Beloved Singer's Musical Talents Came From Her Large Family While She's Got A Large Brood With 8 Kids From 2 Different Husbands

Sep 19, 2023 by apost team

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide that may be troubling for some readers.

Being part of a large family is nothing new for Marie Osmond. She grew up with all brothers and was the eighth of nine children. Also, showbiz has remained a constant, as the clan sang and danced together publicly at young ages. Marie’s older two brothers were born deaf, and doctors advised their parents to stop having children. Still, they always wanted a large family, so they had seven more children: Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie and Jimmy Osmond, in addition to Virl and Tom. The family belonged to the church of the Latter-Day Saints of Jesus Christ and were all raised in Utah, where they have a street named after them. 

Five of Marie’s brothers — Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay and Donny — were in a group called The Osmonds, but she was never in the singing group officially. She first joined her brothers’ band when she was just 4 years old after accompanying them on “The Andy Williams Show.” She and her brother, Donny Osmond, would eventually co-host the variety show “Donny & Marie” from 1976 to 1979. 

Marie is a solo music artist best known for her country-pop hit “Paper Roses.” Her mom originally encouraged her to record her own album, and the album and lead single went gold. “Paper Roses” also reached number one on the country music charts and number five on Billboard’s pop music list. The song “In My Little Corner of the World” made it into the top 40 on the country charts.

When The Osmonds stopped producing music, Marie and Donny became a pop duo. They released the popular singles “Morning Side of the Mountain” and “I’m Leaving It All Up to You.” Continue reading to know more about the singer, her marriage and her life after “Paper Roses.”

Marie and Donny continued to grow in popularity, which led them to front their own show in 1976 called “Donny & Marie.” They starred as a duo on stage and screen for many years and were very successful, with a worldwide fanbase. However, their success came at a price, as the pair faced many pressures growing up in the limelight. 

Marie had so much pressure being the only girl in a family of nine children. She also had issues with her weight, which made her have an eating disorder. Marie’s weight, in particular, was a hot topic in the media, with a lot of pressure on staying thin. In a 2015 interview with Closer Weekly, Marie confessed:

“I was 103 pounds, and I had producers telling me I was fat — I got down to 90 pounds at one point. The head trips were intense. Food was becoming my enemy, and it should not be that way.”

Marie also faced postpartum depression and almost committed suicide. This decision was only averted because she told herself to wake up and be mature. However, that could not be compared to the broken marriages she endured and the tragic loss of one of her sons to suicide. 

The mom of eight first married Stephen Craig in 1982, but they divorced three years later. She then tied the knot with Brian Blosil in 1986, but they also later divorced in 2007. However, Marie reunited with her first ex-husband and remarried him in 2011, shortly before their son, Stephen, who had facilitated their reunion, got married. 

In an Instagram post, Marie celebrated her and Stephen's 12th anniversary and explained why they married on May 4 and the date’s significance to her. 

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Marie reminisced about her decades-long career on Instagram on Sept. 7, 2023, when she found some old pictures of herself after she and Blosil’s house burned in a house fire. The images showed her in a tight corset and then a gown when she performed in “The King and I” on Broadway. 

“Crazy #throwback!!! I was going through some old photos that survived my house fire,” she revealed. “In all my years of wearing costumes, I’ve never seen clothes done with more detail and care!😍 Even my corset outfit I performed in when Anna is enraged at the King had embroidered flowers on it! And yes, singing legit soprano in something that tight was a challenge!😂” 

Fans were surprised to see the pictures, while many expressed their desire to see Marie perform again. Marie’s last major performance was her residency with her brother Donny. She and Donny are one of the closest sibling duos to work together. They had a Las Vegas residency together for 11 years until it ended in November 2019. 

“There’s this thing called DNA that kind of like makes you close,” Marie told Closer Weekly before the residency ended. “I think people come (and) have enjoyed the last 11 years at Flamingo, because everybody has a sibling. Would you want to work with your sibling for 11 years?” 

Marie wasn’t the only one fond of the residency and didn’t want it to end. Just before it ended, Donny took to Instagram to express his sadness at the thought of saying bye to their fans.

“I’m going to miss performing on stage with my extremely talented sister every night,” he shared and promised that he and Marie would give the rest of the show their best shot.

Did you listen to any of Marie and Donny’s songs? Which ones are your favorite? We find her relationship with her brother adorable, do you agree? Let us know — and be sure to pass this on to friends, family and fans of Marie Osmond. 

If you or anybody you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please visit https://findahelpline.com/ to find your local suicide prevention hotline. The hotlines provides 24/7, free and confidential support for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.