Alan Osmond, 'Crazy Horses' co-songwriter and eldest member of the Osmonds, dies at 76
This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
Alan Osmond, the eldest member of showbiz family the Osmonds, died Monday.He was 76.According to a family spokesperson, Alan was home with his wife, Suzanne Osmond, and their eight sons at the time of his death.
Before his passing, Alan used a wheelchair and spent a week in intensive care before returning to his Lehi, Utah, home on Thursday.Osmond had lived for decades with multiple sclerosis.Donny Osmond shared a tribute to his brother on social media Tuesday morning, posting a photo of a young Alan holding a baby Donny.
“Even back then, you can see that he had his arm around me, watching over me,” Donny wrote.“That’s who he was.
My protector.My guide.
The one who quietly carried so much responsibility so the rest of us could shine.“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.I owe him more than I can ever fully express.”Alan Osmond helped pen some of the Osmonds’ chart-topping hits, including “One Bad Apple,” “Crazy Horses” and “Are You Up There?”Born in Ogden, Utah, on June 22, 1949, Alan Osmond’s storied musical career began in the 1950s when his musically inclined father George taught him and his brothers Wayne, Merrill and Jay to sing tight harmonies as a barbershop quartet.
The goal was to raise funds for the two eldest Osmond siblings, Virl and Tom, who were born with severe hearing loss and needed pricey, specialized education and hearing aids.Alan Osmond was the oldest of the performing group and the third-oldest of his siblings.
The brothers cut their teeth as performers working the state fair circuit in Utah.Then a fortuitous gig at Disneyland led to a television debut on “Disney After Dark” in 1962.“Walt Disney was there and saw us,” Alan Osmon...