Donny Osmond rose to fame when he joined his brothers’ band, The Osmonds — made up of Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay and Donny Osmond During their peak between 1971 and 1975, the boy band was constantly top of the charts and created mass hysteria from fans wherever they went. Crowds of teenagers, often crying and screaming, would even end up chasing them. The phenomenon of “Osmondmania” was , heightened by their clean-cut idol status due to their religious beliefs and wholesome lifestyle.
The Osmonds came from a large family, with eight brothers — Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny and Jimmy Osmond, and one sister, Marie Osmond, who was born into stardom as her brothers were already famous by the time she was born. When The Osmonds stopped producing music, Marie and Donny became a pop duo. They released the popular singles “Morning Side of the Mountain” and “I’m Leaving It All Up to You.” Their continued growth in popularity led them to front their own show in 1976 called “Donny & Marie.”
Considering his background, it’s no surprise to learn that Donny is a keen family man — not only does he come from a large family, but his career was forged alongside his siblings. Married to his wife Debbie Osmond, Donny would go on to have a brood of boys himself, five to be exact!
As a loving husband and father, Donny has a full personal life as well as a successful career. The performer is also a grandfather to 14 grandchildren. His large family keeps Donny busy, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Fans have since been delighted to see Donny transform from a charming crooner to a doting family man. Keep reading to find out more about Donny’s family and how much he loves to show them off.
Donny Osmond (2018), (Steve Granitz/WireImage via Getty Images)
Donny and his wife Debbie have been together for over 40 years. After meeting as teenagers, the pair dated for a few years before getting married in 1978. They then grew their family, eventually having five children together: Donald, who was born in July 1979, then Jeremy in June 1981, followed by Brandon in 1985, Christopher in 1990, and finally, Joshua in 1998.
It’s clear Donny is more than proud of his five boys, who are now all grown men. In June 2021, he took to Instagram to post a photo of all the Osmond men together, captioning it:
“One of the best parts of being a father is getting to watch your children begin to learn the joy of fatherhood themselves. I couldn’t ask for better sons than these 5 wonderful men.”
A doting dad, Donny is clearly enamored with his family and it’s truly heartwarming to see.
All five of Donny and Debbie’s sons are married now, with the youngest, Joshua, tying the knot in 2020. The couple was forced to substitute their planned church wedding for a backyard affair with just family members present. But judging from a photo that Donny shared in 2020, the intimate wedding looked nothing short of perfect.
Of Donny and Debbie’s other sons, the eldest, Donald, married his wife Jessica in 2010, and the couple now has four children. Their second eldest son Jeremy married Melisa in 2002, and they have three kids of their own.
Their middle son Brandon married Shelby in 2008, and they also have four children, while the second-youngest, Christopher, got married in 2017 and he and his wife, Alta Osmond, welcomed their first child in November 2020. That leaves Joshua and Summer, who are yet to welcome any kids.
Donny Osmond, Debbie Osmond and their sons Chris and Joshua (2005), (Amanda Edwards/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images)
There’s absolutely no questioning whether Donny is a family man; you need only take a glance at his social media accounts, which are chockful of beautiful and loving photos and messages about his 25-strong family. Donny takes the time to show his love and appreciation for everyone in his family, whether it’s through family portraits, birthday wishes or celebrating a milestone.
In 2012, when Donny learned his son Don Jr. and his wife were expecting their first child, it brought the singer to tears. “They’ve been trying for a long, long, long time,” he said tearfully. “I’m very happy for them and I’m pretty happy myself too!” The baby boy then became Donny’s fifth grandchild.
Taking the whole Osmond clan on a day out always looks like a treat for Donny, such as a trip to the Stadium of Fire and the Butterfly Biosphere. He also regularly posts about his grandchildren’s achievements, such as when grandson Dylan won a championship football game, or when another grandson had his artwork showcased at the National Museum of Natural History. Birthdays always appear to be such a cozy family affair.
For a long time, Donny had only one granddaughter among his grandchildren, and she became his “sweet little princess” whom he wrote he was “lucky to have” in his life. However, she was joined by another granddaughter in 2020, and Donny’s happiness at receiving the news was evident in a clip taken during the gender reveal. His second granddaughter can be seen in another sweet photo Donny posted alongside another one of his grandsons, in which he remarked: “The only thing better than Father’s Day is Grandpa’s Day.”
Debbie Osmond, Donny Osmond and family members (2016), (Ethan Miller/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images)
Donny appreciates all the blessings he has received in life, particularly his family. He described on Instagram just how much his sons meant to him and wrote, “Being their father is one of my greatest joys, and watching our sons take on the role of #fatherhood with such love, patience and tenderness is a precious gift.”
On June 29, 2023, Donny revealed the already large Osmond family had welcomed a new addition in the form of grandson Dune Tyler. The little bundle of joy became the second child for Donny’s son Christopher and his wife Alta. Donny shared the news on Instagram with an endearing photo of him staring down into the eyes of little baby Dune and captioned it:
“Thank you, Chris and Alta for bringing another beautiful grandson into Debbie’s and my life. Welcome to our family, Dune Tyler Osmond. You truly are an angel from heaven. ❤️”
Fans were clearly smitten by the way Donny looked at their family’s new addition.
“There was a day (100 years ago) I would have given my life for Donny to look at me like that,” a user gushed.
“This is the most beautiful picture I have ever seen. Donny…you are a great man! I can feel the love right through the screen,” someone shared.
“There’s nothing like holding your grandchild for the first time in your arms 💗” another commented.
Speaking to ET Canada, Donny joked that her grandchildren could battle it out on an official soccer match in two teams because of how many they are:
“Oh, more than that. Several soccer teams. It’s sweet chaos, is what it’s called. We had a 4th of July party just not long ago and had everybody over. It was… we had the time of our lives. It was fantastic.”
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Do you have a large family like Donny Osmond? What can you say about his photo with his new grandson? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other Donny Osmond fans out there!