Donny Osmond has shared a beautiful tribute after his brother, Wayne Osmond, died at the age of 73.
The singer, known for his efforts in The Osmonds alongside his brothers Alan, Merrill, Jay, Jimmy and Donny Osmond, died on Wednesday night.
His loved ones confirmed the sad news in a statement to multiple US news outlets, which read: ‘Wayne Osmond, beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his loving wife and five children.
‘His legacy of faith, music, love, and laughter have influenced the lives of many people around the world.
‘He would want everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him dearly.’
Wayne’s cause of death has not yet been confirmed by a coroner, but his siblings revealed that he had suffered a ‘massive stroke’ shortly before his death.
Posting a black-and-white throwback photo of the late musician on Instagram, Donny began: ‘My dear brother Wayne passed away peacefully last night from a stroke. I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to visit him in the hospital before he passed.
‘Wayne brought so much light, laughter, and love to everyone who knew him, especially me. He was the ultimate optimist and was loved by everyone.
‘I’m sure I speak on behalf of every one of us siblings when I state that we were fortunate to have Wayne as a brother.’
‘Even though we are separated in this mortal life, I know that by the grace and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we will have the opportunity to be with Wayne for eternity,’ he added.
‘I love you, Wayne. Your brother forever, Donny.’
Taking to Facebook, Merrill also shared a lengthy tribute to his late brother with a string of throwback photos.
‘When I learned that my dear brother Wayne had a massive stroke my immediate response was to fall to my knees and pray for him to receive the assurance that his mission had been accomplished, and he was successful in this endeavor in many ways,’ he said.
‘I immediately drove to the hospital in SLC to see him and I was able to say my goodbyes. My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave as an even greater saint than he came in.
‘I’ve never known a man that had more humility. A man with absolute no guile. An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met.’
‘His departure from this earth will be a sad moment for some, but for those who are waiting for him on the other side, there will be a massive celebration beyond anything we can imagine,’ he continued.
‘My brother Wayne endured much. He gave it his all. His legacy will go down as someone who was not only a genius in his ability to write music, but was able to capture the hearts of millions of people and bring them closer to God.
‘I will miss him tremendously. I am so grateful to have grown up with one of heavenly father‘s greatest sons. Until I see him again, know that he was loved, Brother Merrill.’
Following suit with a message of his own, Jay wrote: ‘A true legend has left the Earth. My heart is deeply saddened for the loss of my brother Wayne. It is said that where there is great love there is great grief as we part during our earthly journey.
‘Throughout my life I have always felt most connected to Wayne out of all of my siblings. He was my roommate and my confidant over the decades.
‘As I sat visiting with him last week at his home he talked about how sad he was that he couldn’t get up in his plane anymore and how much flying brought him peace.
‘What gives me joy is to know that my brother “Wings” has earned his wings and I can only imagine the heights he is soaring right now.
‘The reunion he must’ve had with Father and Mother I’m sure was spectacular!’
The Utah native stepped into the spotlight at a young age, fronting barbershop quartet The Osmond Brothers with his talented siblings, Alan, Merrill and Jay in 1958.
They were joined by younger brothers Jimmy and Donny, and rebranded, tweaking their name to the Osmonds.
The group shot to fame and landed a regular gig on the Andy Willaims Show across the 1960s, while dropping hits including Mister Sandman, Taking A Chance on Love and Movin’ Along.
One of their most iconic songs, One Bad Apple, soared to the top of the charts in the 70s, and they followed this up with Yo-Yo, Down By The Lazy River and Love Me For A Reason.
Aside from the Osmonds, Jimmy and Donny would also go on to become solo artists, while the latter also recorded a string of duets with their sister, Marie Osmond.
Away from the spotlight, Wayne married his wife, Kathlyn Whitem in 1974 and they went on to have a big family of their own – welcoming three daughters and two sons together.
He battled a series of health issues in later years, and was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1997.
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‘I was diagnosed with ependymoma – a childhood cancer that is very fatal for kids. It was located up behind my cerebellum. For where it was it was pretty big – it was an inch around and two inches long,’ he told Coping Mag of his illness, sharing that he underwent surgery to remove the tumors.
‘I went back to performing six months after I was diagnosed. I wore my cowboy hat on stage since all of my hair had fallen out from radiation. But after a while it grew back.
‘The greatest part of all this is that I’ve become even closer with my sweetheart, Kathy,’ he added. ‘She’s an absolute angel. I’m a very, very blessed man. That’s what I am.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for the Osmond family for a comment.
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