Donny Osmond reveals ‘very offensive' advice Michael Jackson once gave him
Donny Osmond recently shared a clip from his 2023 appearance on 'The Adam Carolla Show' where he recalled getting 'very offensive' advice about his career from the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
'The name Donny Osmond was a joke, years ago,' the 'Sacred Emotion' singer, 67, said. 'I mean, if you said you like Donny Osmond music, you were ousted.'
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10 Donny Osmond performs in concert in 1975.
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10 Michael Jackson at the 'Dreamgirls' afterparty in 1983.
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'In fact, WPLJ in New York, they got a hold of 'Soldier of Love' as an import,' Osmond continued. 'They played the record to test it because they liked the song, but they just didn't want to say my name.'
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Osmond explained that in 1983, the year after Jackson's sixth album, 'Thriller' came out, he went to Jackson seeking guidance in how to save his career.
10 Donny Osmond and Adam Carolla.
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10 Donny Osmond and Michael Jackson at the 1974 American Music Awards.
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'I asked, Mike, how do I get back on the charts?' Osmond recalled, adding, 'He said, 'Your name's poison, Donny. You gotta change your name.''
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'It was very offensive,' Osmond said. 'It was tough to hear that.'
But Jackson 'was right,' Osmond acknowledged, 'because in '89, radio stations all across the country played my music, but didn't say my name.'
'And they did me a favor by not saying who I was, and it became a hit,' he noted. 'Then they found out it was me.'
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10 Donny Osmond in a studio portrait in 1987.
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Osmond rose to fame as part of The Osmonds with his brothers Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay. He eventually broke out as a solo act and as a duo with his sister, Marie Osmond.
Jackson had a similar career path; he started in the Jackson 5 with his siblings before having a breakthrough as a solo artist. In 1982, he became a global sensation when 'Thriller' was released.
10 Michael Jackson with Donny Osmond at the American Music Awards in 1974.
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10 Donny Osmond performs in London in 1973.
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10 Michael Jackson in the 'Thriller' music video.
Courtesy Everett Collection
In November, Osmond opened up about his relationship with Jackson — who died in 2009 at age 50 — in the documentary 'Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands.'
'If you look at the Osmonds and the Jackson 5, the comparisons of the two families are just uncanny,' said Osmond. 'There are nine children in each family. Mike and I are both the seventh child of nine. Our mothers' birthdays are on the same day. Michael and I are the same age.'
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10 Donny Osmond performs at Fox and Friends All-American Summer Concert Series in July 2024.
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10 Michael Jackson performs onstage.
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Osmond and Jackson would bond over their dads, George Osmond, and Joe Jackson, being similar, too.
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'We would get together and just laugh and reminisce about the comparisons and the similarities,' the 'Puppy Love' singer shared.
Osmond added: 'Michael said something to me one day, and he said, 'Donny, you're the only person on this planet that knows what my childhood is like.''
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