Donny Osmond Relays The Best Piece Of Advice He Got From Elvis Presley
Decades later, Donny Osmond still recalls the valuable advice he received from “The King” himself, Elvis Presley.
Donny made his musical debut at age five when he sang “You Are My Sunshine” on The Andy Williams Show. Four of his older brothers (Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay) were already performing together as a singing group, aptly named The Osmond Brothers.
Donny eventually joined the group, making it a quintet, which they renamed The Osmonds. Together, The Osmonds scored hit songs such as “One Bad Apple,” “Yo-Yo,” and “Down by the Lazy River.”
Donny also launched a successful solo career. Songs like “Puppy Love” and “Go Away Little Girl” made him a beloved teen idol.
He experienced continued success by recording duets with his sister, Marie. They also co-hosted a successful variety show called Donny & Marie from 1976-1979.
Today, Donny is known as one of the most iconic figures in entertainment history. His legacy was bolstered by a long-running Vegas residency with Marie, a first-place finish on Dancing with the Stars‘ ninth season, and a role performing “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” for the Mulan movie soundtrack.
Through it all, Donny has always remembered an important piece of advice he once received from another entertainment icon, Elvis Presley.
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“I remember when we were talking to Elvis one day, our family even, he said, ‘If I could do it all over again, I’d get closer to my fans,‘” Donny recalled in a recent interview with PEOPLE.
He continued:
“I was 14 at the time when he said that. And it really, really influenced me that a guy this big, you know, the King of Rock and Roll, says he wishes he could get closer to his fans ’cause he was so isolated. That’s one of the reasons why I do it, because that came from the King.“
Donny Is Mourning The Death Of His Older Brother, Wayne
There’s no doubt how much Donny’s fans love him in return. That was made abundantly clear following a recent Osmond family tragedy.
Donny’s older brother and former bandmate, Wayne Osmond, passed away on January 1. Wayne, who was 73, suffered a stroke prior to his death.
The Osmond siblings remembered Wayne in heartfelt tributes on social media. Donny wrote:
“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. I’m sure I speak on behalf of every one of us siblings when I state that we were fortunate to have Wayne as a brother.”
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Amid his grief, Donny is preparing to return to Las Vegas for his solo residency at Harrah’s Showroom. “I’m just having the time of my life on stage,” he told PEOPLE.
Wayne will surely be on Donny’s mind when he returns to the stage on February 11. Watch them sing together in The Osmonds in the video below.