Donny Osmond Breaks Down To Tears As He Shares Emotional Moment With Brother During Final Show

Dec 26, 2023

Donny Osmond rose to fame when he joined his brothers' band, The Osmonds, made up of Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay and Donny. During their peak between 1971 and 1975, the boy band was constantly at the top of the charts and created mass hysteria from fans wherever they went. Crowds of teenagers, often crying and screaming, would even end up chasing them. 

The phenomenon of "Osmondmania" was widespread, heightened by their clean-cut idol status due to their religious beliefs and wholesome lifestyle.

The Osmonds came from a large family with eight brothers — Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny and Jimmy Osmond, and one sister, Marie Osmond, who was born into stardom as her brothers were already famous by the time she was born. 

When The Osmonds stopped producing music, Marie and Donny became a pop duo. They released the popular singles "Morning Side of the Mountain" and "I'm Leaving It All Up to You." Their continued growth in popularity led them to front their own show in 1976 called "Donny & Marie."

Considering his background, it's no surprise to learn that Donny is a keen family man — not only does he come from a large family, but his career was forged alongside his siblings. Married to his wife Debbie Osmond, Donny would go on to have a brood of boys himself, five to be exact!

In 2023, Donny took a trip down memory lane as he was invited to perform on stage by his brother, Merrill. Read below to see the emotional moment between the two siblings.

In 2023, Donny Osmond, a veteran in the industry for over six decades, expressed his desire to surpass the record of the legendary singer Elvis Presley.

In an interview with The Standard in March 2023, Donny said performing was his "drug of choice" because he loves taking people "on a journey."

"I kind of see the end of the tunnel, it's not very close because I have a lot of things I still want to do, but one of which I think I have to get to is 68 albums because then I'll beat Elvis," he declared at the time.

Even though he was determined to continue performing, the musician had a series of health problems throughout his career.

In 2019, doctors found out that his spine had shifted due to injuries caused by his dancing.

Speaking with the Daily Mirror in 2021, Donny said: "I couldn't feel my arms, then suddenly my legs too… I didn't tell anyone what was happening to me......I just kept dancing and finished the show."

Later on, in September 2023, the singer announced that he had to cancel two of his shows at Harrah's Las Vegas "due to illness," and he immediately apologized to those who bought tickets for the inconvenience.

Regardless, Donny was able to make a big comeback after the cancellation of his shows.

Earlier that month, he spoke with Trisha Paytas on her "Just Trish" podcast, where he discussed reuniting with his brothers for a performance, and it appeared that it won't happen anymore. 

"With my brothers? I don't think so, everyone is pretty much retired," he said. 

Donny was right in the interview about his brothers' retirement as one of his closest siblings, Merrill Osmond, performed at his final show ever in April 2022 at the age of 68.

At the time, Donny took to social media to share a photo of him and his beloved brother. In the image, he could be seen hugging Merrill from behind while being emotional as his sibling sang his heart out.

In the caption, he wrote:

"It was a night I'll never forget. I went to my brother, Merrill's final performance here in the US. As I watched him, I turned into a fan myself as I sang along with all of the other fans packing the Westgate theater, where we performed together in the 70's."

In a follow-up post, he revealed that Merrill asked him to go up the stage as he performed his closing song, but he couldn't help but give his brother a big hug as a farewell to his decades-long career in the music industry.

"Yes, it took all of us to create The Osmonds, but it was Merrill's voice that created the sound. It was an amazing moment. Thank you, my brother," he added.

Fans took to the reply section to express their happiness with the emotional encounter as one wrote, "It was so emotional to watch , but the love between you was beautiful 😍."

Another one replied, "I wept as I watched this touching moment. Unforgettable. So much emotion in both of you! You could just feel the love in that hug 🖤💜."

One posted, "The Osmond are amazing people. I just love them so much. They are a loving family and they for each other and make everyone so happy. We could learn from the Osmond."

What do you think of Donny and Merrill Osmond's bond as brothers? Did their sweet, on-stage interaction make you emotional? Let us know your thoughts, and make sure to pass this on to your friends and family.