Our family’s drifted apart JIMMY: OSMONDS DON’T TALK ANY MORE
THEY shot to fame as the poster boy family act but now the Osmonds barely even speak.
Jimmy Osmond – the youngest brother at 54 – confesses the family has drifted apart and get-togethers are a rarity.
He says: “We’re a normal family – we’ve had ups and downs. We see them whenever we can, but we’ve kind of all drifted apart a bit in some ways, because we all have families and everyone’s busy.
“We used to be in each other’s lives so much and I love them all so much, but now everybody’s got their own little pod and their own families and we don’t get together any more like we used to on TV.
Competitive
“But we’re a normal family, we do have issues sometimes with each other. Egos flare up and competitiveness flares up.”
The Osmonds – Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay and Donny – were the world’s biggest band with 1970s hits including Crazy Horses and Love Me For A Reason.
Sister Marie, 58, was a star too – dueting with Donny, now 60, for hits like Ain’t Nothing Like The Real thing. And Jimmy started performing aged just three.
At nine he was the youngest artist to hit No1 in the UK, with Long Haired Lover From Liverpool.
Jimmy, who lives in Utah with wife Michelle and their four children aged 16-23 – is philosophical about life. He says that despite the downsides of fame, health battles for Alan and Wayne and the suicide of Marie’s son at the age of 18, the Osmonds pull together when needed. He says: “Donny and I have been quite close and my kids and his kids get on really well. Somehow as a family we’ve been able to get through it and survive. “Showbusiness is so phoney. “If you’re looking at yourself in the mirror too much you’ll be affected.
“That happened to us, but I’m happy to tell you we got through it, got over it and we’re there for each other when we need each other.”
Jimmy talks about the old days ahead of a new tour celebrating crooner Andy Williams. He appeared on Andy’s show in 1966, aged three. By six Jimmy was on the Elvis Presley bill in Las Vegas.
He laughs: “I was the first Elvis impersonator! I would dress up just like him and come out and sing g Elvis songs. g
“Food was free so o I would order plenty. I once went out and nd threw up over the front row in front of 1,500 people.
“I kept going and saw Elvis was in the lighting booth h watching. It was mortifying, but at the same time hilarious.”
After the Osmonds’ onds’ career waned, Jimmy branched ched out and has a new set of fans ns who have seen him in musical cal theatre and in a raft of reality TV shows, including Celebrity MasterChef and I’m m a Celeb.
Now he’s itching g for that UK tour to start.
Jimmy is on tour ur in the UK from January ary 31 with A Tribute To Andy Williams – Moon River & Me. See jimmyosmond.com m