Michael Jackson gave Donny Osmond a “very offensive” piece of career advice back in the 1980s.
The late King of Pop and Donny, 67, shot to fame as youngsters when they were members of their family’s 1960s and 1970s bands The Jackson 5 and The Osmonds, respectively.
Donny’s clean-cut group sold over 77 million records worldwide, but as Donny found the initial transition from child star to adult singer tricky, he quizzed his friend Michael – who died aged 50 in 2009 – who told him to change his name, as it was “poison” to radio DJs.
Donny shared a clip of himself appearing on The Adam Carolla Show in 2023 discussing his career transition in the 1980s on his Instagram account,
In the clip, the Puppy Love singer said: “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.
“They played the record to test it because they liked the song, but they just didn’t want to say my name.
“In fact, 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?'”
Laughing, Donny continued: “He said, ‘Your name’s poison Donny, you gotta change your name.'”
He added: “It was very offensive. I mean, it was tough to hear that, but he was right because in ’89, radio stations all across the country played my music but didn’t say my name.
“And they did me a favour by not saying who I was, and it became a hit.
“Then, they found out it was me.”
The Jackson 5 – originally formed of Jackie Jackson, 74, the late Tito Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, 70, Marlon Jackson, 68, and Michael – sold over 150 million records worldwide.
And Donny previously reflected on how The Osmonds – comprised of Alan Osmond, 76, the late Wayne Osmond, Merrill Osmond, 72, Jay Osmond, 70, Jimmy Osmond, 62, and Donny – and The Jackson 5 shared similar success.
Appearing in MTV Entertainment Studios documentary, Larger than Life: Reign of the Boybands in 2024, Donny said: “I spent a lot of time with Michael Jackson.
“I mean, you look at The Osmonds and The Jackson 5, the comparisons of the two families are just uncanny,
“There’s 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.”