Singer and entertainer Donny Osmond has updated fans on the health of his beloved brother on Instagram, in a sweet post to honor his sibling’s birthday. Jimmy Osmond, the youngest of the family of performers, suffered a stroke in January of this year.
Donny Osmond, who is closing out a Las Vegas Residency after 11 years performing alongside his sister Marie Osmond, posted an adorable throwback photo of himself and Jimmy, with a touching caption where he revealed the status of his brother’s health three months after his scare.
Osmond said that his brother was always an “inspiration” to him as he discussed his health setbacks. He explained that although his younger sibling’s recovery has been “difficult,” he maintains a sunny outlook towards the future. He closed out his post with a wish for a happy birthday for his youngest brother.
The Osmond family, whose members include Virgil, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie, and Jimmy, have been a performing juggernaut for over 50 years.
The family first burst onto television screens as a barbershop quartet in the early 1960s as regular performers on The Andy Williams Show. The first incarnation of the group included Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay. Donny joined the group at the age of five and performed with the Osmond brothers for years throughout the 1970s until he and his sister Marie, already a seasoned performer in the country music field, paired up for a successful variety show which at its peak boasted 14 million viewers each week.
Jimmy was a solo act and wildly popular in Japan before joining his brothers on tour. He scored a big hit song titled “Long Haired Lover from Liverpool” in 1972.
Jimmy Osmond suffered a stroke in January 2019 prior to performing as Captain Hook in the play Peter Pan in Birmingham, England. BBC News reported that the singer and entertainer was driven to the hospital after the show, where he was diagnosed.
“Jimmy is resting and recouping under doctors’ care in the U.K. and will take the next few months off (from) performing to rest and regain his health,” his representative, Kevin Sasaki, told USA Today.
Donny and Marie Osmond will continue their Las Vegas residency through November 16. After 11 years, the brother and sister singing act are moving on to other projects.
The twosome sat down for an interview with Good Morning America, where they revealed their feelings about their longtime residency coming to an end.
“We have been through so much the last 11 years. Her particularly,” Donny Osmond said of his sister. “And she gets on stage and she’s such a professional. She does a great job. I’m gonna miss this a lot.”
Marie added, “I have been through a lot but he’s been my rock. I went through a terrible divorce here… and a custody battle… and I lost a child here.”
Donny Osmond said that although its the end of the Donny & Marie Show, “It’s not the end of Donny and Marie.”