Jimmy Osmond to star in Hastings panto

Published Date:
21 May 2010
By Rob Alderson

An international pop legend will be starring in the White Rock pantomime this year.
Jimmy Osmond, the youngest member of the all conquering entertainment dynasty, will play Buttons in Cinderella, bringing a touch of sunkissed sparkle to 1066 Country.

He was the youngest ever solo chart topper when his 1972 hit Long-Haired Lover from Liverpool made nine-year-old Jimmy a star, and his musical talents shone through in the West End, first in Grease and then in Chicago.

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Osmonds dedicate mother's log cabin birthplace

By Michael De Groote
Mormon Times
Tuesday, May. 04, 2010

SAMARIA, Idaho -- About six miles southwest of Malad, Idaho a girl was born in a log cabin on May 4, 1925. Eighty-five years later, seven of Olive Davis Osmond's nine children walked into the restored cabin.

"This is so surreal," Donny Osmond said. "You can feel her presence here"

The Osmonds were in town for the dedication of the "Olive May Davis Osmond Cabin and Museum." The cabin sits on property donated by Samaria resident Luke Waldron, a local high school teacher and history buff. It is only about 200 feet away from its original location.

Waldron carefully took the decaying cabin apart about 20 years ago -- numbering every log. The buyer of the logs never reassembled it and eventually it came back into Waldron's possession. Two years ago, he began restoring the cabin -- hoping to have it done in time for a local visit and musical performance by The Osmonds -- Second Generation.

Photos, a link to article about the fireside, and more of this article at MORMONTIMES.

Video: Donny Osmond's First Interview Since the Death of Marie's Son

ETonline

The Osmond family has turned to one another as they strive to move forward following the suicide of Michael Bryan, Marie's son. Marie's brothers and nephew gathered in Utah on Monday night to support the release of David's new album, "Reflected." They also used this as an opportunity to reflect on the tragedy that has afflicted their tight-knit family.

Donny Osmond said, "Whenever there's a situation where there needs to be rallying, the Osmonds rally around each other and support each other. And, there's a lot of that going on right now."

Upon receiving the devastating news of Michael's death, the brothers immediately boarded Donny's plane to join their sister in Las Vegas. "It meant a lot to her to have us at her house," reported Donny.

Marie's ex-husband and Michael's father, Brian Blosil, also attended the event to support David's emerging music career. David summed it all up, saying, "Family is everything."

Jimmy Osmond is voted off Popstar to Operastar

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1247206/Popstar-Operastar-Myleene-Klass-debuts-new-curly-hai

Following the decision, an emotional Jimmy said: 'My opera dreams have just begun. What a blast this has been. I'm going to go home and see my beautiful wife and four kids - they are opera to me.

'Opera is empowering, it's exciting and it's a way of getting in touch with your inner emotions. I have fallen in love with every person while taking part in this show.'

One of the Nation’s Leading Children’s Charities Opens Headquarters as Part of Salt Lake City’s Downtown Redevelopment Efforts

Jimmy Osmond, Miss America 2009 Katie Stam, Salt Lake County Mayor Corroon, Primary Children’s Medical Center Patients and Others Join to Celebrate Children’s Miracle Network’s New International Headquarters

SALT LAKE CITY (July 10, 2009)—Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit organization that raises funds for children’s hospitals, has opened the doors to its new international headquarters, located in downtown Salt Lake City.

Jimmy Osmond, the brother of the organization’s co-founder Marie Osmond and a member of the Board of Trustees, was joined in the ribbon cutting ceremony by Miss America 2009 Katie Stam, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, City Councilman and Chair of the Redevelopment Agency Eric Jergensen, and several children who have been treated at Primary Children’s Medical Center (Primary Children’s is one of Children’s Miracle Network’s 170 hospitals).

The group revealed the total amount raised by Children’s Miracle Network from its 1983 inception to today – an impressive $3,818,459,578.32 – and cut a ribbon using children’s safety scissors before inviting guests inside to tour the building.

The four-story building, which is located at 205 West 700 South, was completed with support from Salt Lake City through its downtown revitalization efforts. Children’s Miracle Network currently employees 100 people at the new building; the nonprofit also has offices and employees in New York City, Canada, Ireland and the U.K.

