Labeled as the “King of Pop”, Michael Jackson embraced the title as he sold over 500 million albums, landed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, and won countless awards. Considered one of the greatest performers of all time, Jackson sadly passed away in June 2009 at 50 years old. Although 16 years have passed since his death, Donny Osmond still remembers what it was like to walk alongside Jackson in the music industry. With both carving their own path in music, Osmond recently revealed the blunt advice the “Thriller” singer gave him about his career.
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Sharing a clip from his time on The Adam Carolla Show on Instagram, Osmond explained how his career struggled thanks to his name. “Let’s be honest with each other, the name ‘Donny Osmond’ was a joke years ago. I mean, if you said you like Donny Osmond music, you’re ousted. In fact, it was WPLJ in New York, they got a hold of Soldier of Love as an import.”
Although fans loved his music and radio stations continued to play his hits, Osmond insisted, “They played the record to test it because they liked the song, but they just didn’t want to say my name.”
While some might believe that Osmond was only doubting himself at the time, he revealed that even the King of Pop told him to change his name. “Back in ’83, which is just, I think, around the time Thriller came out, Michael Jackson told me, he said – because I asked, ‘Mike, how do I get back on the charts?’” He continued, “He said, ‘Your name’s poison Donny, you gotta change your name.’”
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The One Icon Who Gifted Donny Osmond Flowers In The Shape Of A Guitar
Admitting that the statement was “very offensive” at the time, Osmond didn’t disagree with what Jackson said. But that didn’t stop the singer from charging forward. While agreeing with Jackson, Osmond decided to keep his name. And it appeared to work out as his career continues today.
Outside of his time with Jackson, Osmond also shared the room with another icon, Elvis Presley.
While just a teenager, the singer found himself opening for the King of Rock and Roll. Although Elvis was at the height of his career, Osmond said that Elvis still sent them an arrangement of flowers in the shape of a guitar. He even called Osmond’s mother to check up on her.
Thankful for the generosity shown by Elvis, Osmond pointed to the unique power he possessed. “What impressed me about him was that he could grab an audience in the palm of his hand and just manipulate that audience with emotion.” But even with his persona and stage power, Osmond concluded, “What was really cool is when he came off stage, he shut it off and he was a real person.”
Having the chance to share conversations with both Elvis and Jackson, Osmond now carries those memories as rare reminders of what it means to walk among legends.
(Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
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