When Donny Osmond’s career hit a slump in the 1980s, he turned to Michael Jackson for advice.
The two had a unique bond: both came from massive family acts, both were teen idols, and both understood the pressure of growing up in the spotlight. But Jackson’s response wasn’t what Osmond expected.
Appearing on The Adam Carolla Show, in a clip shared by the singer on his Instagram page two weeks ago, Osmond recalled asking Jackson how to get back on the charts.
Jackson, riding the monumental success of Thriller at the time, didn’t hold back. “He said, ‘Your name’s poison, Donny. You gotta change your name,’” Osmond remembered. For him, it was “very offensive” to hear, but ultimately true.
At that point, Osmond’s name carried baggage. “The name Donny Osmond was a joke, years ago,” he admitted. “If you said you like Donny Osmond music, you were ousted.”
That stigma meant even when New York’s WPLJ radio station discovered his 1988 single “Soldier of Love,” they played it without revealing the artist. The track later soared to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, proving Jackson’s blunt assessment wasn’t far off.
Jackson’s insight came from his own experience stepping away from the Jackson 5 to establish himself as a global superstar.
For Osmond, the advice highlighted the brutal reality of rebranding after early fame. “They did me a favor by not saying who I was, and it became a hit,” he explained.
Beyond that one tough conversation, the two singers shared a striking number of similarities.
Osmond has pointed out that both the Osmonds and the Jackson 5 were nine-sibling families, that he and Jackson were each the seventh child, and even that their mothers shared the same birthday.
“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,’” he said.
