The Teen Idol Who Ruled the ’70s Until His Name Became a Career Killer originally appeared on Parade.
He was one of the biggest teen idols of the 1970s, with a name that once made fans scream and opened doors throughout the industry. But after a series of career setbacks, the former heartthrob made a painful discovery: the very name that had made him famous was now holding him back. Labeled an industry joke, he had no choice but to reinvent himself to survive the business that once built him up and then tore him down.
Donny Osmond soared to fame in the 1970s, captivating audiences as a member of The Osmonds, as one half of a hit duo with his sister Marie, and as a solo artist. But the same name that once opened every door soon became a burden, casting a shadow over his efforts to evolve beyond his teen idol image.
In a new Instagram post, Osmond shared the terrifying moment when he learned his own name could be used against him. Surprisingly, it was a fellow former teen idol who delivered the bad news.
“The name Donny Osmond was a joke,” he began. “If you said you liked Donny Osmond music, you were ousted.”
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“In fact, back in ’83, which was just around the time Thriller came out, I asked Michael Jackson, ‘How do I get back on the charts?’ He answered, ‘You’re name is poison Donny. You gotta change your name.'”
Osmond said that was very “offensive” and it was “tough to hear that.” But in the end, he knew his longtime friend was right.
In ’89, radio stations across the country played Osmond’s new music, but didn’t say the entertainer’s name. “They did me a favor by not saying who I was,” he revealed.
He continued, “In fact, it was [radio station] WPLJ in New York. They got a copy of ‘Soldier of Love.’ They played the record to test it because they liked the song. But they just didn’t want to say my name.”
“The song became a hit. Then they found out it was me,” Osmond concluded.
The song began a career resurgence for the entertainer, whose newfound success led to further opportunities, including starring as Joseph in the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for over 2000 performances, from 1992 through 1997.
In 1998, he and sister Marie co-hosted a daytime talk show. The following year, he wrote a memoir, Life Is Just What You Make It: My Life So Far. In 2001, Osmond became a game show host for Pyramid.
Seven years later, he and Marie signed a deal for a Donny & Marie residency at Las Vegas’s Flamingo Resort, beginning in September 2008. However, what started as a six-week engagement lasted 11 years before the brother and sister duo ended their run in November 2019. He returned to the Vegas Strip in 2021 as a solo performer, and his show continues to sell out.
The ’70s icon won Dancing with the Stars in 2009. In 2019, he was a runner-up on the inaugural season of The Masked Singer.
Donny Osmond has been married to his wife Debbie for 47 years. They are parents to five adult sons, Don, Jeremy, Brandon, Christopher, and Joshua, and grandparents of 16.
The Teen Idol Who Ruled the ’70s Until His Name Became a Career Killer first appeared on Parade on Jul 31, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
