Alan Osmond, oldest member of the famed family singing group The Osmonds, has died, leaving a legacy of having "quietly carried so much responsibility so the rest of us could shine," his loved ones said Tuesday.
He was 76.
The cause of death was not immediately disclosed, though family members said he'd had multiple sclerosis for about 40 years.
"Osmond's mantra regarding the disease was always, 'I might have MS, but MS doesn't have me,'" according to a family statement.
Donny the most famous of the Osmond siblings along with sister Marie, posted a black-and-white picture of his older brother and told fans that Alan was the family's rock.
"Even back then, you can see that he had his arm around me, watching over me. That’s who he was. My protector. My guide," Donny, 68, said in a statement.
"The one who quietly carried so much responsibility so the rest of us could shine. Alan was our leader in every sense of the word. His tireless work helped build everything we became."
The "Donny & Marie" variety hour became one of the biggest TV shows of its time, airing on ABC between 1976 and 1979.
But before “Donny & Marie,” there was The Osmonds, a boy band consisting of brothers Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay who sang barbershop quartet.
The four and their parents traveled from their home in Utah to California to perform at Disneyland, where they caught the attention of park entertainment director Tommy Walker and Walt Disney, according a family statement.
Through that encounter, they eventually met Andy Williams and got on to his variety TV show, catapulting them to stardom.
Younger brothers Donny and Jimmy later joined the group.
Marie, their only sister, launched her own solo career before she and Donny joined forces for "Donny & Marie," a show that Alan helped produce.
Older brothers George Virl Osmond Jr. and Tom were born deaf and did not usually perform with the rest of the family.
The Osmonds placed 13 songs in the Billboard Hot 100, including No. 1 "One Bad Apple" and No. 3 "Yo-Yo" in 1971, No. 4 "Down By the Lazy River" in 1972 and No. 10 "Love Me For a Reason" in 1974.
"I will always be grateful for the sacrifices he made and the love he showed — not just to me, but to every member of our family," Donny said. "I owe him more than I can ever fully express. I love you, Alan. Thank you for always being there for me."
Merrill, 72, asked fans not to cry over his brother's passing but to celebrate Alan's life as a deep believer in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"His testimony is not gone, it lives on, and it will continue to be felt far beyond this life," Merrill said in a statement.
"So please, don’t let your hearts be heavy. Don’t weep for him. Rejoice, knowing that your brother, your friend, your hero is no longer in pain. He is free. He is whole. He is home."
Not long before his passing, Alan Osmond said he was looking forward to reuniting with brother Wayne, who died last year at 73
“Contemplating his own passing, Alan recently commented how anxious he was to be with his brother once again," according to the family statement.
"'We still have a lot of work to do together – there is much catching up to keep us busy for a very long time.'”
Alan Osmond is survived by his wife of 51 years, Suzanne, and eight sons — Michael, Nathan, Doug, David, Scott, Jon, Alex and Tyler — 30 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, brothers Virl, Tom, Merrill, Jay, Donny and Jimmy and sister Marie.
He was preceded in death by his brother Wayne and parents George and Olive Osmond.
