Donny Osmond admits he might not have 'survived' showbiz without family
Donny Osmond "wouldn't have survived show business" without his family as he reflects on bonding with fellow child star Michael Jackson before his tragic death.
Donny Osmond isn't sure he "would have survived show business" without his family.
The 66-year-old singer shot to fame alongside his brothers as part of the Osmonds in the early 1970s before breaking out in his own right and compared his situation to that of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, who became known around the world in a similar manner as part of The Jackson 5.
Speaking on the new MTV documentary 'Larger than Life: Reign of the Boybands', he said: "I think having a very strong father figure was very important for our success, however it can go a little overboard.
"If you look at the Osmonds and the Jackson 5, the comparisons of the two families are just uncanny.
"There are nine children in each family. Mike and I are both the seventh child of nine. Our mothers' birthdays are on the same day. Michael and I are the same age.
"Mike would tell me a lot of stories about [his father] Joe. You look at the dangers of show business in general, whether you’re a single artist or a boy band.
"I don’t know if I could have been able to survive show business if I didn’t have my family."
Following his rise to stardom, Donny went on to form a duo with his sister Marie and the pair later fronted a talk show series before launching a Las Vegas residency.
‘Billie Jean’ hitmaker Michael went on to become one of the best-selling music artists in history with over 500 million records sold worldwide but endured a string of personal problems over the years and died in 2009 at the age of 50.
Donny recalled: "We would get together and just laugh and reminisce about the comparisons and the similarities. Michael said something to me one day and he said, 'Donnie, you’re the only person on this planet that knows what my childhood is like.'”
