Oldest member of the family pop group that had Top 10 hits in the US and UK in the early 1970s
For the first half of the 1970s, the Osmonds enjoyed the kind of pop-idol adulation enjoyed by the Beatles or the Jackson 5. Raised in a devout Mormon household, the Osmond siblings combined a formidable collective work ethic with an extraordinary amount of natural talent. Alan Osmond, who has died aged 76 after suffering from multiple sclerosis since the late 80s, made crucial contributions to the group as songwriter, musician and producer. He co-authored many of their biggest hits, including Down by the Lazy River, Hold Her Tight and Wild Horses.
In a social media tribute, his brother Donny wrote that “Alan was our leader in every sense of the word. His tireless work helped build everything we became … I owe him more than I can ever fully express.”
The third of the nine children of George Osmond Sr (a postal worker and second world war military veteran) and his wife, Olive (nee Davis), Alan was the oldest member of the Osmond family singing group. They all grew up in Ogden, Utah, as congregants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), and gained their earliest musical experiences with the church choir.
