For the 15th Anniversary of Tiger Beat, September 1980, Editor Sharon Lee asked me to update readers on my “neighbors” (one hour south of my new home in Sandy, Utah) the Osmonds:
October ’68 was the dateline on Tiger Beat in which the Osmonds first appeared. Here’s the latest news on that world-famous family on the street where they live!
It had been several years since I talked with the Osmonds, though I couldn’t help keep up with all their activities like the “Donny and Marie” show, their concert tours, and their own television studio just a half-hour hour away from my current home in Utah! It was there that I got reacquainted with Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay and Donny.
What I was happiest to find was that, though many things had changed in their lives (most through the natural process of growing up), the things that hadn’t changed where their sincere friendliness and the way they make you feel part of the family, if only for a short while.
Before heading for the Osmond Studios in Orem, I carefully went through all the articles in Tiger beat during the early years of their climb to superstardom… Comparing what they liked and didn’t, what they dreamed of and the things that were important to them back then, and how they felt about those same subjects today. Here’s what I found out:
ALAN THEN:
Alan was taking college courses by correspondence school, liked photography, writing songs, working with clay, and was especially fond of girls with long hair.
NOW:
Alan’s work at studying paid off as he is now president of Osmond Communications and oversees the work of some 10 companies. Between touring and masterminding many Osmond productions from their studios, Alan has been forced to neglect his songwriting. But music has always been very important to him and now that the business is running so well, it’s Alan’s goal to get back into recording!
Outside of business and performing, Alan spends every free minute with his wife, Suzanne (who does have beautiful long hair!) And their four sons, Michael, Nathan, Douglas and Stephen. On a free weekend, they will all jump into their motorhome and head for the Osmond ranch in northern Utah.
WAYNE THEN:
Wayne was known as “the moody one,” and his biggest complaint about touring was that it didn’t leave enough time to meet girls! He felt “impatience” was his biggest fault. He was working toward getting his pilot’s license and hoped to live on a ranch with horses and cattle someday.
NOW:
Somewhere along the line, Wayne did find time for dating and, when that very special girl came along, he married her. Her name is Kathlyn and they have two children, Amy and Stephen. Within the Osmond organization today, Wayne is considered the “Wizard” of financial matters.
Wayne did go on to earn his pilot’s license and at one time had two planes, which he’s now sold. Wayne is very content to spend all his free time at his home overlooking Utah Lake. His home, like Alan’s, is located on Osmond Lane, high in the hills of Orem overlooking the entire Valley.
His biggest hobby is working on cars! He has built an almost full-size gas station/garage next to his home where he tinkers with engines of all the Osmond’s autos, changes oil, tires–you name it!
MERRILL THEN:
Merrill was known as the comedian of the group, loved the latest fashions, planned on getting married at 23, painted portraits on velvet, hated to see girls wearing jeans and T-shirts and wanted to get into producing.
NOW:
“Boy, have I changed!” Merrill laughed at hearing his comments from 10 years before.
He couldn’t wait until 23 to get married once he met Mary… They were married when Merrill was 20 and now have three boys, Travis, Justin and Shane.
Because of an illness, Merrill missed the Osmond’s tour of Japan and Australia, but getting back on stage is the most important thing in his mind right now. He laughed at hearing his old ambition to be a producer. “I’ve done so much producing… I want to get back to singing and performing!”
To relax, Merrill does oil paintings on campus and wants to try his hand at painting scenes like some of the beautiful mountains that surround his home. He, Mary and the boys love to camp and will often take off for a weekend in the mountains. He’s a fisherman and is very proud of the 11-foot marlin he caught–fans can see it when they tour Osmond Studios!
JAY THEN:
Jay loved school, dogs, sports. He kept a diary, wanted to get married at 25 and longed to produce records and go into the movies.
NOW:
Jay is 25 and not married. In fact, he calls himself “a dating fool! I just love meeting new people all the time.” Dates are usually dinner at a nice restaurant, a drive in his Mercedes sports car, and dancing the night away.
Sports are still a favorite with Jay and whenever he can, he has an open invitation to work out as quarterback with the Brigham Young University football team!
DONNY THEN:
Purple socks were the only kind Donny would wear. He was studying electronics and said if he had more time, he’d love to hike, fish and ride motorcycles to relax.
NOW:
Between performing with the group, and making guest appearances on shows, there’s not much time for relaxing. The purple socks are gone now, but his knowledge of electronics has become so vast, Donny plays an important role in the electrical construction of any Osmond project, including the studios.
He and wife Debbie and their son “D.J.” (Donny, Junior.) Are just moving into their first home. It’s not on Osmond Lane but only a mile away, and each of the brothers has a lot there, where they will someday build a home
Donny’s appearance on “Love Boat” had such high ratings, he will be making two movies for NBC-TV this year–and both will be dramatic roles!
MARIE AND JIMMY THEN:
Like their brothers, Maria and Jimmy were always bursting with talent, but it wasn’t until they were a little older that they had a chance to make their debuts.
NOW:
Maria is scheduled for a dramatic role in a TV movie to be filmed in August, followed by her own TV special. Then, in January, her own variety series on NBC-TV’s will be seen weekly! For a while, Marie was attending classes at BYU, but her demanding schedule forced her to drop out. And what little free time she does fine, she enjoys dating and has no special boyfriend.
Jimmy, now 17 and nearly 6 feet tall, loves the big band era and he will be performing songs from that time on TV guest spots this fall. Jimmy has also been working on his dancing.
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