

“Alan was our leader successful each consciousness of nan word. His tireless activity helped build everything we became. I will ever beryllium grateful for nan sacrifices he made and nan emotion he showed—not conscionable to me, but to each personnel of our family. I beryllium him much than I tin ever afloat express.”

Alan Osmond helped pen immoderate of nan Osmonds’ chart-topping hits, including “One Bad Apple,” “Crazy Horses” and “Are You Up There?”

Born successful Ogden, Utah, connected June 22, 1949, Alan Osmond’s storied philharmonic profession began successful nan 1950s erstwhile his musically inclined begetter George taught him and his brothers Wayne, Merrill and Jay to singing tight harmonies arsenic a barbershop quartet. The extremity was to raise costs for nan 2 eldest Osmond siblings, Virl and Tom, who were calved pinch terrible proceeding nonaccomplishment and needed pricey, specialized acquisition and proceeding aids.

Alan Osmond was nan oldest of nan performing group and nan third-oldest of his siblings. The brothers trim their teeth arsenic performers moving nan authorities adjacent circuit successful Utah. Then a fortuitous gig astatine Disneyland led to a tv debut connected “Disney After Dark” successful 1962.

“Walt Disney was location and saw us,” Alan Osmond said during a 2023 KSL News Utah special. “He came complete and he saw our routine. Jay made a correction pinch this small chapeau routine. [Walt] said, ‘Keep it successful nan act!’”

According to Alan, assortment show big Andy Williams’ begetter saw nan brothers execute connected “Disney After Dark,” and nan remainder was history. “That launched america into our profession connected TV,” he said.

The group became regulars connected “The Andy Williams Show,” performing much than 60 times from 1962 done 1967. In 1968, nan group moved to “The Jerry Lewis Show,” and past returned to “Andy Williams” successful 1969.

“They knocked america each out,” Williams said during nan KSL special. “They were terrific.”

By nan precocious ‘60s, nan wholesome harmonies of nan group were going retired of style, and a caller era of euphony dominated. The brothers took announcement and leveraged their musicianship to reinvent themselves. Alan played piano, guitar, co-wrote and co-produced songs alongside Merrill, who besides played bass and sang lead vocals. Jay played nan drums, Wayne handled lead guitar, and Donny played keyboard and helped Merrill retired pinch vocals. The group pivoted from tv to nan signaling workplace and, backed by MGM Records, released their 3rd album, “Osmonds,” successful nan autumn of 1970.

In 1971, nan Osmonds tallied 9 golden records, surpassing single-year bests by Elvis and nan Beatles. Not only was nan stone ‘n’ rotation medium considered a breakthrough for nan group, but a prima emerged: Donny.

In nan mid-to-late 1970s, Alan became a main shaper connected ABC’s deed tv show “The Donny & Marie Show,” starring his relative and sister.

“A batch of them say, ‘Well, you killed your stone and rotation profession because you ever helped Donny and Marie truthful much,’” Alan told KSL. “And I said, ‘You cognize what? That’s what families do.’”

“The Donny & Marie Show” wrapped successful 1979, and nan original Osmond brothers — Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay — returned to nan shape successful 1982, but this clip arsenic a state group. At nan time, Alan told nan Associated Press that he switched to state euphony because it amended fresh their wholesome image.

“Country euphony really is nan backbone of America,” he said. “It doesn’t conscionable travel and go. And we’re benignant of flag-wavers. You find that successful nan state area, too.”

In 1987, Alan Osmond was diagnosed pinch aggregate sclerosis. It caused him to discontinue from performing pinch his family.

Merrill Osmond besides paid tribute to Alan successful a societal media post, penning that he was pinch his relative conscionable 2 days earlier he passed.

“We talked arsenic brothers do, bosom to heart,” he wrote. “He was struggling, but erstwhile I shared a joke aliases two, he recovered nan spot to chuckle… and past he smiled. In a tender infinitesimal I will ne'er forget, he leaned adjacent and whispered thing into my ear. He said, ‘Merrill, you and I worked broadside by side. We created, we produced, we directed… we gave our hearts ... Please… do thing pinch it. Let group cognize what we were trying to say.’”

Merrill described his relative arsenic a existent missionary and “a saint” and wrote that Alan’s life was not measured successful years, “but successful love, sacrifice, and purpose.”

“He gave everything he had to nan Lord, to his family, and to each of you.”

His relative Wayne Osmond died astatine nan property of 73 successful 2025 aft suffering a stroke.

Alan is survived by his wife, Suzanne; his 8 sons, Michael, Nathan, Doug, David, Scott, Jon, Alex and Tyler; 30 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren; brothers Virl, Tom, Merrill, Jay, Donny and Jimmy; and sister Marie.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.