Alan Osmond

Alan Osmond
Alan Osmond
	File:Alan Osmond portrait.JPG
Born	Alan Ralph Osmond; June 22, 1949 (age 75); Ogden, Utah, United States

Alan Ralph Osmond (born on June 22, 1949 in Ogden, Utah, United States) was a member of the family musical group The Osmonds. He was the oldest of the seven siblings who could sing, as the two oldest brothers, Virl and Tom, are hearing impaired although Tom is currently under treatment. During much of the Osmonds' career, Alan was the leader of the group, playing piano, guitar, co-writing many of their songs and arranging the dance choreography.^[1] Today he performs only rarely because he has multiple sclerosis.

Four of the Osmonds were cast over a seven-year period on NBC's The Andy Williams Show. They also appeared in nine episodes of the 1963-1964 ABC western television series, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, with Alan in the role of young Micah Kissel. The series starred then 12-year-old Kurt Russell on a wagon train headed to the American West.^[2]

Personal life

Osmond dated the Carpenters' lead singer, Karen Carpenter. He later married Suzanne Pinegar. He and Suzanne have eight sons, who perform as the Osmond Brothers Second Generation. Alan, like all the Osmonds, is a devout Mormon; seven of his sons have served Mormon missions, and the youngest son Tyler plans on serving in the future.

His son, David Osmond, lead singer of the group Osmonds 2nd Generation, who also suffers from multiple sclerosis, participated in the eighth season of American Idol on January 28, 2009 with a pass to Hollywood.^[3] However, due to laryngitis, he was not able to make it past Hollywood week.

In 2000, Alan Osmond received the Dorothy Corwin Spirit of Life Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In his acceptance speech, he stated that he had done some time in the military and that he had taken karate lessons from Chuck Norris, both of which reinforced the "you can do it" attitude that he learned from his father. His motto is, "I may have MS, but MS does NOT have me!" He currently runs the OneHeart Foundation and is also available as a motivational speaker.^[4]