“Salt Lake City is excited to welcome the Children’s Miracle Network headquarters to our vibrant downtown area,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker. “They join a roster of noteworthy companies and organizations who have chosen to call our City home. We are honored to have the employees who work tirelessly for a noble cause in downtown Salt Lake City.”

Since 1983 Children’s Miracle Network has operated from Utah. In that time, Children’s Miracle Network has raised more than $3.8 billion for children’s hospitals; has expanded to serve hospitals in Canada, Ireland, the U.K. and Australia; and has formed relationships with hundreds of corporate sponsors, including Walmart, Costco, RE/MAX, Marriott, Delta Air Lines and Microsoft Xbox, to raise money for children’s hospitals around the world.

“Even as we have expanded to serve children in different countries, Utah has remained our home,” said Children’s Miracle Network president and CEO Scott Burt. “The new building provides us with the space and resources we need to most effectively raise money for our member hospitals, and also demonstrates our commitment to Utah.”

Article can be found at: http://www.childrensmiraclenetwork.org/PressReleasesDetail.aspx?id=151&releaseid=34

Runway to Healing

Osmonds in Layton for rare Utah show; Jimmy Osmond reflects on friend Michael Jackson

In light of recent events, Jimmy Osmond feels especially blessed to be performing with brothers Merrill, Wayne and Jay at Layton's Kenley Centennial Amphitheater this weekend.

As it so happened, he spoke to the Standard-Examiner the day after Michael Jackson's death.

Osmond can't help but see many similarities in the Jacksons and the Osmonds, especially during their glory years as teen idols in the '70s.

"I also used to work for Michael," Osmond said, speaking from his home in Provo. Among his many businesses, the youngest Osmond brother owns theaters and manages tour productions. It was through the latter enterprise that Osmond got to know Jackson well.

"Michael and I got an opportunity to be more than just 'hi-'bye' guys. I actually brokered his Asian tours when he did his 'Bad' album, and we stayed in touch after that. He was a friend and I will miss him. It is quite a shock.

"And I know how important his family was to him -- like mine is to me. His family was there for him during some tough times. Frankly, I think the Jacksons are a lot more intact than people give them credit for."

MORE: Standard Examiner

CMN Dedicates New Building

Jimmy Osmond was on hand today in Salt Lake City for the dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony of the new building to house the Children's Miracle Network, a charity the Osmonds helped organize.

"I'm thrilled with the progress, and on behalf of my family I want to thank all of you that work so hard for CMN in helping 17 million people a year," Osmond said.

KSL.com

Osmond News!

Finally! The Osmond Brothers will perform in Layton on July 11. Here's a much-anticipated press release about the concert:

LAYTON, Utah—The Davis Arts Council is bringing the Osmond Brothers to the Ed Kenley Amphitheater on Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 8 p.m. This concert is part of the Summer Nights with the Stars concert series at the DAC.

In 1962, the Osmond Brothers were seen by Andy Williams’ father singing in Disneyland, a gig they attained after being discovered by a talent scout. The boys auditioned for the Andy Williams’ show and eventually became regulars singing their barbershop quartet music.

In 1971, with help from their younger brother Donny, the Osmond’s acquired nine gold records – the most any other recording act has received in a single year, surpassing the Beatles and Elvis. To date, the brothers have sold more than 77 million records and have over 30 gold records. In 1992, the brothers bought and began performing at their own theater in Branson, Missouri. Now Wayne, Merrill, Jay, and Jimmy are coming back to Utah and will perform at the Ed Kenley Amphitheater in Layton for one night only.

The Osmond Brothers join the line-up of stars for the Summer Concert Series at the Davis Arts Council. The brothers perform on Saturday, July 11. The amphitheater gates open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $24 with discounts available for seniors and children.

For more information please call the Davis Arts Council at 801-546-8575 or visit http://www.davisarts.org

Source

Jimmy Osmond recalls friendship with Jackson

Deseret News

As they rose through the various stages of stardom in the '70s, the Osmonds and the Jacksons were often seen as competitors. But Provo native Jimmy Osmond says the two families were "always friendly."

"It's a huge loss for every one of us," he said regarding the Thursday death of Michael Jackson.

