Skip to content 
He became famous as a child.
He grew into one of the defining teen idols of the 1970s.
He recorded hit songs, starred on television, performed in musical theater, won Dancing with the Stars and spent years entertaining audiences in Las Vegas.
Yet when Osmond has spoken about the part of his life that matters most, he has repeatedly returned to something much less glamorous.
Home.
Away from stage lights and cheering crowds, Donny and his wife Debbie built a family life in Utah that became the anchor for everything else.
And after nearly half a century of marriage, five sons and 16 grandchildren, that decision may explain more about Donny than any gold record ever could.
Fame Arrived Before He Was Old Enough to Understand It
Donny Osmond was born on December 9, 1957, in Ogden, Utah.
He grew up in one of entertainment’s most recognizable musical families.
The Osmond brothers had already begun performing before Donny became a regular part of the act.
Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay developed an early reputation as a barbershop-style singing group.
Donny eventually joined them.
His first major national exposure came when he was only five years old, appearing on The Andy Williams Show.
That television opportunity became the beginning of an extraordinary career.
By the early 1970s, the Osmond family had become a major force in popular music.
Songs such as “One Bad Apple” introduced the group to an enormous young audience.
But Donny was rapidly becoming a star in his own right.
Then Donny Became the Teen Idol
His youthful appearance and distinctive voice helped make Donny one of the most recognizable young performers of his generation.
Solo hits followed.
“Puppy Love” became one of the songs most strongly associated with his early career.