Idaho Falls radio host Jay Osmond honors late brother Alan
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IDAHO FALLS – Jay Osmond says he is “deeply touched” by the kind and thoughtful notes he’s received since his brother’s passing.
Alan Osmond, the leader of the Osmond Brothers singing group for more than 50 years, died Monday at age 76. A cause of death was not reported in the initial story, but the Utah man had battled multiple sclerosis for many years.
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In a statement to EastIdahoNews.com, Jay — who recently moved to Idaho Falls and hosts a radio show with his wife, Karina, on Arrow 107.1 — pays tribute to his older brother.
Alan and the entire Osmond Family are devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In his statement, Jay references his brother’s commitment to his faith and his family.
“When I think of Alan, I think of how he always professed his love for our savior Jesus Christ,” Jay writes. “I also have always admired the way that he only had eyes for his wife, Suzanne. Once he met her and fell in love with her, there was not another woman on the planet. He devoted his life to her and their eight boys.”
Jay also acknowledged Alan’s health struggles and expressed gratitude that “he is now out of pain and in a place that he can finally rest.”
“He always worked so hard at everything he did. Brother Alan has graduated, and he’s finally ‘Goin’ Home’ (a reference to their hit song from 1972). Rest in peace, brother,” says Jay.
Late singer Andy Williams discovered the Osmond brothers in the 1960s. Alan, his brothers Wayne — who passed away last year at age 73 — Merrill, and Jay made up the original quartet and began their career as children performing at Disneyland to raise money for hearing aids for their two older deaf brothers, Virl and Tom.
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Their performances caught Williams’s attention, and they quickly became regulars on his TV show.
Younger siblings, Donny, Marie and Jimmy, later burst on the scene and went on to have their own successful solo careers.
Collectively, the family has sold millions of records worldwide and performed in venues across the globe. Among their biggest hits are “One Bad Apple,” “Down by the Lazy River,” “Crazy Horses,” “Love Me For a Reason,” and many others.
The original quartet began phasing out its performances in 2007, following the family’s 50th-anniversary musical tour. Alan retired that year after battling MS for decades.
The brothers reunited one final time in 2019 for a performance on the CBS talk show “The Talk.” Their sister, Marie, was a co-host at the time, and they came on for her 60th birthday.
Alan paid tribute to his wife and left a message to his fans on Instagram less than a month before his passing. In a post dated March 26, he wrote:
“Suzanne and I are ‘as one,’ with a purpose,” he wrote, saying they are “staying busy and drawing nearer to each other each and every day.”
“As we get older in our years, we keep learning, planning, and preparing for the future, trying to become all that we can be. As our family motto states, Petimus Altiora, ‘WE SEEK HIGHER THINGS,'” Alan wrote.
A spokesperson for the family confirmed that he died at 8:30 p.m. Monday and that his wife and children were at his bedside when he passed.
According to the family spokesperson, Alan recently commented that he was anxious to be with his brother Wayne, who died in January 2025. He stated, “We still have a lot of work to do together — there is much catching up to keep us busy for a very long time.”
“Our future is beyond this world’s thinking,” Alan wrote on Instagram. “When we ‘graduate’ from this life … we will be reunited with our deceased family and ancestors.”
In February, Jay spoke with Rett Nelson, host of the EastIdahoNews.com podcast, “It’s Worth Mentioning.” During that interview, Jay started crying as he spoke about Wayne’s passing. He also discussed Alan’s condition, saying at the time that his MS was in remission and that “he is doing well.”
“Anyone with MS I have such empathy for because it’s tough. But he’s got a great attitude and he’s dealing well with it,” Jay said.
Jay also talked about his love for Idaho Falls, his decision to move here and his family’s connection to eastern Idaho through their mom, who grew up in Malad. Watch the interview with Jay in the video above.
Since his passing, Alan’s siblings have paid tribute to him on social media. On Tuesday, Merrill shared an experience he had with Alan days before his passing.
“Two days before my brother, Alan, passed, I was blessed to sit quietly with him. We talked as brothers do, heart to heart. He was struggling, but when I shared a joke or two, he found the strength to chuckle … and then he smiled,” Merrill wrote. “In a tender moment I will never forget, he leaned close and whispered something into my ear. He said, ‘Merrill, you and I worked side by side. We created, we produced, we directed … we gave our hearts to The Plan (an album where they addressed their religious beliefs) with Wayne. Please … do something with it. Let people know what we were trying to say.’ I want you to know, his request will be honored.”
Merrill also expressed that he has felt his late brother encouraging him “to keep going” and “to keep sharing light” in the days since his death.
“Don’t let your hearts be heavy. Don’t weep for him. Rejoice, knowing that your brother, your friend, your hero is no longer in pain. He is free. He is whole. He is home,” wrote Merrill.
Donny, who performed at the Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls in 2024, also paid tribute to Alan on Facebook. He called his older brother, “My protector. My guide. The one who quietly carried so much responsibility so the rest of us could shine.”
“Alan was our leader in every sense of the word. His tireless work helped build everything we became. I will always be grateful for the sacrifices he made and the love he showed — not just to me, but to every member of our family. I owe him more than I can ever fully express,” Donny wrote.
Details about Alan’s funeral have not been announced. He is preceded in death by his parents, George and Olive, and his brother Wayne. He is survived by his siblings, Virl, Tom, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie, and Jimmy, along with his wife, Suzanne, and their eight sons, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.