Donny Osmond recounted his lengthy relationship with Michael Jackson in a recent interview with HuffPost on February 16. During a conversation with Nancy Redd, he said:
“It was the Jacksons and the Osmonds back in the early ’70s.” Michael and Donny were there. “We were sort of parallel.”
They were from huge families and were the seventh kid in a family of nine. Their mums were born on the same day. Donny Osmond recalls their last discussion before Michael’s death in 2009. It was taken a year before the artist’s death and is the most revealing of how their lives have altered over time. Osmond stated:
“He added, ‘Please don’t tell anybody, but I leased one of those large custom buses, those touring buses, and I brought my kids with me.'” We’re now hiding out in Phoenix.’ “I was hiding from the press because everything had gone wrong.”
The actor also advised Jackson that since it is a nine-hour journey from his house to Utah, he may bring his children, and no one would know they were there. He emphasized that they may swim in the pool and return to normality in their lives.
However, the trip never took place, and Osmond stated:
“‘You know what, Donny, I believe I’m going to do that,’ he remarked.” And he’s never done it.”
The friendship of Donny Osmond and Michael Jackson
Donny Osmond is a happy man with five kids, twelve grandchildren, and his wife, Debbie. However, there was a time in his life when he was dealing with several issues, and Michael Jackson came to his aid. In an interview with Page Six, the 64-year-old spoke out about his bond with Michael, claiming they met as youngsters when performing with their brothers in Toronto in 1971. Donny remembers:
“I recall seeing Michael peering out the edge of the curtain throughout the concert, observing me.” In retrospect, it was a fairly spectacular moment, but at the time, all I could think was, ‘There’s my friend gazing at me stage right.’ It’s incredibly tough to speak about… these two young teens who are selling incredible quantities of albums, have number-one hits and are really strong recording artists, and all they want to do is be kids.”
Osmond and Jackson stayed in contact and even met up after rearranging their schedules. The former recalls seeing the film The Dark Crystal with Jackson and insisted on him dressing up in trench coats, wigs, and sunglasses as a disguise. Donny Osmond claimed they attempted to be regular, even though everyone knew them. While Michael’s new album Thriller became a significant success, the White & Nerdy star’s career suffered a tremendous blow in the 1980s. Donny was the first to notice it and immediately asked Jackson how he might make a return.
The singing artist then responded by telling Osmond that he needed to alter his name, which irritated the latter. However, a few years later, he recognized it was sound advice and stated:
“However, what’s fascinating is that he told me that in 1983, and it wasn’t until 1989 when (Osmond’s single) “Soldier of Love” became a smash without my name.” So Michael was correct.”
Even though the song was fantastic, radio DJs refused to broadcast Donny Osmond’s records. They kept playing it and didn’t divulge anything about the performer until the song became a smash. Donny stated:
“The best thing that ever happened to me was that I lost my job.” And it’s odd to hear myself say that since the 1980s were the worst decade of my life because I didn’t have a job.”
