Favorite 70s Idols: Brother & Sister Duo Donny & Marie Sparkled in the Spotlight
They were beyond groovy. Those purple socks and piercing eyes of Donny’s and that sassy yet saintly teasing of Marie made them America’s favorite siblings of the 1970s. This duo’s claim to fame began in the 1960s, when Donny joined the family-run popular quintet the Osmonds, singing with four of his seven brothers. By the 1970s, Donny had emerged as a popular solo artist, with hits like “Sweet and Innocent” and “Go Away Little Girl,” and so had his younger sister Marie, who was one of the youngest singers at the time (at age 13) to reach No. 1 on the Billboard country music charts with her record-breaking debut single “Paper Roses.” The successful siblings began recording duets and touring together, and eventually combined their efforts into the beloved variety show Donny & Marie, which aired from 1976 until 1979 and was produced by the rest of the Osmond family. At the time of its premiere, Donny (18) and Marie (16) were the youngest entertainers in TV history to host their own variety show. Here is a look back at some of those performances
Decades later, in 2008, after working on various other projects and starting their own families, Donny and Marie returned to the stage together in Las Vegas, where they began an 11-year residency at Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, the length of which surprised even the beloved duo, who originally signed a contract for only a six-week run. This insanely talented family is not an easy one to forget!
Currently, Donny is doing a solo residency at the Flamingo through May and Marie is just living her life to the fullest and crossing things off her bucket list. You can follow her adventures on social
Puzzler Variety Shows
January 2023
Enjoy this colorful trip down memory lane that celebrates all of our favorite variety shows from years gone by.
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