Stages is a rough sketch of the life and times of Jay Osmond, one of the performing Osmond Brothers. The book is set out in “acts,” much like the acts of a play or film.
The opening act focuses on his early years from 1955-1960, growing up in Utah and being discovered along with his brothers in Disneyland where they performed as a barbershop quartet. Act two covers his life from 1961-1965 and the Osmond Brothers’ appearances on The Andy Williams Show, which launched their singing career.
From there Jay takes the readers on a whirlwind tour of his life as the brothers began their touring and recording life then settled down to work on The Donny and Marie Show. As the times changed so did the Osmond Brothers, and Jay along with them. They turned to country music, which Jay says he wasn’t too happy about. He felt they needed to stay with rock, and his heart was with rock music. But in the family the majority rules and they went country for awhile.
During his life Jay Osmond felt a little out of his element. He enjoyed performing, but always wanted to be just a “normal” kid, and as he matured he felt the pressures of entertaining. Was that what he was meant to do or did he belong out of show business?
For a while Jay attended Utah State University, where he felt like one of the guys. But then he went back to entertaining. He also tried his hand at several different professions, and while he was working as a counselor at BYU he met Kandilyn Harris, the woman who would become his wife. They settled down to start a family but soon Jay was back in show business along with his brothers at the new Osmond Family Theater in Branson, Missouri, where they led a fairly normal life with a regular schedule and quality family time. After Branson, there was more flux in his life and questions about what he wanted to do with it.
Through all the ups and downs, Jay Osmond always returned to the stage. It is there where he feels most comfortable, but it is also a place that causes him some anxiety about his life.
Some Revelations
There are some revelations in this book which die-hard Osmond fans might not know. First are all his hesitations about show business and Jay’s attempts at different professions. He also divulges that he and his wife had some difficulty and separated for a brief time.
While on stage performing a karate act with his brothers in Indiana, his brother Alan accidentally broke his nose, which is nothing new to followers of the famous brothers. But what is new is the fact that it took Jay several years to really forgive his brother for this.
Osmond also divulges that he was a player when it came to dating. He loved women and loved to flirt and date. At one time he asked a girl out on a date without realizing they had already been out on a date before.
Between the Covers
What readers can expect between the covers of this book is an outline of the life of Jay Osmond. He does not go into depth in most cases, which is something his audience would like. For instance, when the family was deciding to move back to Utah from California, Jay and Wayne voted to stay in California. The majority voted to return to Utah so that is what they did. But readers would like to know why he voted to remain in California. Was it because he felt their entertainment prospects were better there? Did he enjoy the social life there more than he did in Utah? Was it the weather he enjoyed? What was it that caused him to vote to remain in California?
This book would be a lot more interesting if Mr. Osmond would go into depth about his decisions and his experiences.
Osmond includes continual references to his faith, however non-Mormon readers won’t be put off by this as it is not done in a preaching tone.
In the end of the book, Osmond includes memories from those who have been close to him throughout his life. They reflect on the singer/drummer, and relate stories about the man.
Stages takes Jay Osmond out of the equation of the Osmond Brothers and Osmond family. It is a sketch of the man himself; the sixth child in a family of nine; the popular drummer; the family man; and the man with questions about himself and his life. While it is not an in-depth autobiography, it does give readers a closer look at the man and his life and concerns.
- Publisher: Sourced Media Books
- Hardcover: 294 pages
- ISBN-10: 0984106847
- ISBN-13: 978-0984106844
