Marie Osmond & the Jackson Family Remember Wayne Osmond in Social Media Posts

Lauren Novak January 8, 4:14 pm

POP!, The Osmond Brothers, 1972. and Jackson 5 collage — Everett Collection

Loss struck two of pop music’s biggest families in the past year — on September 15, 2024, Tito Jackson died at the age of 70 from a heart attack, leaving behind a legacy and a large family, while on January 1, 2025, Wayne Osmond, the oldest member of the Osmonds family band, passed away at the age of 73 from a stroke. The Osmond and Jackson families have a friendship going back decades — which was on full display in a Facebook post the Jacksons made to honor Wayne’s passing.

The Jacksons’ Facebook page shared a photo of the Osmonds back in the ’70s, alongside a sweet note from several of the surviving siblings. They said, “As we continue to mourn the passing of our dear brother, Tito, we would like to take a moment to send our love and thoughts to another brotherhood, The Osmonds, following the passing of Wayne. We have fond memories of the days when The Jacksons and The Osmonds shared a special era in music. We will always hold dear the occasions we spent together. Our hearts go out to the Osmond family at this terribly difficult time. Rest in Peace, Wayne. May God be with you — Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy.”

The Osmonds were touched by the message and shared it through Merrill Osmond’s account, adding their own sentiment: “To our dear friends, The Jacksons, we so much appreciate your comments regarding our brother Wayne. We also send our condolences to your family regarding Tito. We will miss them both dearly. Our two families have been friends for a very long time. Both of us have given our all throughout the years as we maneuvered through the 70s and 80s. The Osmonds have always felt there was a lot in common between the Jackson family and the Osmond family. It is our sincere hope that our music, along with the Jackson’s, will continue to live on for decades to come.”

In the ’70s, the two groups had a bit of a friendly rivalry, as both the Jackson 5 and the Osmonds were considered boy bands and teen idols. Donny Osmond recalled getting to sing with the legendary Michael Jackson back in the day; both boys bonded over being the seventh of nine siblings. Donny shared about the comparisons between the families: “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.”

He continued, “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, ‘Donny, you’re the only person on this planet that knows what my childhood is like.'”

Not only did the Jacksons and Osmond brothers share their condolences about Wayne — sister Marie Osmond broke her silence on the matter on Wednesday.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Marie Osmond (@marieosmond)

Marie Osmond admitted that she has taken a break from social media, but wanted to share her grief over her brother’s passing. Marie revealed that she was thankfully able to visit him just days before he passed away and now tries to honor him the best way she can. She wrote, in part, “There’s no question that Wayne had a long and successful career as an entertainer, musician, and songwriter. But what stands out to me as his sister were the joy-filled, humorous times I spent laughing with him and our deep intellectual conversations that left me edified in one way or another. He was always my safe place to go when I needed advice.”