The Osmonds star Wayne Osmond died on New Year’s Day at the age of 73. His family confirmed the news in an emotional statement shared on Thursday (January 2).
It read: “Wayne Osmond, beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his loving wife and five children. 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,” they continued to ABC’s Utah news station, KTVX.
His cause of death has not yet been announced.
Wayne was the fourth oldest Osmond sibling behind Virl, 79, Tom, 77, and Alan, 75. He was followed by Merrill, 71, Jay, 69, Donny, 67, Marie, 65, and Jimmy, 61.
Born and raised in Ogden, Utah, Wayne’s musical career began when he joined forces with Alan, Merrill, and Jay in 1958 to form the barbershop quartet, The Osmonds.
Their younger siblings, Donny and Jimmy, joined them later, and The Osmonds reached worldwide fame.
The brothers’ launch to stardom came after they were discovered by Jay Emerson Williams, the father of Andy Williams, at a performance at Disneyland in 1961.
They were then cast over seven years on NBC’s The Andy Williams Show. They also starred in nine episodes of the ABC Western series, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (1963-1964), alongside Kurt Russell and Charles Bronson. Wayne was cast in the role of a young Leviticus Kissel.
Wayne’s death tragically comes weeks after celebrating his 50th anniversary of marriage to Kathlyn White.
The guitarist married the former Miss Utah on December 13, 1974, and they had five children: Amy, 48, Steven, 46, Gregory, 43, Sarah, 42, and Michele, 38.
In 1997, Wayne was diagnosed with a brain tumour. The cancer was successfully treated but damaged his cochlea, leaving him with severe hearing loss.
His musical career was further impacted when a stroke in 2012 left him unable to play guitar.
Following the announcement of Wayne’s death, tributes have been flooding in on social media.
One fan tweeted: “Rip Wayne Osmond. All my thoughts, love and prayers go out to his lovely wife Kathy, their children and the whole of the Osmond Family.”
Another wrote: “Very sad to hear of the passing of Wayne Osmond. They were some of my first musical heroes, that family. Sending all positive and healing energies to @donnyosmond, his family and friends, all of Wayne’s family and friends, and Osmond fans around the world.”
A third penned: “@donnyosmond Please accept our sincere condolences on the loss of your brother Wayne. I have lit a candle for him. May his soul fly free. Thank you for the music, Wayne. RIP and God Bless.”
And a fourth said: “R.I.P. Wayne Osmond. Been an Osmonds fan for many many years and was listening to the greatest hits today and just heard the sad news. Thank you for many years of great songs.”