Original member of the Osmonds Group was 73

Wayne Osmond, one of the original members of the Osmond Siblings singing group, died Wednesday in Salt Lake City. He was 73.

Merrill Osmond, one of Wayne Osmond’s brothers, shared on Facebook that Wayne had a massive stroke and that he was able to make it to the hospital in Salt Lake to say goodbye before he passed.

In a statement, his family wrote: “Wayne Osmond, beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his loving wife and five children. His legacy of faith, music, love and laughter has touched the lives of many people around the world. He wanted everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him dearly.”

Wayne Osmond, known for his baritone voice, first appeared with his siblings Alan, Merrill and Jay as the Osmond Brothers when they began performing at their LDS church in Ogden, Utah, then developed as a barbershop quartet on the secular circuit. Discovered singing at Disneyland, they made their television debut on “The Andy Williams Show” in 1962, eventually becoming series regulars.

When younger brother Donny joined in 1970, the quintet became a quartet and the name was changed to simply the Osmonds. That change made it easier as sister Marie later became a member along with the youngest member, Jimmy. Donny and Marie eventually became a spinoff act as a duo, and Jimmy also went solo, even as the Osmond Brothers resumed work under their original name and quartet format from the 1980s onwards. Wayne remained with the group through 2007.

In the early 1970s, while Donny was in the group, the Osmonds had five gold albums, one of which, 1972’s “Phase III,” hit the top 10 of the Billboard 200. They also had a string of hit singles, beginning with “One “Bad Apple”, which reached No. 1 in 1970. “Yo-Yo”, “Down by the Lazy River” and “Love Me for a Reason” also reached the top 10 on the Hot 100. The group last charted on the Hot 100 in 1976, but after that the brothers had a wave of Nashville crossover success, with singles hitting the country chart in 1982-86.

In 2004 Wayne did an interview with Coping With Cancer Magazine where he was honest about health problems he had had up to that point, including having a brain tumor as a child. At the time, he was celebrating his 10th anniversary as a cancer survivor after suffering what he had been told was a recurrence of his childhood cancer, which was finally diagnosed as ependymoma, “a childhood cancer that is very deadly for children.” He remained undaunted as he underwent treatment, saying: “I went back to performing six months after I was diagnosed. I wore my cowboy hat on stage when all my hair had fallen out from radiation. But after a while it grew it back.”

“The biggest part of all of this is that I’ve become even closer with my girlfriend, Kathy,” Wayne said of his wife in the 2004 interview. “She’s an absolute angel. I’m a very, very blessed man. That’s what I am. … I’ve been enlightened. And now I look back on it and I think to myself, I’m glad that I got cancer. It really opened my eyes. And I’m only 52 years old!”

However, there were further health challenges when Wayne lost almost all of his hearing as a result of the cancer treatment and suffered what was described as a major stroke in 2012.

Jay Osmond, one of Wayne Osmond’s siblings, shared a heartfelt tribute to his brother on Facebook. He wrote: “A true legend has left the Earth. My heart is deeply saddened by the loss of my brother Wayne. It is said that where there is great love, there is great sorrow when we part during our earthly journey. Throughout my life I’ve always felt the most connected to Wayne out of all my siblings. He was my roommate and confidant for decades.”

Wrote Merrill in his own post: “When I learned that my dear brother Wayne had suffered a massive stroke, my immediate reaction was to fall to my knees and pray for him to receive the assurance that his mission had been accomplished and he had good luck with this.endeavour in many ways.I immediately drove to the hospital in SLC and I was able to say goodbye…

“My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave an even greater saint than he entered,” Merrill continued. “I have never known a man who had more humility. A man without guile. An individual who was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met. His departure from this earth will be a sad moment for some, but for those waiting for him on the other side, there will be a massive celebration beyond anything we can imagine… I am so thankful to have grown up with one of heavenly father’s greatest sons.”