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Musician Wayne Osmond of The Osmonds fame passed away “peacefully” on January 1, 2025, at a hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, surrounded by his family. He was 73. While the exact cause of death remains undisclosed, Wayne’s younger brother Merrill Osmond shared that the former suffered a “massive stroke” prior to his demise.
"My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave as an even greater saint than he came in. I've never known a man that had more humility. A man with absolute(ly) no guile. An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met," Merrill wrote on Facebook.
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Sharing an image of them performing together alongside a solo picture of Wayne, Merrill continued:
"His departure from this earth will be a sad moment for some, but for those who are waiting for him on the other side, there will be a massive celebration beyond anything we can imagine. My brother Wayne endured much. He gave it his all. 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.”
Wayne Osmond had seven brothers and one sister – all of whom are alive. They include Virl, Tom, Alan, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie, and Jimmy. The late singer is also survived by his wife of more than five decades, Kathlyn, and their five kids.
All you need to know about Wayne Osmond’s siblings’ ages and more
Wayne Osmond and his eight siblings were born to postal worker and military veteran George Virl Osmond Sr. and his church musician wife, Olive May. They grew up in Ogden, Utah.
The first sibling, George “Virl” Osmond Jr. was born in 1945 and is now 79 years old. Thomas “Tom” Rulon Osmond was born two years later in October 1947. While Virl has severe hearing loss and can quaintly hear and feel musical beats, Tom is completely deaf.
In the 2003 documentary, Being the Osmond Brothers, Virl shared that he taught all his siblings how to tap dance, and he and Tom also learned to play the saxophone as kids. Meanwhile, Tom shared how he took piano lessons and would feel the vibrations of the keys for better understanding.
“I was fascinated with music, I like music. I adored every minute of it when I was 5 years old,” Tom shared.
Virl further explained that when teachers at Tom’s deaf school wondered why he played the piano, his mother became more determined to turn him into a musician. Later, during an interview with ABILITY Magazine, the most famous sibling Donny Osmond shared:
“[My parents] decided they were not going to treat my brothers differently [or lower their expectations.] My brothers talk and communicate verbally. They also sign and do have that down quite well. As a matter of fact, we used sign language when we were performing together as a group.”
Alan Osmond was born in June 1949 and is now 75 years old. At age 12, he and his younger brothers began performing as part of the Osmond Brothers Boys’ Quartet, which subsequently came to be known as the family music group, The Osmonds. The recently-deceased Wayne Osmond was born in August 1951 and went on to become the family pop-rock band’s vocalist, lyricist, and multi-instrumentalist.
Merrill Osmond, born in April 1953, is 71 and retired, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist of The Osmonds. He also had a solo career. Jay Osmond, 69, born in March 1955, is a musician and author, having written the 2022 musical The Osmonds.
Donny Osmond, 67, born in December 1957, is the most successful sibling, known for his singing, acting, TV hosting, and former teen idol status. Marie Osmond, 65, born in October 1959, is the only sister and a celebrated singer, actress, TV personality, author, and businesswoman.
The youngest sibling James “Jimmy” Osmond was born in April 1963. He became a singer for the family music group as well as a solo artist who went on to earn six gold records, one platinum record, and two gold albums. The 61-year-old is also an entrepreneur.
Exploring the reactions of the siblings in the wake of brother Wayne Osmond's demise
Following Wayne Osmond’s demise on New Year’s Day 2025, a few of his siblings mourned his death on social media. For instance, Merrill Osmond took to Facebook and wrote:
“When I learned that my dear brother Wayne had a massive stroke my immediate response was to fall to my knees and pray for him to receive the assurance that his mission had been accomplished, and he was successful in this endeavor in many ways. I immediately drove to the hospital in SLC to see him and I was able to say my goodbyes.”
He further added how “tremendously” he would “miss him,” and shared his gratitude “to have grown up with one of heavenly father‘s greatest sons.”
Likewise, Jay too shared on the same social networking site how he “felt most connected to Wayne Osmond out of all my siblings,” adding they were roommates and confidants over the decades.
"As I sat visiting with him last week at his home he talked about how sad he was that he couldn't get up in his plane anymore and how much flying brought him peace. What gives me joy is to know that my brother 'Wings' has earned his wings and I can only imagine the heights he is soaring right now. The reunion he must've had with Father and Mother I'm sure was spectacular!" Jay wrote.
Donny Osmond paid his homage to Wayne Osmond via an Instagram post. Sharing a monochrome throwback picture of his late sibling, the Pyramid host wrote in part:
“Wayne brought so much light, laughter, and love to everyone who knew him, especially me. He was the ultimate optimist and was loved by everyone. I’m sure I speak on behalf of every one of us siblings when I state that we were fortunate to have Wayne as a brother.”
Donny also shared visiting Wayne Osmond one last time before he passed away at the hospital. The Osmond family also issued a joint statement to ABC4 and Fox 13 remembering Wayne Osmond’s “legacy of faith, music, love, and laughter” that “influenced the lives of many people around the world.”
"He would want 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,” it stated in conclusion.
Over the years, Wayne Osmond suffered a number of health issues including ependymoma (cancer in the cerebellum) in 1994, a brain tumor and subsequent surgery in 1997, and a stroke in 2012.
