Olive Osmond
Olive Osmond | |
|---|---|
| Born | Olive May Davis May 4, 1925 Samaria, Idaho, U.S. |
| Died | May 9, 2004 (aged 79) Provo, Utah, U.S. |
| Other names | Mother Osmond |
| Spouse | |
Olive May Osmond (née Davis; May 4, 1925 – May 9, 2004) was the matriarch of the American Osmond singing family.
Life and career
She was born in Malad City, Idaho, to Vera Ann (née Nichols) and Thomas Martin Davis. After high school, she moved to Ogden, Utah. She met George Osmond at Defense Depot Ogden where he was stationed, and she worked as a secretary. They married on December 1, 1944. Both were devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Their first two children, Virl and Tom, were born with a degenerative condition which left them nearly deaf. Doctors warned the couple that future children had a higher chance of having hearing loss, but George and Olive wanted a large family. The other children, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie, and Jimmy, were born able to hear.
George formed a barbershop quartet consisting of Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay, and eventually got them booked at Disneyland, where the boys caught the attention of Walt Disney himself, and Andy Williams's father. From 1962 to 1971, the Osmond Brothers appeared on The Andy Williams Show. Donny made his debut on the program the day after his sixth birthday.
The brothers eventually left Williams and were regulars on the second incarnation of The Jerry Lewis Show (1967-1969) before launching a successful recording career. The siblings - including Donny, Marie, and Jimmy as solo artists - scored several hits, The Osmonds' biggest being "One Bad Apple", which climbed to #1. From 1976 to 1979, Donny and Marie hosted The Donny and Marie Show.
Marie played Olive in 1982's
Olive died on Mother's Day, at age 79. The cause of death was listed as complications from a stroke she had suffered in 2001.
Children
George and Olive Osmond had nine children:
- (George) Virl Osmond Jr. (born October 19, 1945)
- Thomas Rulon "Tom" Osmond (born October 26, 1947)
- Alan Ralph Osmond (born June 22, 1949)
- (Melvin) Wayne Osmond (born August 28, 1951)
- Merrill Davis Osmond (born April 30, 1953)
- Jay Wesley Osmond (born March 2, 1955)
- Donald "Donny" Clark Osmond (born December 9, 1957)
- Olive "Marie" Osmond (born October 13, 1959)
- James Arthur "Jimmy" Osmond (born April 16, 1963)