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Jimmy Osmond

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Jimmy Osmond
Osmond in 1974
Born
James Arthur Osmond

(1963-04-16) April 16, 1963 (age 61)
Canoga Park, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Singer, businessman
Spouse
Michelle Larson
​
(m. 1991)​
Children4
Parents
Musical career
GenresPop
Years active1967–2018[1]

James Arthur Osmond (born April 16, 1963) is an American singer and businessman.[2] He is the youngest member of the sibling musical group the Osmonds. As a solo artist, Osmond has accumulated six gold records, one platinum record, and two gold albums.[3]

Early life and family

He was born in Canoga Park, California, the ninth and last child of Olive and George Osmond. His older siblings are Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, and Marie.[4] He is the only one of the nine Osmond siblings not to have been born in the family's hometown of Ogden, Utah. He was taught by tutors to accommodate his professional life. He was also educated by Mary Osmond, his brother Merrill's wife. [citation needed]

Career

He received his first gold record at age five for a song he recorded in Japanese, "My Little Darling". He was the first Osmond to achieve this.[clarification needed] His recording of "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" in 1972 resulted in The Guinness Book of World Records designating him the youngest performer to have a #1 single on the UK Singles Chart.[5] The song was credited to "Little Jimmy Osmond". In Japan, he had the moniker "Jimmy Boy".[6]

In 1978, Osmond starred in the feature film The Great Brain. He starred in other acting roles as well, including two episodes of the TV series Fame. He performed on stage and television often with his older siblings. In 1985, he met Latino impresario Manuel Montoya at A&M Records, and this led to his only Spanish recording, "Siempre Tu". He toured Latin American markets, including Puerto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela and Chile.[citation needed] On the heels of this, he served as a juror at the 1986 edition of the OTI Festival. The 2012 Osmonds album I Can't Get There Without You was performed with Jimmy Osmond on lead vocals; it was the first album to feature Jimmy as lead singer, as older brother Merrill Osmond historically held that role in the band. In live performances, Jimmy often serves as a co-lead singer with Merrill, a role previously held by Donny during the band's heyday in the early 1970s.

Osmond is president of Osmond Entertainment. He has developed and supervised most of the Osmonds' merchandising business, as well as producing hundreds of hours of programming for networks including ABC, PBS, the BBC and the Disney Channel.

He has also performed in musical theater. Like his brother Donny many years earlier, he starred in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He also starred in Boogie Nights in 2004 at the Grand Theatre, Blackpool. In 2005, Jimmy Osmond's American Jukebox Show toured the UK in 2005, again to the Grand Theatre in Blackpool. Co-stars of the show included Billy Pearce and Jimmy's brothers Jay and Wayne. From December 11, 2010 to January 2, 2011, he played Buttons in Cinderella at the White Rock Theatre in Hastings; from December 16, 2011, to January 15, 2012, he played the role of Wishee Washee in Aladdin at Grand Theatre, Swansea; and from December 1, 2017, to January 7, 2018, the role of Abanzar in the pantomime Aladdin at His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen.

He has appeared on several UK TV shows, including the reality TV series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! broadcast by ITV in 2005 (he finished in fourth place), a 2006 appearance on All Star Family Fortunes, a celebrity version of Come Dine with Me, Celebrity Family Fortunes, and Everybody Dance Now. In January 2010, Osmond participated in the British ITV1 celebrity reality television programme Popstar to Operastar. In 2016 Jimmy was a finalist on the UK version of Celebrity Masterchef.

In 2014, Osmond authored a semi-autobiographical children's picture book, Awesome Possum Family Band. The same year, he took over the operations of the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri, where he is now responsible for producing and booking shows.[7] In 2015, Osmond was awarded an honorary doctorate of arts and humanities by Iowa Wesleyan University.[8] The first Osmond family member to receive that distinction, he delivered the keynote commencement speech on May 9, 2015.

Personal life

On December 27, 2018, following his performance as Captain Hook in the Birmingham Hippodrome's staging of the pantomime Peter Pan, Osmond was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with having had a stroke.[9] He had previously suffered a stroke in 2004 caused by a since-corrected patent foramen ovale.[10] He spoke publicly for the first time since the stroke in April 2019, stating that he was in good health and was taking a "long-overdue break" from show business for the time being.[11] He has not spoken publicly since then but has continued to operate his businesses including the Andy Williams Performing Arts Center.[12] In a February 2020 interview, Jimmy's brother Merrill stated that Jimmy continued to recover, still planned on maintaining his business ventures, and that Merrill hoped that Jimmy would eventually return to the group.[13]

He married his wife, Michelle Larson, in 1992. They have four children.[14]

