Photo: Wayne Osmond | Story by Rania Aniftos, Billboard | Wayne Osmond, the second-oldest of the legendary Osmond Brothers, died on Wednesday (Jan. 1). He was 73 years old. The musician’s family confirmed the news of his death in a statement to Salt Lake City news station, KSL TV. “Wayne Osmond, beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his loving wife and five children,” the statement reads. “His legacy of faith, music, love, and laughter have 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.”
Following the news of his death, a number of Wayne’s family members took to social media to honor him. Jay Osmond said that he has “always felt the most connected to Wayne out of all of my siblings.”
“My heart is deeply saddened for the loss of my brother Wayne. It is said that where there is great love there is great grief as we part during our earthly journey,” the post reads. “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.”
Merrill Osmond noted in his post that Wayne had suffered a “massive stroke” and was hospitalized shortly before his death. “My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave as an even greater saint than he came in,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “I’ve never known a man that had more humility. A man with absolute no guile. An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met.”
He 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.”
Wayne, one of nine Osmond siblings, started a barbershop quartet in 1958 alongside his brothers Alan, Merrill and Jay. After getting discovered from a Disneyland performance, the boys were cast over a seven-year period on NBC’s The Andy Williams Show beginning in 1962. When brothers Jimmy and Donny joined the group, they became known as the Osmonds and were the standout teen idols throughout the 1970s.
The Osmond family was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. Wayne is survived by his wife Kathlyn Louise White and their five children.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/wayne-osmond-beloved-osmond-brothers-singer-dies-at-73/ar-AA1wS4cd?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=f198445ad0fa491d8ad748569035ae41&ei=31
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OTHER NOTABLE MUSICIANS’ DEATHS
In Memoriam 2024: The Musicians We Lost
By Lars Gotrich, Louisville Public Media
It takes a village to make the music we love. There are the voices and instruments out front, of course, and a band clicking everything into place. But there are also the songwriters who pen memorable melodies and words, producers and sound engineers to make everything sound just right, and journalists, photographers and illustrators to tell their stories. The music that has soundtracked your greatest triumphs and soothed your deepest wounds come from a thousand different places and people — that’s worth remembering.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/in-memoriam-2024-the-musicians-we-lost/ar-AA1wrrW6?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=9901d2c70d944b7288399efd1f79de29&ei=115
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Warning Signs of Suicide – National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or if you want to discuss, call the old numbers at 800-273-TALK or 800-273-8255 for English and 888-628-9454 for Spanish. Learn the signs of someone who may be contemplating suicide.
If you want to know more about any of the musicians we lost, please check them out at http://www.wikipedia.com
January 2025
1: Leo Dan, 82, Argentine singer, composer and actor (Story of a Poor Young Man, Cómo te extraño); Chad Morgan, 91, Australian country singer and guitarist; Nora Orlandi, 91, Italian musician and film composer (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, Johnny Yuma, Clint the Stranger).
DECEMBER 2024
31: Paolo Benvegnù, 59, Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist; Tom Johnson, 85, American composer; Don Nix, 83, American musician and songwriter; Johnnie Walker, 79, English disc jockey (Radio Caroline, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
30: Bob Bertles, 85, Australian jazz musician.; Loretta Di Franco, 82, American soprano; Joe Grech, 90, Maltese singer (“Marija l-Maltija”).
29: Ahmed Adaweyah, 79, Egyptian singer and actor; Eric Carlson, 66, American heavy metal guitarist (Mentors), cancer; Han Tong-il, 83, South Korean pianist; Warcloud, 45, American rapper (Black Knights).
28: Selami Karaibrahimgil [tr], 80, Turkish singer (Modern Folk Üçlüsü); Lars Martin Myhre, 68, Norwegian composer, guitarist and pianist; Barre Phillips, 90, American jazz musician.
26: OG Maco, 32, American rapper (“U Guessed It”, “Doctor Pepper”), suicide by gunshot.
25: Dulce, 69, Mexican singer and actress, lung cancer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2024
Photo: Wayne Osmond } In an interview with KSL-TV’s Carole Mikita (Eric Betts, KSL-TV)
https://www.facebook.com/NathanOsmondMusic