Osmond said his only regret is not keeping in contact with Jackson after the 2005 court trial in which Jackson was acquitted of various sex abuse allegations. "But I relish the days I did have an association with him."

After their first introduction at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, the two families of singers — which showcased much the same dynamic then — vied for the hearts of music lovers everywhere. Osmond said "One Bad Apple," one of the greatest hits of his brother, Donny Osmond, was actually a tune that the Jackson family passed on. But Donny still grew to be good friends with Michael Jackson, sharing a stage with him at the fist American Music Awards created by Dick Clark in 1973.

Over the years, Jimmy Osmond, now 46, said his family kept in touch with Jackson, who occasionally offered them professional advice, but always respected them and their own track to fame.

"Michael reached a whole different level of celebrity," Jimmy Osmond said. "He did things that were so revolutionary and so on the edge. We've never gone there."

The youngest Osmond brother recalls playing soccer with the Jackson Five "in the halls of a hotel, while 5,000 girls were outside screaming in hysteria." He remembers going swimming at the Jackson home in California decades ago, and remembers the King of Pop as having a "huge heart."

"The entertainment business can be such a phony, fake business, but as a human being, he was wonderful," he said.

Jackson later accepted one of Osmond's brokering deals when his album "Bad" was released overseas in 1987. The move bolstered the relatively young broker's career, giving him even more opportunity than he believes he would have had without working with such a popular man or event.

"Because he took a shot with me in the past, and took a couple of my deals, he really blessed my personal life," Osmond said. "He opened up a whole world of credibility for me, not only being a performer but brokering other high-end deals for performers."

Osmond said he would often defend his showbiz friend when others would criticize various actions or habits lit up by the media. He always believed Jackson was "severely misunderstood."

"He is a good person," he said. "He was in a weird business where sometimes you've got to create something unique to get attention for a specific project. Michael was just who he was. He was a media magnet, and he knew how to do things that were fun for him but yet were so out of the ordinary that he created such a stir. But he had the talent to back it up."

Osmond, who just finished a long run of theatrical performances in England, said Jackson's career epitomized the "perfect combination" of being media-savvy, talented and having the ability to move and also to see a trend and go with it.

"He just had it all."

Jimmy still loves performing live

THE NEWS

Anyone remembering Jimmy Osmond as the three-year-old new recruit to his all-singing, all-squeaky-clean, all-American family is likely to be surprised to hear him now – all deep and gravelly-voiced.

But the person himself seems to have changed surprisingly little. To use a simple, old-fashioned word, he is nice.

And it's no mean feat to stay grounded after more than 40 years in show business with legions of adoring fans.

Aged just five he scored his first gold record with My little Darling. At nine he achieved the biggest selling solo single in the family with Long Haired Lover From Liverpool. By the time he was 15, 'Little' Jimmy had developed and supervised most of the Osmonds' merchandising business.

As a teenager, he also launched a successful advertising agency while, as part of his family band – the Osmonds, Jimmy sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

In 2004, he hit the UK theatre scene, performing in Boogie Nights in Blackpool. The show broke box office records and spurred him on to a West End debut in Grease in 2009.

Now, Jimmy, who has previously visited Portsmouth for a Christmas show at the Guildhall, will play smooth-talking lawyer Billy Flynn in hit musical Chicago at the Kings, Southsea.

'I have been in musicals before but never one as classy as this,' he says of his new show. 'It's an amazing production and everybody is so proud to be part of it.'

Of his fellow cast and orchestra, he says: 'They are so fit, and the music is amazing.'

Jimmy recalls his 'first real gig' on the Andy Williams shows as a three-year-old singing Red Roses For A Blue Lady, and says he hasn't stopped since.

'I had a hit record in Japan – in Japanese – when I was five, and life has been a whirlwind, a big blur.'

Of life in a family band, Jimmy says: 'I have been so grateful to be part of a family that was close.

'We have had so many wild experiences together, in so many big arenas in the 1970s, it's scary.

'To be able to do it with a support system around me was really lucky. Today you don't have a lot of that.'

Jimmy attributes the Osmond's success part to luck, part to talent and skill and part to marketability. He says: 'We were at just the right time of life – a unique commodity, a family who performed and harmonised together.'

