By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Alan Osmond, the eldest member of the chart-topping family act The Osmonds, died Monday after decades with multiple sclerosis. He was 76.
According to a family spokesperson, Alan’s wife, Suzanne Osmond, and their eight sons were with him at his home in Lehi, Utah, at the time of his death. Prior to his passing, Alan used a wheelchair and spent a week in intensive care before returning home Thursday on hospice.
A talented songwriter and performer, Alan Osmond helped write some of the Osmond Brothers’ biggest hits, including “One Bad Apple,” “Crazy Horses” and “Are You Up There?”
Born in Ogden, Utah, on June 22, 1949 and raised in a Mormon household, Alan Osmond’s storied musical career began in the 1950s, when he and his brothers Wayne, Merrill and Jay formed a barbershop quartet. He was the oldest of the performing group and the third oldest of his siblings.
The brothers worked the state fair circuit in Utah until a visit to Disneyland led to a television debut on “Disney After Dark” in 1962.
The group became regulars on “The Andy Williams Show,” where they made their name and forged their wholesome and peppy image, peaking as a quintet in the early 1970s, as younger brother Donny Osmond became the breakout star. In 1971, the Osmonds tallied nine gold records, surpassing single-year bests by Elvis and the Beatles.
In the mid-to-late 1970s, Alan became a principal producer on ABC’s hit television show “The Donny and Marie Show,” starring his brother and sister.
The original Osmond Brothers — Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay — returned to the stage in 1982 as a country group and had a handful of hits, including “I Think About Your Lovin.'” At the time, Alan told The Associated Press he switched from recording rock to country music because it better fit their wholesome image.
“Country music really is the backbone of America,” he said. “It doesn’t just come and go. And we’re kind of flag-wavers. You find that in the country area, too.”
In 1987, Alan Osmond was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). It caused him to retire from performing with his family.
His brother Wayne Osmond died at the age of 73 in 2025 after having a stroke.
“He is my hero,” Doug Osmond, one of Alan’s sons, told The Associated Press over the phone Tuesday. “I’ve never met anyone more positive in my life. I never once heard him complain, not once. He would say, ‘I may have MS, but MS does not have me.’ That was his motto and he always was worried about everyone else. … Family always took priority and his faith was in everything he did.”
In terms of his musical accomplishments, Doug recalled witnessing other famous musicians gush over his father. “I saw that with Steven Tyler, I saw that with Brad Paisley. I saw that with Justin Timberlake and Donnie Wahlberg,” he said. “They all knew of his genius and ability.”
In a statement on social media Tuesday, Donny Osmond called Alan Osmond his “protector” and “guide,” saying he was “the one who quietly carried so much responsibility so the rest of us could shine.”
Merrill Osmond also paid tribute in a social media post, explaining that he saw his ailing brother two days prior.
“We talked as brothers do, heart to heart. He was struggling, but when I shared a joke or two, he found the strength to chuckle … and then he smiled,” he wrote on Facebook. “I need you to know this … he has not left me. I have felt him. I have felt his quiet encouragement telling me to keep going … to keep building faith … to keep sharing light.”
Alan is survived by his wife, Suzanne; his eight sons, Michael, Nathan, Doug, David, Scott, Jon, Alex, and Tyler; 30 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; brothers Virl, Tom, Merrill, Jay, Donny and Jimmy; and sister Marie.
Service plans are forthcoming.