The Osmonds: The Official Story of the Osmond Family

Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, Inc, 1975. First edition. First printing stated. Hardcover. Very good/Good. 246 pages. 24 cm. Illustrations (130 pictures per DJ flap). Signed by both parents and seven Osmond children! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! DJ has wear, soiling, and tear (tape repair). Previous owner's bookplate. Paul Harold Dunn (April 24, 1924 - January 9, 1998) was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Dunn was widely considered one of the most dynamic speakers among the general authorities in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1952, Dunn began his professional career as a seminary teacher for the Church Educational System in Los Angeles. On April 6, 1964, LDS Church president David O. McKay called Dunn as a general authority and member of the First Council of the Seventy. While in this position, Dunn was the president of the church's New England Mission from 1968 to 1971. In 1976, Dunn became a member of the newly constituted First Quorum of the Seventy. Dunn was a member of this quorum until he was designated an emeritus general authority on October 1, 1989. Additionally, Dunn served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy from 1976 to 1980. Dunn wrote over 50 books during his time as a general authority. Dunn was named Utah's Father of the Year in 1972. From Wikipedia: The Osmonds are an American family music group with a long and varied career a career that took them from singing barbershop music as children, to achieving success as teen-music idols, to producing a hit television show, and to continued success as solo and group performers.....When it began as a barbershop quartet, the group consisted of brothers Alan Osmond, Wayne Osmond, Merrill Osmond, and Jay Osmond. They were later joined by younger siblings Donny Osmond and Jimmy Osmond. Their only sister Marie Osmond, who rarely sang with her brothers at that time, launched a successful solo career in 1973.....The group have sold 102 million records worldwide. The Osmond Brothers' career began in 1958 when Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay began singing barbershop music for local audiences in and around their hometown of Ogden, Utah. In their made-for-TV movie "Inside the Osmonds, " the Osmonds explain that they originally performed to earn money to support Virl and Tom in buying hearing aids and serving missions for their church....While the Osmond Brothers were performing on a televised Disney special, Andy Williams' father saw them and was so impressed he told his son to book them for his television show. Andy did, and the Osmond Brothers were regulars on Andy Williams' show from 1962 to 1969, where they earned the nickname "one-take Osmonds" among staff due to their professionalism and tireless rehearsing. Donny soon joined them on the show, making the Osmond Brothers a 5-member group. Marie and Jimmy were also introduced on the show as the years went by. During this time, the Osmonds also toured Europe, performing with Sweden's most popular singer, Lars Lönndahl, and even releasing a single where they sang a Swedish version of "Two dirty little hands" ("Fem smutsiga små fingrar"). The Osmond Brothers were regulars on the Jerry Lewis Show in 1969, and they continued to tour and perform with Andy Williams. But soon the Osmond Brothers decided they wanted to perform popular music and shed their variety-show image. They wanted to become a rock-and-roll band. This change was a difficult one for their father, who was suspicious of rock and roll. But he was persuaded, and the boys began performing as a pop band. To this end, the Osmonds recorded a single, "Flower Music", for UNI records in 1967. They achieved only modest success at first, but they found fame in 1971. Record producer Mike Curb saw the Osmonds (no longer called "The Osmond Brothers") perform as a band and recognized that they combined a rare mix of polished performing style, instrumental skill, and vocal talent. He helped the Osmonds get a record contract with MGM, and arranged for them to record at Muscle Shoals with R&B producer Rick Hall. Under Hall's guidance, the Osmonds hit the top spot on the pop chart with "One Bad Apple" (Billboard No. 1) in 1971. The Osmonds soon had hits with other light, R&B-style pop numbers like "Double Lovin'" (Billboard No. 14) and "Yo-Yo" (Billboard No. 3). In each of these hits, the formula was the same; Merrill sang lead, and Donny was "co-lead" in essence, singing the "hook" or "chorus" of the song. At this time the Osmonds also recorded several hits that were billed to Donny, the lead soloist on the songs. They included "Sweet and Innocent" (Billboard No. 7), "Go Away Little Girl" (Billboard No. 1), "Hey Girl"/"I Knew You When" (Billboard No. 9), and "Puppy Love" (Billboard No. 3). It was at this time, 1971 and 1972, that the Osmonds were at their peak of popularity. After this early "bubblegum soul" phase, the Osmonds began writing their own music, and their sound moved towards rock and roll with hits like "Down by the Lazy River" (#4), "Hold Her Tight" (Billboard No. 14), and "Crazy Horses" (#14). The Crazy Horses album was the band's first really personal statement the brothers have been quoted as saying that the title song refers to air pollution from cars.