Teeth to This Concert
By Subhadra Devan
THEY’VE shaken off the cobwebs, combed out the bed hair and stirred to thrill you for the last time, lead singer Merrill Osmond tells SUBHADRA DEVAN as she asks about the clan’s 50th Anniversary Concert.
The family which gave us “cute” will soon get together just up the hill from Kuala Lumpur for their 50th anniversary concert.
They’ll be singing and dancing to Crazy Horses, Down By The Lazy River, I’m A Little Bit Country, One Bad Apple, Puppy Love, Go Away Little Girl and more – with their children in tow.
“Yeah, it was Donny who wanted to have this last reunion concert,” says Merrill Osmond, lead singer and third eldest of The Osmonds from Utah, US.
“So we shook the cobwebs off and got down to practising our steps and moves again,” says the 55-year-old who will be here with his wife. “Jay choreographed the steps, as always.”
Many might remember the squeaky-clean clan from the Andy Williams Show in the 60s, dancing on Glen Campbell’s television show or the Donny & Marie show in the 70s which made “cute Marie … real cute” almost a byword in households the world over.
It feels good to know that The Osmonds – Alan, 60, Wayne, 57, Merrill, Jay, 53, Donny, 51, Marie, 49 and Jimmy, 45 – have made the journey from teen talents in sparkly jumpsuits to adulthood intact, unlike say the Jackson Five.
The stage outfits are now jeans and T-shirts but Merrill promises a good time to be had by everyone.
“We’ll be playing all our songs for this 50th anniversary tour. We’ve really funked it up.”
The clan just ended its concert tour in Britain. Says Merrill “The Bear”: “The concerts were all sold out, including the ones at London’s Wembley Stadium. We can’t believe it. It’s phenomenal.
“The fans knew every line! It’s great to sing live. It’s like one huge party. We have no regrets doing this final tour. It’s been a rewarding experience.”
He was talking before boarding the bus to Sheffield for a concert. You can hear the cheery smile over the phone from England as he talks about the June 21 concert in Genting Highlands.
And are the smiles still brilliant? you ask. “Yeah, the smiles are still all natural but you should see the dentist bills.” That was followed by a rich, hearty laugh.
And have you noticed if the fans are mostly women? Another big hearty laugh. “Yes. We don’t mind at all. Well, there are some guys too.
“You know, it’s said to me once – when your fans start bringing their children you know your music will survive.
“Our music crosses all boundaries. Music is our communciator.”
Merrill himself started singing when he was three years old. “Barbershop quartet, gospel, pop, rock an and roll, you name it. I and my brothers, we seem to have done it all.”
While Merrill is working on a new classic rock album, he adds: “But The Osmonds will be doing something new soon. We will be singing as a family for the first time with the Mormon Taberbacle Choir next month. This is something our mother wanted us to do for a long time.”
Olive, the family matriarch, died in 2004 while father George died last year aged 90. We remember the good times more than the bad. For The Osmonds, there was a bad patch in the late 70s when the television production studio built by the family had to be sold as it was no longer feasible to continue operating it.
“We learnt from the bad times. It took a lot of hard work to get back on our feet in the business. We sat down and worked out who does what. And decided to build again.
“You know, it’s during the bad times that you find out how good your friends can be and how family is important.”
And what do you think about the other more recent famous Mormon, David Archuletta, who finished runner-up in American Idol? “We are so proud of that young man. I think the Idol show is important to bring out new talent.
“I have six kids, and I’ve never forced them to enter music. They’ve all gone into different areas. I admire somebody so young like David at 17 who is willing to make music his profession.
“He has amazing talent and a good family structure. That is important.”
Would you have taken part in Idol if it was around then? “Yes. Probably would have. Music is such a competitive world. It would certainly have made things easier.”
This coming from a member of a singing family who has performed at presidential inaugurations and sung on stages all over the world. For The Osmonds’ 50th anniversary tour, Merrill says the family spent months putting all the material and equipment together.
“Donny and Jay spend thousands of hours going through the archives and family history in the early years, with the Andy Williams and Flip Wilson shows.
“On stage, there will be a force of musicians on two drums, two bass guitars, three guitars. And you will enjoy our songs with amaaazing videos.
“I am really excited to come to Malaysia. Eat some of your great food. Jimmy is bringing his boys, and Donny too.
“It’ll be the first time we’ve performed together in 27 years, and probably the last time too. We are all excited to meet our fans.”
(c) 2008 New Straits Times. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.