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As part of a family act that came to be virtually synonymous with wholesome entertainment, Marie Osmond enjoyed a lengthy career switching between several different areas of show business. Born Olive Marie Osmond in Ogden, UT, in 1959, she was raised in a strict Mormon family along with her eight brothers. She made her first TV appearance at the age of three, when her oldest brothers performed on The Andy Williams Show as the Osmonds.
After spending the '60s as variety-show fixtures, the Osmonds shot to pop stardom in 1970, and before long the group's management encouraged Marie to try her hand at recording as well. She made several concert appearances with her brothers (though she was never officially a member of the Osmonds), and in 1973 she cut her first single, the country tune "Paper Roses." The song was a gold-selling smash, going to number one on the country charts (the first time a female artist's debut single had ever done so) and into the Top Five on the pop charts. Her accompanying album of the same name also topped the country charts, and Osmond followed it with two more albums for MGM and several more singles, none of which matched its success.
In 1976, she and brother Donny began hosting their own weekly variety show, Donny & Marie, which ran until 1979. In the meantime, she also began to pursue acting; she famously turned down the lead role in Grease because she didn't approve of the script's moral content but found limited success in a series of TV movies and later did voice-over work for several children's cartoons. In the mid-'80s, she returned to country music and signed with Curb, scoring a number one hit right out of the box with the Dan Seals duet "Meet Me in Montana." Her solo follow-up, "There's No Stopping Your Heart," also topped the country charts, and she landed two more big hits in 1986 with the Top Five solo track "Read My Lips" and the number one Paul Davis duet "You're Still New to Me." None of her subsequent singles breached the country Top Ten, though 1987's "I Only Wanted You" came close, and she charted for the final time in 1990 with "Like a Hurricane."
Osmond spent much of the '90s in touring musicals and returned to television in 1998 as co-host of the daytime talk show Donny & Marie, which ran for two seasons. In the early 2000s, Osmond made prominent appearances on the reality television shows Celebrity Duets (as a judge) and Dancing with the Stars. In 2007 she released the seasonal Magic of Christmas, her first studio album in almost 20 years. It was followed in 2010 by I Can Do This, a collection of spirituals and hymns. Osmond has also written several self-help books, including one dealing with her own bout of postpartum depression.
Wikipedia:
Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959) is an American singer, actress, doll designer, and a member of the show business family The Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a solo country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s. Her best known song is a cover of the country pop ballad "Paper Roses." In 1976, she and her singer brother Donny Osmond began hosting the TV variety show Donny & Marie.
Early life
Born Olive Marie Osmond in Ogden, Utah to Olive and George Osmond, Marie Osmond was raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The only daughter of nine children, her brothers are Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, and Jimmy Osmond. From an early age, her brothers maintained a career in show business, singing and performing on national television. Osmond debuted as part of her brothers' act The Osmond Brothers on the The Andy Williams Show when she was three, but generally did not perform with her brothers in the group's television performances through the 1960s.
Music career
1970s
Aside from her two older brothers (who are deaf), Marie was soon the only family member not involved in the music business. After the initial success of The Osmonds in 1970, Marie's older brother Donny was gaining success as a solo artist on the Pop Music charts and was becoming a teen idol. The Osmonds' management convinced Marie to try her hand as well. She signed with the family's record label, MGM Records and began making concert appearances with The Osmonds. Her style was more directed towards country music, in contrast with her brothers' pop music.
In 1973, Osmond cut her first single as a solo artist, "Paper Roses". The recording became a #1 country hit, reached the Top 5 on the Billboard magazine pop chart, and achieved crossover success. The song earned a gold record as did the album of the same name. Osmond released another single, "In My Little Corner of the World", and a same-name album in 1974, with both entering the Billboard Top 40 in 1974. The title song on her next album Who's Sorry Now, released in 1975, went to #20 the month after its release. The title song from Osmond's final solo album of the seventies, This Is The Way That I Feel, reached #39 within two months of its 1977 release.
In 1974, Osmond had two pop music duet hits with brother Donny: "I'm Leaving It All Up to You" and "Morning Side of the Mountain." The former song was a Top 20 country hit.
