DonSense: Many congratulations to Dad

When "Dancing With The Stars" began more than two months ago, 16 couples jockeyed for a finalist spot. Now, after 10 weeks of rehearsals, performances and eliminations, this week's spotlight rested upon Mya, Kelly Osbourne and Donny Osmond.

Monday night's performances kept the heat on the dance floor as the competition came to a close. Looking at the finalist lineup, all three were deserving of the coveted mirror-ball trophy, but for different reasons.

Throughout this season, Mya displayed continually her dancing prowess with grace and elegance. Her unwavering ability to execute sophisticated routines week after week proved what an amazing dancer she is. And, how could we forget ... how did judge Len Goodman put it? Her "Tutti-frutti what a booty" moves. She definitely proved to be a veritable opponent for Kelly and Donny -- both of whom have stories so different that they're nearly opposites.

MORE @ MORMONTIMES

Donny Osmond takes the trophy in 'Dancing' final

By Scott Pierce

Deseret News

Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009

Going where no Osmond has gone before, Donny Osmond claimed the mirror-ball trophy and the "Dancing With the Stars" championship on Tuesday night.

Two years after his sister, Marie, finished third on the ABC show, Donny and his partner, Kym Johnson, took home the title on the series' ninth season.

When he was announced as the winner, a visibly overjoyed Osmond rushed into the audience, literally carrying his wife, Debbie, back on stage.

MORE

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Donny Osmond,
winner of 2009 Dancing with the Stars!

Marie and Daughter

Additional photo and source

Thanksgiving family reunions full of memories

By Don Osmond
Monday, Nov. 23, 2009

In case a holiday seems lost between Halloween and Christmas, may I remind you: Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Within a short eight-week time period, it's amazing how a holiday disappears in the shuffle of marketing attention. (But, we'll delve into the marketing foibles of commerce at a later date.)

Thanksgiving is a time for family reunions. A time to come together; sharing gratitude for one another, and the blessings we enjoy.

Family members arrive at their parent's home with side dishes to share. Cousins reunite to swap stories about what has happened since the last reunion.

MORE

If Donny Osmond wins on Dancing with the Stars it could shine light on Las Vegas tourism

Donny Osmond’s win on Dancing with the Stars could shine light on Las Vegas tourism: Will Las Vegas residents vote for him?

Donny Osmond is truly talented. At 51, he is competing in the ever popular ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) beating performers half is age.

MORE with Video

Utahns rally for Donny Osmond

OREM, Utah (ABC 4 News) - A group of Utahns are rallying for their hometown favorite on 'Dancing with the Stars.'

MORE

Marie Osmond's Special Gifts for the 'Dancing with the Stars' Semi-Finalists

With "Dancing with the Stars" entering the semi-finals, Marie Osmond has a few little gifts for the contenders to help lift their spirits.

"I picked certain bags for the different people left on 'Dancing with the Stars' -- there are three ladies and one guy -- my brother -- and I figured they needed a little pick-me-up [gift]," she tells ET of the uniquely designed, colorful quilted bags from her Marie Lifestyle Collection.

"Joanna [Krupa] has just done the cover of Playboy and she's red hot, so we picked the red color for her," says Marie.

Continue reading...

Country singer Nathan Osmond performs at Bozeman Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart shoppers in Bozeman were treated to a surprise Wednesday as country musician Nathan Osmond performed in the store.

Osmond, the son of entertainer Alan Osmond (and nephew of famed 70s duo Donny & Marie Osmond), has been touring the state the last few days, stopping in Great Falls, Helena, and Butte before making his way to Bozeman.

He's thanking Wal-Mart for its support of the Children's Miracle Network.

“My grandma Osmond is the one that had the dream, the vision back 27 years ago around our kitchen table, 'Let's do something that helps all these kids'. And Joe Lake was there, and Shannon, and they put something together. Thanks to these guys, since 1987 Wal-Mart has been a sponsor of Children's Miracle Network,” Osmond said.

Osmond's next stop is in Billings before he returns home on Thursday.

Source

Chasing a (DWTS) star

About a month ago, I wrote a blog on how I would be supporting my father throughout his run in "Dancing With The Stars." Little did I know I would literally be running just to keep up with him.

I'm young and single; working all day and partying all night is status quo. So, keeping up with a 51-year-old is no problem, right? That is, of course, unless your dad is Donny Osmond.

MORE

DonSense: Text message disconnect

People don't talk anymore; maybe we've forgotten how.

