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New York Post
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Donny Osmond reveals ‘very offensive' advice Michael Jackson once gave him
Looking at the man in the mirror. 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.' Advertisement 10 Donny Osmond performs in concert in 1975. Getty Images 10 Michael Jackson at the 'Dreamgirls' afterparty in 1983. Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images '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.' Advertisement 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. Adam Carolla/Youtube 10 Donny Osmond and Michael Jackson at the 1974 American Music Awards. Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images '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.'' Advertisement '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.' Advertisement 10 Donny Osmond in a studio portrait in 1987. Getty Images 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. Getty Images 10 Donny Osmond performs in London in 1973. Getty Images 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.' Advertisement 10 Donny Osmond performs at Fox and Friends All-American Summer Concert Series in July 2024. Getty Images 10 Michael Jackson performs onstage. Paul Drinkwater/NBC via Getty Images Osmond and Jackson would bond over their dads, George Osmond, and Joe Jackson, being similar, too. Advertisement '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.''
Perth Now
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Donny Osmond reveals 'very offensive' career advice from Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson gave Donny Osmond a "very offensive" piece of career advice back in the 1980s. The late King of Pop and Donny, 67, shot to fame as youngsters when they were members of their family's 1960s and 1970s bands The Jackson 5 and The Osmonds, respectively. Donny's clean-cut group sold over 77 million records worldwide, but as Donny found the initial transition from child star to adult singer tricky, he quizzed his friend Michael - who died aged 50 in 2009 - who told him to change his name, as it was "poison" to radio DJs. Donny shared a clip of himself appearing on The Adam Carolla Show in 2023 discussing his career transition in the 1980s on his Instagram account, In the clip, the Puppy Love singer said: "Let's be honest with each other, the name 'Donny Osmond' was a joke years ago. "I mean, if you said you like Donny Osmond music, you're ousted. In fact, it was WPLJ in New York, they got a hold of Soldier of Love as an import. "They played the record to test it because they liked the song, but they just didn't want to say my name. "In fact, back in '83, which is just, I think, around the time Thriller came out, Michael Jackson told me, he said - because I asked, 'Mike, how do I get back on the charts?'" Laughing, Donny continued: "He said, 'Your name's poison Donny, you gotta change your name.'" He added: "It was very offensive. I mean, it was tough to hear that, but he was right because in '89, radio stations all across the country played my music but didn't say my name. "And they did me a favour by not saying who I was, and it became a hit. "Then, they found out it was me." The Jackson 5 - originally formed of Jackie Jackson, 74, the late Tito Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, 70, Marlon Jackson, 68, and Michael - sold over 150 million records worldwide. And Donny previously reflected on how The Osmonds - comprised of Alan Osmond, 76, the late Wayne Osmond, Merrill Osmond, 72, Jay Osmond, 70, Jimmy Osmond, 62, and Donny - and The Jackson 5 shared similar success. Appearing in MTV Entertainment Studios documentary, Larger than Life: Reign of the Boybands in 2024, Donny said: "I spent a lot of time with Michael Jackson. "I mean, you look at The Osmonds and The Jackson 5, the comparisons of the two families are just uncanny, "There's 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."
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Donny Osmond remembers the 'very offensive' career advice Michael Jackson gave him
Michael Jackson did not mince words when giving advice to Donny Osmond back in the day. Both Osmond and Jackson rose to popularity at a young age as part of their respective family bands, before eventually going off to start their own successful solo careers. But Osmond initially found the transition from child star to adult singer difficult, and asked Jackson, who died in 2009 at age 50, for advice as a result. "The name Donny Osmond was a joke, years ago,' Osmond said in a clip shared recently on his Instagram account, which was initially from his 2023 appearance on The Adam Carolla Show. 'I mean, if you said you like Donny Osmond music, you were ousted.' 'In fact, WPLJ in New York, they got a hold of 'Soldier of Love' as an import,' he added, referring to his 1988 single that was initially not released in the U.S. due to his lack of a record deal. 'They played the record to test it because they liked the song, but they just didn't want to say my name.' The singer then explained to Carolla that circa 1983, after the massive success of Jackson's Thriller album, Osmond remembered asking him, "Mike, how do I get back on the charts?' 'He said, 'Your name's poison, Donny. You gotta change your name,' Osmond recalled, laughing. 'It was very offensive,' Osmond said. 'It was tough to hear that. But he was right, because in '89, radio stations all across the country played my music, but didn't say my name.' He concluded, 'And they did me a favor by not saying who I was, and it became a hit. Then they found out it was me." Osmond previously opened up about his and Jackson's friendship in last year's MTV Entertainment Studios documentary, Larger than Life: Reign of the Boybands. 'I spent a lot of time with Michael Jackson. I mean, you look at the Osmonds and the Jackson 5, the comparisons of the two families are just uncanny," Osmond explained at the time. "There's 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." The "One Bad Apple" singer also said that he and Jackson would often get together to 'laugh and reminisce' about their similar childhoods and career moves. 'Michael said something to me one day,' he recalled. 'He said, 'Donny, you're the only person on this planet that knows what my childhood was like.'' Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
