Osmond family patriarch dead at 90

Reuters

FAMILY MAN: George Osmond has died at the age of 90, according to media reports.

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George Osmond, father and early manager of the singing siblings who shot to the top of the charts with One Bad Apple in the early 1970s, has died at age 90, a family spokesman said.

The Osmond family patriarch, who helped launch the musical careers of six of his eight sons, including Donny, and his only daughter, Marie, died of natural causes on Monday at an assisted-living centre in Provo, Utah, said spokesman Kevin Sasaki.

The Wyoming-born George Osmond kicked off the family entertainment business by teaching barbershop-quartet harmony to four of his sons – Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay – who began singing together at church functions, family gatherings and events in Ogden, Utah.

On a trip to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, the boys landed a job as Disneyland performers, leading to a TV debut on "The Andy Williams Show." Younger brother Donny officially joined the group a year later and ultimately became its focal point.

With the family's move from Utah to California, George Osmond gave up his insurance and real estate business to focus on managing his sons' burgeoning career.

Following on the breakout success of Motown's sibling quintet, the Jackson 5, the Osmonds released their own debut album in 1970 and became instant chart-toppers with the catchy single, One Bad Apple (Don't Spoil the Whole Bunch).

They followed with a string of subsequent hits, including Double Lovin', Yo-Yo, Hold Her Right and Down by the Lazy River. Their 1973 release The Plan, a concept album highlighting the family's Mormon faith, was less successful.

Jimmy Osmond, the youngest of the nine siblings, sang with his brothers off and on before starting his own solo career, and Marie Osmond, the only girl, began appearing with her brothers at age 13 but never officially joined the act.

She and Donny co-hosted a popular TV variety show, Donny and Marie, from 1976 to 1978, and Marie Osmond is a contestant on the hit US show Dancing with the Stars.

The family's two eldest sons, Tom and Virel, did not perform with their younger siblings, Sasaki said. Their mother, Olive Osmond, died a few years ago.

She and George Osmond are survived by 55 grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren, Sasaki said.