Introduction:
Merrill Osmond: A Life in Harmony
Sixty years in show business is a milestone few can claim. For Merrill Osmond — the steady voice and emotional anchor of the Osmond Brothers — it represents a lifetime of resilience, family, and faith wrapped in music. Yet his career, and the empire that followed, might never have happened at all.
“Doctors told my parents not to have any more children,” Merrill recalls, leaning back with the calm of someone who’s weathered storms and sunshine alike. “Two of my older brothers were born deaf. But my parents said, ‘No, we’re going to carry on.’ And thank God they did.”
It was those brothers, Alan and Virl, whose hearing loss became the unlikely catalyst for a family legacy. “We weren’t going to be entertainers,” Merrill explains. “We just wanted to raise enough money to buy hearing aids. That’s how the Osmond Brothers started — singing for a cause, singing for family.”
By age four, Merrill was on stage, his small figure swallowed by spotlights and applause. Long before cell phones and TikTok, the family’s appearances on The Andy Williams Show became their earliest public record. “Those were wonderful memories,” Merrill says. “That show gave us our start. And along the way, I met people I never could have dreamed of — Elvis Presley, for one. Meeting Elvis was a highlight of my life. And even the Queen of England. It’s been a wonderful, wonderful journey.”
The Power of Music
For Merrill, music has always been more than performance — it’s been a lifeline. Through decades of cultural change, personal struggles, and family triumphs, he’s seen how melody can heal. “More than ever, the world needs music,” he insists. “Especially in dark times. Music reminds us we’re not alone.”
That conviction fuels his latest project: a Christmas tour across the UK beginning December 8. With his wife, children, and grandchildren by his side, Merrill is bringing seasonal cheer and decades of memories to audiences looking for connection. “Christmas has always been important to me,” he says. “It’s a time of love, of family. We’ll be singing the classics, some Osmond hits — songs that make you feel. I want people to leave remembering what Christmas really means.”
At seventy-plus, Merrill jokes that he “looks like Father Christmas,” but beneath the humor lies reverence. For him, music isn’t about nostalgia; it’s about emotion. “If music doesn’t touch the heart, what’s the point?”
Faith, Fragility, and Family
Talk to Merrill long enough, and the conversation circles back to family. His son Justin co-hosts their podcast Sound Advice, a space for candid conversations about mental health, life, and music. “I struggled with anxiety,” Merrill admits. “I don’t even know where it came from. Depression, too. That’s why I talk about it. I want people to know they’re okay, that they’ll be fine. It just takes time.”
The podcast, to his surprise, has become a sanctuary. “People want honesty,” he says. “They want to know the entertainer they see on stage puts his pants on the same way they do. That we’re human. That we struggle, too.”
The Osmond story has never been without struggle. Last year, Jimmy Osmond suffered a stroke. The news shook fans, but Merrill offers a hopeful update: “He’s doing great, considering what he’s been through. He’s loving time with his family. Honestly, I think he’s enjoying life more now than he has in a long time.”
That resilience — of finding joy through hardship — is embedded in the Osmond DNA. “That’s what families are for,” Merrill says. “We pull together. Through the ups, the downs, the heartbreaks. We support each other.”
On Stage, Anxiety Melts Away
Despite lifelong battles with anxiety, something remarkable happens to Merrill when the curtain rises. “Performing was the one time I felt in control,” he reflects. “When the audience sings your songs back to you — that’s a high unlike any other. That’s when the anxiety falls away.”
It’s a paradox that defined him: a shy, anxious boy transformed into a commanding performer. As the lead singer of The Osmonds, he carried the group through a whirlwind of screaming crowds, platinum records, and world tours. Hits like One Bad Apple and Love Me for a Reason became anthems of a generation, cementing the Osmonds’ place alongside the Jackson 5 as teen-pop royalty of the 1970s.
Yet offstage, Merrill remained the steady anchor — balancing superstardom with family life, and quietly battling demons the public never saw.
Gratitude and Grace
Six decades on, Merrill shows no signs of slowing. Between touring, podcasting, and relishing time with his grandchildren, he remains a bridge between the golden age of variety television and today’s era of on-demand entertainment.
His story, ultimately, isn’t about fame or fortune. It’s about resilience. About two deaf brothers whose challenges sparked a legacy. About a family who weathered the white-hot glare of fame without losing its roots. About a man who, despite anxiety and depression, never stopped singing.
Looking back, Merrill doesn’t boast — he marvels. “It’s been a wonderful journey,” he says, his voice warm with sincerity. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And as long as I can sing, I’ll keep singing. Because music? Music is life.”