1980s
In the early 1980s, Osmond's music career went into a brief hiatus while she pursued a career in acting. She turned down the lead role as Sandy in Grease because she didn't approve of the script's moral content, and the role went to Olivia Newton-John. She appeared in some TV movies and did voice-over work for children's cartoons. Prior to the comeback success of her brother Donny in the late 1980s, Marie made a comeback in country music as a solo artist by signing a deal with Curb Records in Nashville. In 1985, Marie and Dan Seals sang a duet called "Meet Me in Montana" which became a #1 country hit that year.
Her follow-up to "Meet Me in Montana" was a solo hit called "There's No Stopping Your Heart," which reached #1 in early 1986 for Marie. Her singles mainly focused on the more-popular Countrypolitan style. In late 1985, she released the "There's No Stopping Your Heart" album of the same name. In 1986, the single "Read My Lips" became a Top-20 country hit. She hit #1 again with a duet with Paul Davis with the song "You're Still New to Me." The Top-10 hit "I Only Wanted You," became her last major hit on the Country charts, to date. Osmond continued to release singles throughout much of the '80s, including "I'm In Love And He's In Dallas". In 1984, Marie had a single on RCA Records called, "Whos Counting." The single charted to only #82 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles. The single did receive a significant amount of airplay for a couple of weeks.
1990s
The last charting single came in 1995 with "What Kind of Man (Walks On a Woman)".
Acting career
In 1976, Osmond and brother Donny began to host their variety show Donny & Marie, which ran on ABC until 1979.
Osmond's first "made for TV" movie was The Gift of Love which originally aired on ABC December 5, 1978. The movie was loosely based on the O. Henry story "The Gift of the Magi." Her co-star in the movie was Timothy Bottoms and she received her first on-screen kiss in this movie.
In 1978, she and Donny released their film Goin' Coconuts, which was not a financial success. The following year, Marie starred in a sitcom pilot titled "Marie." which did not make the new season schedule and in 1980 she had her own variety show on NBC, also titled Marie, which only ran for half a season.
Osmond had a recurring role as co-host with Jack Palance on ABC's documentary series Ripley's Believe It or Not! for two seasons (1985–86), replacing Jack's daughter Holly Palance. She introduced and narrated segments based on the travels and discoveries of oddity-hunter Robert Ripley.
The singer played her mother, Olive, in the TV movie Side By Side: The True Story Of The Osmond Family. She also starred in the TV movie I Married Wyatt Earp.
She returned to television first in the short-lived 1995 ABC sitcom Maybe This Time and then with brother Donny in 1998 to co-host Donny And Marie, a talk/entertainment show that lasted two seasons.
She appeared as herself in the 2001 TV movie Inside The Osmonds, which showed how the brothers' egos, their father's fiscal mismanagement, and the family's quest to build a multimedia empire led to their downfall. The film was produced by her younger brother, Jimmy Osmond.
In 2006, she was a judge on the short-lived Fox celeb reality show competition Celebrity Duets.
Osmond had a radio show syndicated to adult contemporary radio stations, Marie And Friends that was canceled after 10 months.
It is reported by Entertainment Tonight that Marie will join the daytime cast of The Bold and the Beautiful, a long running CBS soap opera. A date has not been announced.
Broadway
She appeared in the Broadway musicals The King and I (as Anna) and The Sound of Music (as Maria) in the mid-1990s. Marie and her brother Donny recently starred in a new holiday production called Donny & Marie – A Broadway Christmas, which was originally scheduled to play on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre from December 9– 19, 2010. The show was then extended till December 30, 2010 and again till January 2, 2011.
Other work
Donny & Marie in Las Vegas
The 750-seat showroom at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada is currently home to "Donny & Marie", a 90-minute variety show. The singing siblings are backed by eight dancers and a nine piece band. Donny and Marie sing together at the beginning and end of the show, and have solo segments in between. They recently extended their contract until October 2012.
The Marie Osmond Show
In 2008, Osmond had a new talk show in the works that was to have been taped in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, this project was canceled before airing.
