Donny Osmond Celebrates 50 Years Of Show Business With New Album
Donny Osmond will hit a major milestone this year, celebrating his 50th year in show business. To celebrate, Osmond is releasing his 60th album, appropriately titled The Soundtrack of My Life, on Decca Records.
The album is designed to be a chronological summary of Donny’s life so far, from his start with the Osmond family, to his comeback in recent years that lead to his current Las Vegas residency with sister, Marie. In a press release, Osmond’s spokesperson says the album “tells a story, tracing the high and low points of both his professional and personal life – from becoming a child star to achieving multiple No. 1s, selling over 100 million records, and becoming a worldwide heartthrob.”
The Soundtrack of My Life opens with the first record 11-year-old Donny Osmond ever bought, “My Cherie Amour,” by Stevie Wonder. Wonder himself plays the harmonica on Osmond’s cover of the song on this album.
The next track is “Ben,” originally written for Donny by Don Black and Walter Scharf in the early 1970s. But Osmond was away on tour at the time and unavailable for recording, so the writers offered the song to his peer, Michael Jackson. The track hit No. 1 for Jackson and won him a Golden Globe for Best Song, but on The Soundtrack of My Life, Donny Osmond finally records the song that got away.
There are other covers on this album, including Peter Gabriel’s “Don’t Give Up,” which Osmond says his wife used to play for him during the low times of his life and career. Another song Donny Osmond feels a personal connection to is Elton John’s “Your Song,” which Elton was singing at a concert the moment Donny decided to marry his wife of 36 years.
If you’re a fan hoping for some new, original material, The Soundtrack of My Life, features three new songs. Donny Osmond has even launched his own app to give fans sneak previews and tell the stories behind the song choices.
“After fifty years of entertaining, I wanted to do something unique to celebrate a milestone in my career, as well as the launch of my 60th album. This app was designed to share the music that has affected me throughout the years. These are more than just great songs; each holds personal significance to a long-lasting career. In essence, these songs are the soundtrack of my life… so far.”
Donny Osmond shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. With his sister Marie, Osmond performs in their long-running show at The Flamingo in Las Vegas, which just won a third consecutive “Best of Las Vegas” award. After an initial contract of six weeks, the show remains a hit on the Vegas strip six years later and will continue through at least 2015.
[Photo via Donny Osmond’s Facebook]
