There\u2019s a line in the Osmond family\u2019s latest tributes that hits differently \u2014 and it doesn\u2019t fully reveal its weight until you understand who they\u2019ve lost.<\/p>\n
Leaves behind 30 grandchildren
\nAlan Osmond, the eldest brother of the famous singing family and a key force behind their rise to global stardom, died on on April 20.<\/p>\n
His passing at 76 marks another painful chapter for a family already grieving the loss of brother Wayne just a year earlier. According to reports, Alan left this world surrounded by his wife of 51 years, Suzanne, and his eight sons: Michael, Nathan, Doug, David, Scott, Jon, Alex, and Tyler.<\/p>\n
He also leaves behind 30 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.<\/p>\n
A founding member of The Osmonds, Alan helped shape the group\u2019s signature sound and success, co-writing hits like \u201cOne Bad Apple\u201d and \u201cCrazy Horses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alan Osmond attends a ceremony where his brother and sister Donny and Marie Osmond receive a star on the Las Vegas strip following more than 1,700 performances at the Flamingo Las Vegas on October 04, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Denise Truscello\/WireImage)
\nAfter being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis around 40 years ago, he eventually stepped away from performing, but never from his role as the family\u2019s quiet anchor.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur mother always said, \u2018Positive mental attitude,\u2019 so I said, \u2018I may have MS, but MS does not have me,’\u201d Alan Osmond said in 2023.<\/p>\n
Now, his siblings are sharing memories that reveal just how central he was behind the scenes.<\/p>\n
Donny Osmond, arguably the most well-known of the brothers, reflected on their bond in an emotional Instagram tribute, describing Alan as the one who always carried more than his fair share of the responsibility.<\/p>\n
\u201dHis tireless work helped build everything we became. I will always be grateful for the sacrifices he made and the love he showed \u2014 not just to me, but to every member of our family. I owe him more than I can ever fully express. I love you, Alan. Thank you for always being there for me,\u201d Donny wrote and posted a photo of Alan as a child, hugging Donny as a toddler.<\/p>\n
Merrill Osmond also shared that he was with Alan shortly before his passing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was grateful to be with him shortly before he passed and to share a final meaningful moment together. Alan was a gifted creator, a man of faith, and a deeply loving soul whose life blessed many.\u201d<\/p>\n
But it was Marie Osmond\u2019s tribute that added the most personal glimpse into their relationship.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs his only sister, I know I had a different relationship with him than he had with his brothers, and I must say I loved that!\ud83d\ude04 He was always very protective of me (not so sure I love that one)\ud83d\ude02 but he was always there if I needed him!\u201d<\/p>\n
She also revealed the last thing he ever said to her:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last thing he said to me was, \u2018I can\u2019t wait to see brother Wayne, so we can be missionary companions together and start preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who never had the opportunity to hear his message of peace and hope in this life.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
When Marie Osmond broke through alongside her brother Donny, Alan kept a close watch over his sister\u2019s rising fame. But despite the pressures and temptations that came with stardom, he was never truly worried about her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really know my little sister,\u201d he said in 1978.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd she\u2019s really got a good head on her. This gives me a lot of comfort.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alan\u2019s death comes just over a year after the family lost another brother, Wayne, who died on January 1, 2025, after suffering a stroke.<\/p>\n
Donny described him as \u201cthe ultimate optimist,\u201d writing that he brought \u201cso much light, laughter, and love\u201d into their lives.<\/p>\n
Together, the tributes paint a picture of a family deeply bound, not just by fame, but by shared loss, faith, and decades of history shaped in part by the brother they are now remembering as the foundation of it all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There\u2019s a line in the Osmond family\u2019s latest tributes that hits differently \u2014 and it doesn\u2019t fully reveal its weight until you understand who they\u2019ve lost. Leaves… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16326,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16325"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16325\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16327,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16325\/revisions\/16327"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}