What about his solo successes such as Long-Haired Lover From Liverpool, which made him the youngest ever person to top the singles charts in 1972? 'That was part of the ride,' he says. 'It came out of nowhere. I didn't even know where Liverpool was.'

Jimmy admits that, at the time of that song, he lacked perspective: 'I got to a stage where I took myself too seriously, which we never should.

'I was playing Wembley with my brothers and the whole arena was singing it because they were ticked-off because we weren't doing it.
'I thought then: "It's not about me but being part of people's memories." And we were.

'Now I'm 46 and I'm grateful I was part of a song like that – one that everybody knows whether you like it or not.'

As well as pop and theatre successes, Jimmy has taken part in all manner of TV shows, including I'm a Celebrity..., Celebrity Family Fortunes and Celebrity Come Dine With Me. He is an accomplished cartoonist, has places on the boards of numerous charities at home and abroad, is involved with a number of organisations in his home town of Branson, Missouri, and has his own production company.

But does he get as much satisfaction now as an entertainment-industry entrepreneur as from performing?

'The truth is no. There's nothing like being able to perform live. That inter-reaction with a live audience is something you can't replace.

'Making it happen for other people is exciting but money isn't my motivation.' \

Little’ Jimmy’s still all smiles after 40 years

By Marion McMullen

THE famous mega-watt Osmond smile beams across Jimmy Osmond’s face and is even more devastating experienced at close quarters.

The Long-Haired Lover From Liverpool is charming, funny and has a first-class business mind ticking away.

His entrepreneurial skills extend to managing the careers of several members of his family, producing and promoting concert tours, commercials, TV production and running theatres.

It’s no wonder he comes off stage and immediately starts working on his business interests in the States. But, at heart, the youngster member of the Osmond family is a born performer. After all, he’s been entertaining audiences since he was three and is still packing out theatres and winning TV fans with shows like I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Celebrity Come Dine With Me and Celebrity Family Fortunes.

MORE: Coventry Telegraph

Video of Jimmy in South Devon, UK

Click on this link to see a review of Jimmy's performance in Chicago, and be sure to click the video link on that page to watch a piece on Jimmy while he was there.

http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/entertainment/Shimmering-Chicago-serves-goods/article-844317-detail/article.html

JIMMY OSMOND: I had a hole in the heart for 40 years - but I didn't know until I had a stroke

THE DAILY MAIL

By Bonnie Estridge
14th February 2009

In control: Jimmy Osmond has re-evaluated his life after his stroke

Last week, at a West End performance of Grease, women in the front rows of the audience were screaming out his name - not for the lead actor playing Danny Zucko, but for the middle-aged former pop sensation Jimmy Osmond who appears briefly as the Teen Angel.

Even though he is now 45 years old, 'Little' Jimmy still lives with the legacy of growing up as the youngest member of The Osmonds, the wholesome boy band from Utah who took the UK by storm in the Seventies.

At eight years old, Jimmy had a No1 of his own - and remains the youngest performer to top the UK singles charts with his 1972 hit Long Haired Lover From Liverpool. He also headlined Las Vegas and counted Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams and Elvis among his friends.

As a family of nine, including heart-throb Donny and the beautiful only sister Marie, The Osmonds exuded good health, with their thick glossy hair and perfect white teeth. As Mormons, they abstained from the excesses of the rock star lifestyle, and Jimmy admits now that as he grew up he felt invincible.

But his health is something he no longer takes for granted after a terrifying ordeal that he has, until now, never spoken about publicly.

For five years ago, at the age of 40, Jimmy suffered a stroke, caused by a relatively common congenital condition which, it transpired, has also affected other members of his family, although none of them knew anything about it.

At the time, he was in Missouri recording his own TV show, Jimmy Osmond's American Jukebox, when he was suddenly overcome with a blinding headache.

'It came on so fast and I could hardly see - it was as if I had tunnel vision,' he recalls. 'Somehow, I managed to get to the end of the show. How I drove home I have no idea and I should not have done it because I couldn't even see the lines in the middle of the road, but I was desperate to get back to my family and go to bed.

'The following morning I tried to get up, but felt so dizzy that I fell over. My vision was still bad and this terrible headache was gnawing away right at the base of my skull.'

