A BIT OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL: Donny Osmond reveals the secret behind his 45-year marriage to Debra Glenn
OGDEN, UTAH: Very few people have been in show business as long as 60-year-old Donny Osmond is no joke after all. This, despite being considered a has-been by the time he was in his twenties. Her marriage, like her career, lasted a long time, 45 years to be precise. The singer revealed what kept him and his wife, Debra (née Genn), through the ups and downs.
The “Puppy Love” singer shared a tongue-in-cheek but hilarious memory, according to the Daily Mail. It was in a limousine on his way to “work”, to a concert, when the driver asked him what his role was on the show, if he was a manager or an interpreter. Osmond reportedly said, “I said, ‘Uh, I’m Donny. “” He continued, “The driver stopped the car, turned around and said, ‘You mean you’re one of those look-alikes? Because you’re not the real Donny Osmond. This guy must be around 90 by now.'”
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Artist Donny Osmond and wife Debbie Osmond look at Tiffany & Co. engagement rings as 10 couples get engaged simultaneously at 10:10 a.m. at The Forum Shops at Caesars on October 10, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada (Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Harrah’s Entertainment)
The beginnings of Donny Osmond
Osmond, who is 65, did not know how to react. He decided to let it go, saying, “I get it. That’s what happens when you start playing at age five. People think you’ve been around forever.”
Donny Osmond stars in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ (Getty Images)
Osmond started performing at an age when most kids would probably be in school or catching up on their favorite cartoons. His reputation grew as a member of “The Osmonds” along with four of his older brothers. He’s come a long way from being a little boy standing on a crate and making it big with the hit “One Bad Apple” before going solo as a teenager. A grandfather of 13 now, basking in the glory of his 65th album, he will be bringing one of his Vegas-style shows to Britain.
Donny Osmond, wife Debbie and son Joshua, 12, meet Pluto at Disneyland on April 4, 2010 in Anaheim, Calif. (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disney via Getty Images)
The British tour will cover all stages of his career, even the most painful. With the help of a young Donny impersonator, he will sing “Puppy Love”. He said with a chuckle, “He’s a British kid who can hit the grades, because I can’t anymore.”
What’s the secret to Donny Osmond’s long marriage?
Osmond and Debbie have been friends since they were teenagers. In fact, Debbie, 64, had dated one of her older brothers. They married in 1978 and have five sons. Famous people avoid discussions involving their families, Osmond is the opposite. Stating that he would never find himself in a situation where his children thought his career was ahead of them, he said: “I’ve seen others make that mistake, and you can’t come back from it. Even now, if one of my kids called, I’ll take the call. I try to do my grandkids’ concerts. Family first, always.
Speaking about balancing his marriage and career, he said: “We work very hard. A successful marriage doesn’t just happen. I don’t want to paint the picture that we’re just Pollyanna-ish, or very lucky. We’ve had challenges and arguments over the years,” adding, “But at some point you have to wonder if it’s really worth arguing about, or is my ego getting in the way of me, have to be right?
Actor Donny Osmond and his wife, Debbie, arrive at the 80th Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theater on February 24, 2008 in Hollywood, California (Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
The years may not have been entirely kind to Osmond, but he learned from his mistakes. Although he tripped several times over the years, he got back up, dusted himself off and kept going. “It’s about rebuilding the house of cards that collapsed. You start putting the cards back together again – with glue this time,” Osmond said.
