It is not often that you find a
barbershop quartet made up of family members evolving into a
multi-media entertainment entity. Heck, it's not often to find a
barbershop quartet in itself, let alone the rest of the story. But
the rest of the story is the one we are concerned with here. That
barbershop quartet was the original Osmond Brothers who found
their first real paying gig at Disneyland when they were all just
boys.
Well, just like the mouse that Walt turned into something much
bigger, the Osmonds walked through the open door created by that
first gig and built their own amusement ride...one that led to
national TV and a musical legacy that continues some 40 years
later.
It was brothers Alan, Merrill, Wayne and Jay who started
performing as the original quartet. They were soon picked up to
sing on the Andy William's TV show, with Williams being one of
their biggest fans. It was on these shows—at first the Christmas
specials and then more and more show—where the siblings, who now
included brother Donny Osmond, grew up in front of an entire
nation, developing a following that soon rivaled that of Williams
himself.
This would continue for years with Donny and sister Marie
eventually spinning off to become stars with their own careers.
Youngest brother Jimmy Osmond
had gone a different route, creating his own career as a solo
artist, with great success in Japan. He also developed his own
production company and produced several commercial and shows for
TV.
Jimmy became the driving force of the resurrected Osmond Brothers
act, when in 1992, he along with his brothers, sans Donny, opened
their Osmond Family Theater in Branson, Missouri, and began a run
as one of that Ozark town's most successful acts.
As they've gone from cute mini-men, singing and dancing in
pint-sized tuxedos, to teen idols, fathers and family men and now,
in some cases, grandfathers, they have never faltered on what they
originally set out to do— build on a name that continues to stand
for quality family-oriented entertainment.
Sure, they have that built-in harmony as only brothers can have,
and smiles that have probably made the family dentist very rich,
but these guys have more than that—talent that hasn't dimmed in
more than 40 years.
They learned early on about professionalism—how to balance the
business side while remembering their relationship as brothers;
how to handle a crowd as well as the individual fan; how to be
respectful of fans and how to survive in the precarious world of
entertainment, which has always been shaky at best. Their tough
exterior has gotten them through criticism for being too
wholesome. The Osmond Brothers name still holds credence.
Jay, Jimmy and nephew David Osmond are the Osmonds coming to the
Riverside Resort in an extension of their Branson show.
We exchanged emails with Jay last week and got his responses on a
variety of topics. Here's his take on...
Addition of David Osmond...
JAY: David is our brother Alan’s son. He's a solo artist, and lead
singer of The Osmonds 2nd Generation group. David also made it to
"Hollywood Week" during Season 8 of "American Idol."
He has done shows with us on the road and has also worked with us
at times when we performed in Branson, Missouri.
For all of our lives we have been used to juggling parts when
someone was unable to perform. Now we juggle Osmonds!
More Osmonds?
JAY: The Osmonds 2nd Generation has had several hits and several
of them have recorded on their own. It is hard to know right now
(if the Brothers will bring more of the next generation into their
act) but it could be in our foreseeable future—at least now and
then. People seem to like the fact that the Osmond name lives on,
so we’ll just have to see.
The show and the audience...
JAY: It is like a musical journey through time with the Osmonds.
We perform our hits, and songs that have become our personal
favorites over the years.
The music business is so fragmented these days and people try to
pigeon-hole us into one category, but it is impossible because we
perform many different styles of music. The demographics of our
audiences are so varied that our fans cross generations.
Current recording project...
(NOTE: Jay was in a recording studio when we contacted him)
JAY: The CD we are recording now contains brand new songs that we
love and want the fans to hear. It is a new sound for the Osmonds
and one that we feel the fans will love. We will put a couple of
the songs in our upcoming shows. Hopefully the CD will be ready in
time for our final tour in the UK, which begins in March.
Growing up "Osmond"
JAY: Growing up as an Osmond, there were both struggles and
blessings.
I’ve written a book about my life called “Stages – An
Autobiography” in which I discuss a lot about my childhood. We’ve
certainly had some interesting experiences.
Staying grounded...
We made friends through our church and when we were able to attend
public school on and off.
We stayed grounded by our church and the gospel that was taught in
our home–we were taught by our parents to “preach the gospel at
all times, and if necessary, use the words.”
Sibling rivalry?
JAY: We’ve always had conflict as normal families do, however, we
had to learn to resolve those conflicts quickly because we work so
closely together. Being able to do that has blessed our lives.
The most enjoyable: the tours with screeching girls from
England to L.A.; the weekly TV shows; the TV specials?
JAY: All were enjoyable and each had its own challenges, but every
one was a learning experience and a once in a lifetime moment. It
was unique, interesting, fun, challenging, exciting, and hard—all
at the same time.
Which brother is the natural cut-up?
JAY: Even though Wayne is the comic of our group on stage, Merrill
actually is the cut-up. He can really be funny.
The most serious?
JAY: That would be Wayne.
The brother with the most admired singing voice...
JAY: Jimmy–he has the most flexible and unique voice of our group.
That first gig singing at Disneyland and understanding
where it would lead...
JAY: We didn’t really know the magnitude that would follow, but as
our mother always said, “Prepare yourself and the opportunities
will come.” We prepared, and the opportunities did come our way!
Crossroads: "going country" in '82 and then going the
Branson route or giving it all up”
JAY: Yes, it was a crossroads and I did give it all up for a time.
We got into country music because of our harmony background. I
personally gave it all up in 1985 when I worked for BYU as an
admissions counselor. Then in 1991, the Branson opportunity came
along. It seems our career has gone by decades with each decade
offering different opportunities for us to grow and expand.
Favorite genre of music to play...
JAY: Contemporary rock is still my favorite. I love performing the
hits of the '70s more than any kind of music. Those were the
impressionable years for me and I think we all fall back to the
times we remember from our teenage years.
Favorite entertainer to perform with...present or past.
JAY: There have been so many, but we all have a special fondness
for Andy Williams because of the opportunity he gave us in this
business.
The Donny and Marie spin-off and its effect to the overall
brand name "Osmonds"?
JAY: I think of the Osmond name as a company, sort of like General
Motors, for instance. They have Buick, Cadillac, etc., under one
company. That’s how we looked at our family–different offshoots
from the same brand name.
__________________________________________________________________________
THE OSMOND BROTHERS
Riverside, Don's
Celebrity Theatre
Wednesday-Sunday,
February 8-11. 7 p.m. (See "Showtimes" for tickets)