Discography

Albums

  • Little Jimmy Osmond (Japan, 1972)
  • Killer Joe (1972) (# 105 Hot 200)
  • Little Arrows (1975)
  • Kimi Wa Pretty (Japan, 1981)
  • Siempre Tu (in Spanish; Mexico, 1985)
  • Keep the Fire Burnin’ (US 2000, UK 2001)
  • Moon River & Me (2016)

[15][16]

Singles

Year Single

Both sides from same album except where indicated

Peak chart positions Album
US AUS[17] UK[18]
1971 "If Santa Were My Daddy"

b/w "Silent Night"

- Non-album tracks
1972 "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool" 38 2 1 Killer Joe
"Mother of Mine" 101 -
"Tweedle Dee"

b/w "Mama'd Know What to Do"

59 25 4
1974 "Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus"

b/w "If Santa Were My Daddy"

- Non-album tracks
"I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door"

b/w "Give Me a Good Old Mammy Song"

93 11 Little Arrows
"Little Arrows"

b/w "Don't You Remember"

- 54
1978 "Theme from 'The Great Brain' (You're There)"

b/w "Life Is Just What You Make It" (non-album track)

- "The Great Brain" soundtrack
1980 "She Put the Light On"

b/w "Uncertain"

- Kimi Wa Pretty

Singles released in other countries

  • "My Little Darling" / "Peg o' My Heart" (Japan)[19][20]
  • "Chuk Chuk" / "Jimmy's Lullaby" (Japan)
  • "Jingle Bells" / "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (Japan)
  • "Red Roses for a Blue Lady" (Sweden)
  • "Happy Robbers" / "I Found a Little Happiness" (Japan)
  • "Goodbye Mr. Tears" / "Put Your Hand in the Hand"
  • "Kimi Wa Pretty" / "Tokyo Savannah" (Japan)
  • "Long Distance" / "After All" (Japan)
  • "Living in Love" / "One More Chance" (Japan)
  • "Siempre Tu" (Mexico)
  • "Dos en Uno" (Mexico)
  • "Otono y Primavera" / "Tu Me Haces Falta" (Mexico)
  • "Shine"

Soundtracks

  • The Osmonds (animated TV series, 1972)
  • Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1974)
  • Hugo the Hippo (1976)
  • The Great Brain (1978)

Filmography

Television

Film

Books

  • Osmond, Jimmy (2014). Awesome Possum Family Band. Illustrations by Bob Ostrom. Washington, DC: Regnery Kids. ISBN 9781621572114. LCCN 2014003306. OCLC 854611747.

References

  1. ^ "Andy Williams Show". Osmondmania.com. March 12, 1967 was the date of Jimmy Osmond's debut on the Andy Williams Show. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  2. ^ "Jimmy Osmond: Stage return 'off the cards' after stroke". BBC News. August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  3. ^ Ali, Ayaan (August 3, 2021). "Jimmy Osmond's crazy life from fans hiding under stage to chilling bomb threat". MyLondon. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  4. ^ Davis, Sharon (2012). Every Chart Topper Tells a Story: The Seventies. Random House. ISBN 9781780574103. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  5. ^ "Record Breakers and Trivia : Singles : Artists : Age". Everyhit.com. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  6. ^ "Jimmy Osmond suffers stroke after U.S. performance". CBS News. January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  7. ^ "Jimmy Osmond Celebrates Anniversary by taking over Moon River Theatre". Branson Tri-Lakes News. March 11, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  8. ^ "Iowa Wesleyan College awards Jimmy Osmond Honorary Doctorate". May 9, 2015.
  9. ^ "Jimmy Osmond treated for stroke". BBC. December 31, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  10. ^ "Performer and Entrepreneur Jimmy Osmond, the Ninth Possum, On Getting Healthy Fur-real". Parade. January 30, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  11. ^ "Jimmy Osmond on Instagram: "Thank you for all of the birthday wishes today I had a great time out with my family. I am enjoying life and this long over due break. I…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  12. ^ Andy Williams Performing Arts Center (section: About the owner - Jimmy Osmond). Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  13. ^ "Jimmy Osmond Stroke Recovery CONFIRMED "Jogging & Painting" 2020 HDTV Interview - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  14. ^ "Jimmy Osmond: My kids don't want to go into showbiz". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  15. ^ "Jimmy Osmond Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mor..." AllMusic. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  16. ^ Moon River & Me - Jimmy Osmond | Album | AllMusic, retrieved May 26, 2024
  17. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 226. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  18. ^ "LITTLE JIMMY OSMOND". Official Charts. November 25, 1972. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  19. ^ "Jimmy Osmond My Little Darling Japanese 7" vinyl single (7 inch record / 45) (186256)". eil.com. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  20. ^ "OSMOND, JIMMY - my little darling - CD-62". Snow Records Japan. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
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