Biography
With a career spanning several decades, Marie Osmond became an icon of American pop culture. Born in Ogden, Utah in 1959, Osmond was the eighth of nine children in her family, and the only girl. Her brothers were already successfully performing and recording as the group The Osmond Brothers when she began occasionally performing with them at age four on "The Andy Williams Show" (NBC, 1962-1971). However, Osmond ultimately nurtured, a separate career as a country musician, releasing her first album Paper Roses in 1973. In the coming two years, Osmond's career flourished just as her brother Donny, who had begun to record as a solo musician as well, began to find similar success in his own right. The pair combined their efforts in 1975 when they began starring together on the variety show "Donnie and Marie" (ABC, 1975-79). The series proved a great fit for the pair of teen idols and Osmond continued to release music during its run, earning particular acclaim for 1977's more pop oriented This is the Way That I Feel. When "Donny and Marie" wrapped in 1979, Osmond continued appear on screen, acting in TV movies such as "Rooster" (ABC, 1982) and "I Married Wyatt Earp" (NBC, 1983). She also made her Broadway debut in 1982 in a short lived production of "Little Johnny Jones," and all the while continued to record music, releasing the albums There's No Stopping Your Heart, I Only Wanted You, All in Love, and Steppin' Stone throughout the coming decade. Osmond stepped away from recording in the 1990s, but returned to the stage with greater vigor than ever, starring in a hit touring production of "The Sound of Music," followed by an acclaimed Broadway production of "The King and I" that ran for a staggering two years. Osmond closed out the decade by reuniting with her brother Donny for a talk show aptly titled "Donny & Marie" (Syndicated, 1998-2000) which ran in first-run syndication for two seasons. In 2001, Osmond published the memoir Behind the Smile in which she wrote in detail about her struggles with severe postpartum depression. She went on to publish another memoir, Might As Well Laugh About It Now in 2008, the same year she and Donny launched yet another popular act together, beginning a residency in Las Vegas. The siblings performed their 90-minute musical act at the Flamingo Hotel to such demand that the show ultimately continued for eleven years. Tragically, Osmond's son Michael died by suicide in 2010. After grappling with the grief that followed, Osmond published the book The Key Is Love, and later executive produced and hosted the inspirational series "Marie" (Hallmark, 2012-2013) from 2012 to 2013. After the Osmonds finally ended their Las Vegas residency in 2019, Osmond became a host on the popular daytime talk show "The Talk" (CBS, 2010-).
