Synopsis
At age five, Donny Osmond first sang his way into North Americas heart. By the time he was a teenager, he had four separate careers successfully underway, as a solo artist, as a member of the Osmond Brothers, as part of a singing duo with his sister, Marie, and as the co-host of a highly successful network television variety show. But by the early 80s, public perception had changed, and Donny discovered that, thanks to his squeaky-clean image, his very name had become poison. In this inspiring autobiography, Donny tells what it is like to survive the ups and downs of the entertainment business while trying to keep his faith, dignity, and sense of humor intact. He recalls memories of his experiences with a variety of celebrities, from Groucho Marx and Lucille Ball to Michael Jackson and Howard Stern. He shares how he finally achieved resolution through marriage, fatherhood, perseverance, and self-acceptance. And he recounts the long and difficult road leading to a renewed recording career, nearly two thousand triumphant performances in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and a new nationally syndicated talk show. The millions of people who watched Donny grow up are now embracing the man whose life and career exemplify the classic values that so many now share.
Reviews
"Change your name. Your name is poison," advised Michael Jackson when Donny Osmond was trying to forge an adult singing career in 1983. Osmond's name was not always a punch line. At the age of five, he joined his four older siblings as the pop group The Osmonds. Barely in his teens, Donny became a solo artist, cutting more than 20 gold records by the mid-'70s. From 1976 to 1979, he and his sister starred in the popular, campy TV variety series The Donny & Marie Show. But his toothy, wholesome image and his strict religious beliefs as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints were at odds with the harder-edged rock of that era. This, and the fact that the Osmond entertainment empire was located in distant Utah, fostered the impression that he was a has-been by age 22. Osmond's emotionally raw and startlingly candid autobiography is a difficult tightrope act: a triumph-of-the-spirit tale that avoids homilies or bitterness. Taught to ignore his own feelings in favor of the interest of the family, Osmond was a child star under enormous pressure to be "perfect." His debilitating panic attacks (which plagued his five-year run in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and his efforts to find emotional peace through psychotherapy are recounted with bracing honesty, and he provides keen insights into the music business, especially the behind-the-scenes politics that govern radio airtime. By the end of his story (so far), Osmond's long-sought inner peace includes the understanding that he can't control how he is perceived by the public. Writing this book may have been the best form of therapy for Osmond, but it will prove a revelation to readers as well. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Talk about a limp yet compelling show-biz bio! Osmond's frothy tell-all is a classic case of laying out one's scandalous past despite not having much scandal to show. Sure, there's the boxing match and ensuing hissy-fit with fellow '60s media star Danny (Partridge) Bonaduce, not to mention the breathless tale of confronting lippy toughs who had the temerity to mock the Donster in offensive terms in public IN FRONT OF HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN! It barely needs saying that the pride of Ogden, Utah, confronted the punks, set them straight, and effected a positive attitude change on the lads' part--an incident perhaps unknown outside the universe of Christian comic books, Amway, and the Mormon Church, to which Osmond enthusiastically belongs. Osmond doesn't apologize for any aspect of his long career. Oh, he'd like to croon "Puppy Love" less frequently, but he has moved on to such new challenges as guesting on Dweezil Zappa's recording of "Stayin' Alive" and his own speed-metal arrangement of--" Puppy Love." Can a friend of Dweezil's be all bad? Does any other living person more embody the term pop culture than Donny Osmond? A self-aware pro, Osmond presents himself (with Romanowski's help) informatively, entertainingly, inspiringly, and lightly. Mike Tribby
Little Donny Osmond, whose toothy grin graced posters on many pre-teens' bedroom walls, is all grown up. He started his singing career at the age of five and eventually broke out as a teen idol, earning 23 gold records by the time he was 13. In the 1970s, Donny and his sister Marie hosted a popular television program. But his singing style and goodie-goodie image didn't fare well in the 1980s, and his career plummeted. He got a chance to make a comeback when he was offered the lead in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Gossip mavens won't find much here; Donny is as squeaky clean as his image implies. However, this is a surprisingly open and sincere look at the life of a child star whose early fame came and went (including a hint of resentment about having to work so hard so young), and the effort it took to get back on top. A good addition to inspirational as well as celebrity biography collections.ARosellen Brewer, Monterey Bay Area Cooperative Lib. Syst., Pacific Grove, CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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