Grammar-impaired text-based chats are much easier, and less evasive, especially if the conversation is heated. It's just too difficult to pick up the phone and confront those who have wronged, or frustrated us.

Dyadic dialog is a thing of the past. Never had that been so apparent to me than a few months ago when a friend sent me a text. It's the classic example of textual frustration.

"Just 2 let u know ... we're still fighting! :'("

MORE

Inside Donny Osmond's Top-Secret 'DWTS' Rehearsal

Still riding on "Cloud Ten," Donny Osmond knocked out the "Dancing with the Stars" judges this week with his Argentine Tango, drawing a personal best score of 29, the highest score of the season. Now, we're with Donny and pro partner Kym Johnson in their Las Vegas rehearsal studio to see what they're cooking up next!

"Still living on that cloud," says Donny of their victory. But now, Donny and Kym have to lock down the Jitterbug by Monday night, and Donny says, "It's kind of bittersweet -- we love the fact that we got 29, but we really are starting over. You're just starting from ground zero."

"We take it week by week," agrees Kym. "It feels really like a competition now to me. … I think we're in a good place -- hopefully they'll take us seriously."

"It doesn't matter where we are on the leader board, I just want to be a great contender," says Donny, adding with a sly grin, "But it sure feels good to be number one."

Source

Jermaine: Michael’s Kids are Huge DWTS Fans

October 21st, 2009 1:20 am / Author: OK! Staff

After a very special tribute to the late Michael Jackson on Tuesday’s Dancing with the Stars, his brother Jermaine told OK! the singing legend’s three children are doing well, watching the ABC show, and have picked their favorite celebrity competitor!

“They watch the show with my mother, religiously,” Jermaine revealed to OK!, and added that the kids and the entire Jackson clan was rooting for Donny Osmond, as the Jackson and Osmond families have been friends for years. “We all love Donny. We go way back. He’s a pro”

When asked if he’d like to see Donny win DWTS, Jermaine was emphatic: “Yes, I do. This is his world. He is going to win. Watch.”

Jermaine was basking in the glow backstage after the show’s pro dancers performed a well-received dance medley to Michael’s hit songs.

“The tribute was wonderful because the dancers did a great job; they were very confident and entertaining. We were watching for all of those things,” said Jermaine, who sat in the audience to watch the performance with mom Katherine, sister LaToya, and other Jackson relatives. “The dancers understood what it takes to do Michael Jackson and they did it. We were watching to see if they just weren’t dancing by numbers, but really feeling it. They were feeling it. It’s all about the feeling. He achieved that, and to watch these dancers tonight shows you what the influence can be.”

When asked if he thought Michael was looking down and smiling, Jermaine said, “Yeah, because he used to watch this show all the time. He was in the room while they were doing the routine.”

The DWTS pros, such as Maks Chmerkovskiy, who choreographed the “Man in the Mirror” portion of the tribute medley, hailed Michael as an inspiration to them, a fact that makes Jermaine very proud. “It feels great because Michael worked so hard, wanting to be the best. When you work hard, you achieve, you influence others.”

As previously announced, Jermaine is currently working on an A & E reality show, set to air in December, about the Jackson brothers’ families. He told OK! Michael’s children definitely won’t be a part of the show and that had never been planned.

Meanwhile, a couple of the DWTS celebrities who had a close connection to Michael spoke to OK! about it after the show.

Donny, who dances with OK! blogger Kym Johnson said, for him, the TV dance tribute was “kind of bittersweet. It was a tribute to a genius, but what made it bitter was that the family was sitting right there and he wasn’t with us. We certainly miss him.”

And Aaron Carter said Michael “taught me the Moonwalk in 2003. It was amazing the time I spent with him in the studio. He was teaching me how to sing! He invited a bunch of people to be part of the charity song for him, ‘What More Can I Give,’ and he hand-picked everybody he felt deserved to be on it, and I was one of those people. He was a great friend of mine and I haven’t spoken about him [until] now.”

Aaron told OK! he keeps in touch with Michael’s children: “They’re really great, a little confused, but for the most part they’re okay. If I could say anything, [it would be] that he loved his kids very much. He worked hard to get them. He worked really hard to go through his life, all the pressures, to be able to have his own children.”

The singer, who dances with partner Karina Smirnoff, said he doesn’t personally think Michael’s kids should go into show business, but added, “they should pursue what[ever] their heart’s passion is.”

Donny Osmond: 'We're beating each other up!'