Jimmy, who has four children Sophia, 14, Zachary, 11, Wyatt, 9, and Bella, 6, with his wife, Michelle, also 45, thought it was a severe migraine. But Michelle drove him to the local hospital where doctors advised him to have a CT (brain) scan.

The tests revealed he had suffered a stroke. This happens when small clots or emboli break off into the blood stream, temporarily blocking the blood flow in small blood vessels, which leaves part of the brain without oxygen for a few minutes.

Fortunately, the stroke caused no permanent damage, although until recently he still suffered to some extent from headaches and found reading a strain.

'I had been working on 12 shows a week and other projects so I never really had time to relax,' Jimmy says. 'I'd been feeling pretty exhausted and assumed the stroke had been something to do with that.

'Yet I had never had high blood pressure, high cholesterol or any other problems that could have given any clues as to why I would have a stroke. The doctors decided to take a look at my heart.'

Jimmy was given a bubble echocardiogram - a procedure in which an ultrasound scan of the heart is followed by an injection of a bubble of saline (purified water) into the arm to make the heart functions more visible.

It revealed a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) - a hole the size of a pound coin in the septal wall that separates the right and upper left chambers of the heart. It was a birth defect that had gone undetected.

Jimmy had been through many insurance medicals but had never been given an echocardiogram as there had not appeared to be any need for one. No abnormal heart sounds had been detected, and his blood pressure and cholesterol were normal.

Jimmy as a child in The Osmonds

'My doctor explained that over time, tiny blood clots that he described as "particles" had traveled from my heart to my brain, forming a large clot. and this is what had caused the stroke,' says Jimmy.

'He warned me that unless I had emergency surgery to close the hole then I was at risk of having another stroke.'

June Davison, Cardiac Nurse Adviser for the British Heart Foundation, explains: 'People don't usually have symptoms, but one of the biggest risks associated with having a PFO is the risk of a stroke and those who have PFOs are more likely to have migraines. We do know that two in 100 babies are born with it.'

To close the hole, a tiny device made from polyester - known as an occluder - is inserted into a blood vessel in the groin and passed up into the heart.

The occluder opens on either side of the hole, like a two-sided umbrella, and is then pulled against the heart wall, encasing the hole and closing it. Tissue then grows over the implant and it becomes part of the heart.

'It was only as I was about to go into the operating theatre with the anaesthetist saying in a pitying way, "You're such a young guy and you're having heart surgery", that I realized I was just 40 and looking at my own mortality,' says Jimmy, 'even though I had been told that this condition was in no way age- or lifestyle-related.

'Apparently, the main risk of the operation was that the device could become dislodged before it had embedded well enough into the heart wall, and this was a frightening thought.

He adds: 'I started worrying that because I'd been away from home on tour all over the US so much, perhaps I hadn't seen enough of my kids.

'I remember being on the trolley saying goodbye to Michelle and the kids, then just before I went under the anaesthetic, a doctor came waving a liability form for me to sign, saying, "I have to tell you that this procedure could take your life," which didn't help matters at all.

'The operation, which lasted about an hour, was straightforward but the recovery was painful. Afterwards I spent a week in hospital until I was fit and able to go home.'

However, Jimmy is not the only one in his family to have suffered from heart problems. His mother Olive died in 2004 at the age of 79 from a massive stroke and his doctor now believes an undiagnosed hole in the heart could have caused this.

As the defect was likely to be genetic, his eight siblings, his children, nephews and nieces were tested.

It turned out that three of Jimmy's brothers - they prefer to keep their identity private - plus two of his nephews and his own daughter, Bella, were found to be suffering from the same condition.

All those affected went on to have the PFO closure operation except Bella, who was a baby at the time. Because she had such a tiny hole, Jimmy and Michelle were advised that it was best to let it close on its own, which it did.

'I still cannot believe that I never had any symptoms as a child,' says Jimmy. 'Doctors say there are few, if any at all.'

But now, he says, he feels fit and well and has been given a clean bill of health.

His only medication is Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering drug that he now takes as a precautionary measure.

He certainly looks in good shape, and at just over 5ft 10in and 12 stone 4lb, he has a BMI within the 'healthy' range. However, he admits that there is, as he puts it, a 'real family propensity to putting on weight'.

And there is another health problem in the family far more common than PFO that could put Jimmy in danger of another stroke if he does not keep his weight in check - coronary heart disease.

