Wayne Osmond, member of the singing Osmond family, dies at age 73 | Pop and rock

Wayne Osmond, the smooth baritone of the pop group Osmond Brothers and later the Osmonds, has died at the age of 73. Osmond died in a hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, after a “massive stroke,” according to his brother Merrill Osmond.

“I never knew a man who had more humility,” Merrill Osmond wrote on Facebook. “A man without guile. An individual who was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met.”

He said: “I will miss him tremendously. I am so grateful to have grown up with one of Heavenly Father’s greatest sons.”

In a statement, the Osmond family said: “His legacy of faith, music, love and laughter has touched the lives of many people around the world. He wants everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever , and that banana split is the best dessert. We love him and will miss him very much.”

Born the fourth of nine siblings on August 28, 1951 in Ogden, Utah, Wayne Osmond began his singing career as a boy in a barbershop with his older brother Alan and younger brothers Merrill and Jay. The group began singing for the family’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – colloquially but no longer officially known as Mormons – congregation in 1958.

After being discovered at Disneyland, the four gained more exposure on ABC’s The Lawrence Welk Show and The Andy Williams Show, adding brothers Donny and Jimmy in the process. Wayne primarily provided background vocals and was a well-rounded musician who, among other things, played guitar and bagpipes.

Then known as the Osmonds, the group reached the height of their fame in the 1970s, with the hit single One Bad Apple spending five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1971. The group was responsible for an Osmond Brothers Special for CBS that year. Donny and sister Marie Osmond would go on to host the ABC variety show Donny & Marie from 1976 to 1979, which became a staple of the Vegas strip in the 2010s.

Wayne Osmond endured a number of health problems over the years; he had surgery for a brain tumor in 1997, suffered a stroke in 2012 and was treated for cancer. He is survived by all his siblings – Virl, Tom, Alan, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie and Jimmy – as well as his wife of over 50 years, Kathlyn, and their five children.