The Osmond Family: The Light and Darkness of a Family in the Spotlight

We all know the Osmonds. We saw them on our screens with their shiny-toothed smiles, their bright eyes, and their relentless enthusiasm. They were the family that captured America’s hearts in the 1970s. With five brunettes making up the original hit band, it seemed as though nothing could go wrong for the famous family. But just like most groups or families in Hollywood, much of what we saw was a façade.

Behind those ear-to-ear grins, the glamorous outfits, and the bright lights, the limelight wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. The kind of fame the Osmonds experienced was not void of tension and secrets. From their childhoods in the spotlight to their floundering adult careers, this notorious family never steered clear of drama. I guess I can say that with the Osmonds, it’s all in the family.

They Were Only Trying to Raise Money

You can’t really say that the Osmond family was destined for fame. In fact, the only reason they got together to perform was for a reason that may surprise you. Many people don’t know that the two oldest of the eight Osmond brothers, Virl and Tom, were born with a “deaf gene.” Since they were deaf, the family tried to raise money for their hearing aids.

/pop-culture/the-osmond-family-the-light-and-darkness-of-a-family-in-the-spotlight/img/osmondfamily01_MobileImageSizeReigNN.jpg

Source: Pinterest

With a large family living on a small farm, parents Olive and George Osmond weren’t able to buy the expensive hearing aids their two hearing-impaired boys badly needed. So, in order to raise money, they taught their other four sons to become a barbershop quartet that would perform at fairs and other community events.

© 2019 History by Day all rights reserved