Singer Wayne Osmond dead at 73: Bro

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Wayne Osmond, the singer of the American family pop group The Osmonds, has died at the age of 73, his brother said Thursday.

Osmond died at a hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, after suffering a “massive stroke,” his brother Merrill Osmond said in a Facebook post.

“I have never known a man who had more humility. A man without guile,” the post read. “A person who was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met.”

Wayne Osmond was the fourth of nine siblings raised in a Mormon household in the town of Ogden, Utah.

The siblings’ career began in the 1950s when Wayne, Alan, Merrill and Jay sang as a barbershop quartet.

In 1961, the four brothers were discovered singing at Disneyland. They gained exposure on television shows and their popularity grew. Brothers Donny and Jimmy eventually joined, as well as sister Marie.

In 1971, the group reached the height of their fame after the release of “One Bad Apple”. The song spent five weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard 100, according to People magazine.

Soon after, the band went their separate ways. Jimmy pursued a solo career, while Donny and Marie, now aged 67 and 65, began singing as a duo.

Wayne Osmond married Kathlyn White, a former prom queen, in 1974. They had five children together.

Wayne Osmond experienced a number of health problems over the years. In 1997, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and lost almost all of his hearing as a result of the treatment, People reported.

Then in 2012 he had a stroke that left him unable to play the guitar.

“My brother Wayne endured a lot,” Merrill Osmond said in his Facebook post.

“He gave everything. His legacy will go down as someone who was not only a genius in his ability to write music, but was able to capture the hearts of millions of people and bring them closer to God.”

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