Donny Osmond paid tribute to his older brother Alan, who died Monday, crediting the eldest member of their famed family band for his “tireless work [that] helped build everything we became.”
Surrounded by his wife and his children, Alan died at age 76 in Salt Lake City. The singer’s cause of death was not immediately disclosed, but Alan was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987.
On Tuesday, Donny took to Instagram to share some thoughts about growing up and performing alongside Alan in the Sixties and Seventies. Sharing a black-and-white photo of Alan clutching onto him as a baby, Donny wrote, “Even back then, you can see that he had his arm around me, watching over me. That’s who he was. My protector. My guide. The one who quietly carried so much responsibility so the rest of us could shine.”
He continued, “I will always be grateful for the sacrifices he made and the love he showed — 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.”
Their brother Merrill also paid tribute to Alan, writing that the last time the two spoke, they had a “heart to heart.” Although “he was struggling,” Merrill added, “when I shared a joke or two, he found the strength to chuckle … and then he smiled.”
The Osmonds formed in the late 1950s, with brothers Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay, performing as a quartet. Youngest brother Donny joined the group in the mid-Sixties, and by the 1970s, their song “One Bad Apple” became a Number One hit, leading to the family act’s streak of success.
In January 2025, Wayne Osmond, the second-oldest sibling in the family band, died at age 73.