ET Mailbox: With the popularity of the monikers Brangelina and TomKat, DWTS partners Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson are looking for a team name. Click here to give us your suggestions!

New video: ET is with Donny Osmond as he prepares for this week's "Dancing with the Stars" challenge, where the question is -- will he make it to the show unharmed?

He and partner Kym Johnson are doing the Argentine tango, which is very fast -- and dangerous! "She's beating me up again," Donny says with a laugh. "We're beating each other up!"

"It's really fast footwork, Kym says. "We've had a few misses. I scratched [Donny's] eyeball."

Oh yeah," Donny jokes. "I thought I was going to lose my eye yesterday."

All kidding aside, this dance could be their biggest challenge yet! Watch the video to see Kym's bruises as proof this is more difficult than anything they've done before.

Source

DonSense: More than a backstage pass

More than a fifth of my life has been spent backstage, just wandering around. It is fun to see the intricate goings-on that take place during a show.

But, even though I'm issued a backstage pass at every concert, that pass isn't a license to do, or go, wherever I want. It takes time to build a rapport with the crew before they'll let me hang around. There's a lot going on, and I don't want to get in the way.

MORE

Marie Osmond's Big Fashion Doll Reveal!

ET was exclusively with Marie Osmond as the star revealed her very own fashion doll!

Surrounded by fans, Marie unveiled the Grand Finale Fashion Doll at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.

"The last time I was a fashion doll I was about 15 or 16 or something like that, and it was really my daughter's idea --she's 20, Rachel -- to come out with a new Marie fashion doll," Marie tells ET. "And so, she's dressed in the dance outfit I wear at the end of our show here at the Flamingo, and so we're unveiling her tonight."

Marie also reveals to ET just how much she participates in the creation of her dolls, saying, "I do everything. This is my hobby. This is the way I relax and have fun."

The dolls will be available in retail stores in November and on QVC on October 26.

Watch the video for your sneak peek!

Source

Marie Osmond Gets a 5-0 at 'Dancing With the Stars'

The highest score may have been 28 out of 30 on Monday night's "Dancing with the Stars," but ET's special correspondent Marie Osmond celebrated her big 5-0 backstage.

The birthday girl, who celebrated one day early, must believe it is better to give than to receive. Instead of getting a present from her brother Donny, she gave him a doll replica of himself. She told him to give it to judge Bruno Tonioli so he can remember their impromptu smooch on last Monday's show. Donny responded, "I want to forget about that thing. This is just going to perpetuate it."

Melissa Joan Hart and partner Mark Ballas were awarded their first perfect scores of the season, tying them with Mya atop the scoreboard with 28 points. Melissa is "over the moon" with their score. The couple truly got into character for their 1920s inspired Charleston routine. Mark said his fake mustache is "itchy," but he was determined to sell his role through and through.

The competition is getting fierce and the celebs reveal which of their competitors they most want to sabotage. Watch the video for more and don't forget to tune in Tuesday night to find out which couple will be sent home on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." For a complete recap of Monday's performance show, click here.

Source

Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson Pictures: Millions of Milkshakes West Hollywood Launch Photos

Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson unveil their signature milkshakes at Millions of Milkshakes on October 11, 2009 in West Hollywood, California.

Donny's Decadence incorporates his all-time favorite milkshake ingredients — vanilla ice cream, chocolate chips, almonds and caramel sauce topped off with a Kit Kat bar. Kym Johnson's Java Jive includes a little caffeine kick to keep her Jive grooving. It combines vanilla ice cream, coffee and crushed Kit Kat.

The Dancing With the Stars pair also revealed a joint milkshake, The Tango Fruit Twist, which includes vanilla ice cream, strawberries, peaches, raspberries and mandarin oranges.

Picture copyright: Koi Sojer / PR Photos

Donny Dancing with the Stars Photos

Donny Osmond has been in front of the camera for the majority of his life. Performing on stage with his sister Marie Osmond who is also a former Dancing With The Stars contestant at the Las Vegas Flamingo Hotel through 2012. Donny Osmond is married to Debbie Glenn and the couple have five sons and two grandchildren.

Source

DonSense: Remembering 9/11

Eight years ago, I woke up early on Sept. 11 to get ready for work. While attending college, I taught a religion class in the mornings on the BYU campus to young men and women who were preparing to travel nationwide, or abroad, as Mormon missionaries.

Upon arriving at work, I was informed by my supervisor that an airplane had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. Because we were unclear about the situation's gravity, we made the assumption that a small plane must have veered off course, causing the accident.

MORE