The lead singer of The Osmonds, Wayne Osmond, has died at the age of 73

Wayne Osmond, founder of the family band The Osmonds, who had a string of hits in the 1970s, has died aged 73.

Wayne was a singer and guitarist and co-wrote many of their biggest hits, including Crazy Horses, Goin’ Home And Let Me In.

“Wayne brought so much light, laughter and love to all who knew him, especially me.” wrote Donnie’s brother. “He was the greatest optimist and everyone loved him.”

Merrill Osmond called his late brother “a genius in his ability to write music” who “was able to capture the hearts of millions and bring them closer to God.”

He continued, “I’ve never known a man with more humility. A man with absolutely no guile. A man who was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he met.”

Meryl and Donnie said the cause of death was a stroke.

Born in August 1951 in Ogden, Utah, Wayne was the fourth oldest of nine children and grew up in a Mormon family.

As a child, he began performing in a barbershop quartet with siblings Alan, Merrill and Jay.

By 1961, the Harmonizing Brothers had become regular performers at Disneyland in California. A year later, they made their television debut on The Andy Williams Show.

They quickly became regulars on the show, earning the nickname “The One-Take Osmonds” due to their flawless, relentlessly rehearsed performances.

Younger brother Donnie joined the line-up in 1963 and they began expanding their repertoire to include pure pop songs.

Their initial singles flopped, but after the success of the Jackson 5 showed that family pop music could be commercially successful, MGM Records signed the group and sent them to work at the famed Muscle Shoals R&B studio.

There, they were given a song called One Bad Apple (Don’t Spoil the Whole Bunch), which was originally written for the Jacksons but was rejected by their label.

Upbeat, upbeat and punchy, the song topped the US singles chart for five weeks in 1971 and established the band in the charts a decade after their professional debut.

For a while, the siblings caused the same feverish excitement as The Beatles.

When the band flew into Heathrow Airport in 1973, 10,000 teenage fans packed the roof gardens of a nearby office to see them arrive. Part of the balcony railing and wall collapsed into the crowd, slightly injuring 18 women.

Hundreds of fans crowded their limousine as they left. A New York Times reporter said:they were lucky to escape alive“, while the Guardian said the scene almost led to a ban on pop bands entering the UK through Heathrow.

But pop music is a fickle industry, and The Osmonds’ record sales began to decline by the mid-1970s.

At the same time, Donnie and Marie Osmond offered their own television variety show, which became a hit in the US and was shown on BBC One in the UK.

As a result, the band went on hiatus and eventually disbanded in 1980, although they regularly reformed for county fairs and reunion tours over the following decades.

Wayne Osmond had a number of health problems throughout his life. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor as a child, which led to cognitive problems.

In 1994, he noticed that the condition was getting worse.

“I noticed I couldn’t play the saxophone anymore because my head started throbbing,” he recalled later. “And my knees would fall out from under me when I was on stage. It all started within a week.”

Subsequent surgery and related cancer treatment resulted in significant hearing loss that persisted for the rest of his life. In 2012, he also suffered a stroke.

In 2019, the musician joined his siblings Alan, Merrill and Jay for their final appearance on the TV show The Talk.

Performing in front of a screen showing a montage of their career highlights, the original quartet performed a song called The Last Chapter, written as a thank you to their fans.

Sister Marie, who hosted the show, joined them afterwards to pay tribute, saying: “It’s an honor to be your sister. I love you guys. You worked so hard. Enjoy your retirement.”

In retirement, Wayne enjoyed hobbies including fly fishing and spending time with his family. He maintained an upbeat outlook, telling the Utah Desert News that the hearing loss doesn’t bother him.

“My favorite thing now is to take care of my yard” he said. “I’m turning off my hearing aids, deaf as a pen, setting everything up, it’s really gratifying.”

He is survived by his wife Kathleen and five children: Amy, Steven, Gregory, Sarah and Michelle.

He is also survived by eight siblings: Whirl, Tom, Alan, Merrill, Jay, Donnie, Marie and Jimmy.