Donny Osmond Speaks Up About The Underlying Issues That Could Have Changed His Career

The one constant in Donny Osmond’s lengthy career is reinvention. With a vast entertainment empire, he knows that keeping his audience interested in his next move is key. But even with Osmond’s megawatt smile and charisma, that is easier said than done. Few of the singer's fans know about his fight with debilitating physical and mental issues, which have nearly extinguished his star power — on more than one occasion.

Continued success

You might think that Osmond's misfortunes haven't managed to damper his career. After all, as of 2021, he was busy with a solo residency at Harrah’s Las Vegas Hotel and Casino and the promotion of his new album. Still, he admitted that he's come perilously close to never hitting the stage or studio ever again.

Spine injury

Osmond had faced hardship before, but never like this. In late 2019, he underwent a major surgery to realign his spine. He knew something was wrong when he felt his limbs go numb during one of his Vegas concerts. "I couldn’t feel my arms, then suddenly my legs too,” Osmond said.

True professional

“I didn’t tell anyone what was happening to me,” he said. “I just kept dancing and finished the show." The surgery was the beginning of a medical crisis for Osmond. After his spine operation, however, his health took a sudden turn for the worse. "I thought everything was going to be fine, but it couldn’t have been worse,” he said. The star was scared, and part of him wondered if his long performing career was reaching its end.

The Osmonds

It was his entire life. Osmond’s entertainment career began in 1962, when his family band — a singing quintet consisting of Donny and four of his brothers — performed on The Andy Williams Show. The Osmonds were so popular, they regularly returned to the show throughout that decade, though they were destined for even bigger things.