Donny Osmond Shares Photos of Late Brother Wayne on What Would’ve Been His 74th Birthday: ‘One of Our Last Cherished Moments’

Donny Osmond paid tribute to his older brother Wayne on what would have been the musician’s 74th birthday.

Donny shared a heartfelt message on Instagram on Thursday, Aug. 28, along with photos of himself and his sibling.

“I found the outfit Wayne wore on stage in the ‘70s and gave it back to him, not knowing it would become one of our last cherished moments together. Happy birthday, my dear brother. Happy birthday, Wayne. I’m beyond grateful for the time we shared and the bond we’ll always have. ❤️,”  Donny, 67, captioned the post.

Wayne, an original member of The Osmonds, died on Jan. 1 at age 73.

Donny Osmond Remembers Brother Wayne on What Would’ve Been His 74th Birthday

Several of his siblings shared the news of Wayne’s death in social media posts at the time, revealing that he had suffered a stroke.

“My dear brother Wayne passed away peacefully … from a stroke. I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to visit him in the hospital before he passed,” Donny wrote on Instagram at the time.

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“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,” Donny added.

Merrill Osmond, 72, paid tribute to his brother on Facebook, writing that he immediately drove to the hospital when he learned of Wayne’s stroke in order to say goodbye.

“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,” Merrill wrote.

Wayne got his start in music singing in a barbershop quartet with his older brother Alan and younger brothers Merrill and Jay.

In 1961, the Osmond brothers were discovered while singing at Disneyland and went on to become regulars on The Andy Williams ShowBrothers Donny and Jimmy, as well as sister Marie, eventually joined the group.

American pop group The Osmonds, comprising Alan Osmond, Jay Osmond, Donny Osmond, Wayne Osmond and Merrill Osmond, posed in London, circa 1972
The Osmond reached the top of the charts in 1971 with the release of “One Bad Apple.” The song spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. While they never formally disbanded, members of the group largely went their separate ways by 1980.
Wayne married Kathlyn White, a former pageant queen, in 1974, and they welcomed five children together.