Dancing with the Stars
On August 29, 2007, it was announced that Osmond would appear as a celebrity contestant on the fifth season of the ABC show, paired with Jonathan Roberts, 2004 US Rising Star Latin Champion. On November 27, 2007, Osmond came in third place on the fifth season of Dancing with the Stars.
Doll business
In 1991, Osmond debuted her doll line on QVC. While QVC continues to be a primary source of distribution for her dolls, Osmond also carries her line in retail stores, through internet sales in the USA and worldwide, and direct response. In 2009, Osmond also debuted her dolls on The Shopping Channel in Canada.
Her first sculpture, a toddler doll she created and named after her mother, "Olive May," set a collectible record on QVC. Since then, Osmond has sculpted several dolls, including "Remember Me," "Baby Adora Belle," "Kissy and Huggs" and her hallmark doll, "Adora Belle."
In 2006, Osmond launched an embroidery machine line, a sewing machine line, and embroidery designs through Bernina. She has been featured on the cover of Designs in Machine Embroidery.
In 2009, a 16" vinyl Fashion Doll of Marie Osmond "Grand Finale Fashion" was debuted at Osmond's 50th Birthday party in Las Vegas in celebration of her 50th birthday.
Osmond's doll collection has garnered numerous award nominations, including "Trendsetter of the Year" and Dolls magazine's "Awards of Excellence."
Crafting
In 2010, Osmond published a book of handcrafted project designs, Marie Osmond’s Heartfelt Giving: Sew and Quilt for Family and Friends (Martingale & Company,). The book contains step-by-step instructions for more than 20 projects, all designed by Osmond. Projects include her “Paper Roses” quilt, bags, aprons, and gifts for babies, teens, friends, and pets. The book also features several childhood photos.
Osmond has a line of sewing machines with Janome and a fabric line with Quilting Treasures.
Children's Miracle Network
Along with actor John Schneider, Osmond co-founded the non-profit organization Children's Miracle Network in 1983. The CMN is dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children's hospitals across North America.
Nutrisystem spokesperson
As part of the Slimsational Stars, Osmond is currently promoting the Nutrisystem brand of weight loss meals. She has starred in a number of commercials over the past five years.
Personal life
Osmond has been married three times, to two different men. She remarried her first husband, Stephen Lyle Craig, in 2011, after splitting from her second husband.
Osmond first married Craig, a Brigham Young University basketball player, in 1982. Their only child, Stephen James Craig, was born on April 20, 1983, and they divorced in 1985. On September 24, 2011 Marie's son Stephen James married Claire Olds.
On October 28, 1986, Osmond married Brian Blosil. Osmond and Blosil had two biological children, Rachael Lauren (b. August 1989) and Matthew Richard (b. July 1999), and also adopted five children: Jessica Marie (b. December 1987), Michael Bryan (May 4, 1991– February 26, 2010), Brandon Warren (b. November 1996), Brianna Patricia (b. November 1997), and Abigail Michelle (b. September 2002). On March 30, 2007, Osmond and Blosil announced they were divorcing.
On May 4, 2011, Osmond remarried Craig in a small ceremony in the Las Vegas Nevada Temple wearing her dress from the 1982 wedding.
In 1999, Osmond revealed that she had suffered from severe postpartum depression. She co-authored a book called Behind the Smile with Marcia Wilkie and Dr. Judith Moore which chronicles her experiences with the illness. In August 2006, it was suggested by several U.S. tabloids that she had attempted suicide. These reports were denied by her publicity team, which claimed she had suffered an adverse reaction to a medication she was taking.
On April 29, 2009, Osmond revealed that her oldest daughter, Jessica, is a lesbian and had been living in Los Angeles with her girlfriend for the past three years. In interviews Osmond has expressed support for her daughter and for same sex marriage rights.
On February 26, 2010, Osmond's son Michael committed suicide by jumping from the eighth floor of his apartment building in Los Angeles. He had reportedly battled depression for most of his life and had been in rehabilitation at the age of 12. The autopsy released on April 21, 2010 revealed that no drugs were found in his system.
Marie Osmond is a Republican.