Keeping it in the family: The Osmond brothers in 1971 with sister Marie. From left to right: Donny, Marie, Merrill, Jay, Alan, Wayne and Jimmy

Jimmy's father George suffered a heart attack in his late-50s, which led to a quadruple bypass, and he also had a succession of four pacemakers over the years to correct abnormal heart rhythm.

'Dad had coronary disease for many years, even during the time we were touring in the Seventies,' says Jimmy. We knew there was high blood pressure and high cholesterol on his side of the family.

'In fact, Dad lived until he was 90 - the pacemakers probably kept him going - but he loved working on his ranch in Utah so much that he managed to keep active and was still shoveling cow dung, baling hay and tending to his garden right into his late 80s.

'I know that I need to be more active, particularly when I am not performing because then I'm sitting behind a desk for hours on end. My life can be pretty sedentary and I'm a bit naughty in the eating department,' he says sheepishly.

'My nemesis is ice cream - I love it so much - and I do have the occasional McDonald's cheeseburger, but generally I avoid foods such as red meat and fry-ups. Actually, I try to stick to a vegetarian diet.'

The health of his children is something that worries Jimmy. 'The problem these days is that things are so different from 30 or so years ago, and we parents do our kids a real disservice by buying them video games and letting them watch TV all the time.

'Thankfully, at home in Utah, Michelle takes them after school and at weekends to basketball baseball, skiing, swimming and soccer to make sure that they keep active.'

And he adds: 'The Osmonds lived in a bubble - an extraordinary existence - and we were offered everything going, but our Mormon religion forbade drink and drugs. We didn't even smoke.'

As well as playing Teen Angel in Grease, Jimmy is also a successful TV and music video producer who has numerous business interests.

He is also an active patron of the Children's Miracle Network, which raises funds for children's hospitals across North America.

'As I head towards 50 I need to adopt a lifestyle that I can live with,' says Jimmy.

'I have a real aversion to the gym. So I do what I can. Over the past month that I've been appearing in Grease, I've been walking the couple of miles or so to the theatre, I climb stairs rather than take the lift whenever possible.

'I always ask for a hotel that has a pool and swim every day if I can. I'm also trying to cut right down on bread and other starchy foods such as pasta and rice.

'I'll also try to eat less ice cream,' he adds ruefully, 'but it's hopeless for me to completely cut out the things I love.

'Importantly, I need to relax more, which is something I have only recently started to do. I make a real effort to enjoy the moment rather than get stressed about things over which I have no control and, most importantly, really savour the time with my family.'

Once he finishes his run in Grease at the end of this month, Jimmy goes on the road with the UK tour of Chicago in which he plays Billy Flynn, and he says he's determined to keep up his good intentions wherever he may be.

'I am getting things under control,' Jimmy says firmly. 'I think that I have finally realized that I can have it all - just not all at once.'

Could this be Jimmy Osmond's biggest fan?

She has been part of the A-list crowd for almost 20 years, yet it appears Elizabeth Hurley can still be starstruck.

Hurley couldn't resist the opportunity to go backstage and meet childhood crush Jimmy Osmond at a performance of Grease in London's West End.

The model and Austin Powers actress even confessed she had a life size poster of Jimmy stuck to her bedroom wall when she was nine.

Elizabeth Hurley mets her Teen Angel Jimmy Osmond

The pair looked cozy as they posed for photographs during their meeting, but both are apparently happily married.

The youngest Osmond is starring as Teen Angel in the smash-hit musical at the Piccadilly Theatre.

Liz had a life size poster of Jimmy on her bedroom wall as a child

Last year, Grease raised £500,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support and as a patron of the charity Liz accepted the cheque on its behalf.

Jimmy, who hit the stage last year with his family in a series of shows around Britain, is keeping busy with a run in Grease until the end of February and then a role as Billy Flynn in the touring production of Chicago.

Source: UK Daily Mail

Jimmy Launches Branch of CMN in the UK

Singer Jimmy Osmond has launched an international charity in the UK to raise money for children's hospitals.

The Children's Miracle Network (CMN) has already raised almost four billion dollars for children's hospitals around the world since it was founded by the Osmond family, along with actor John Schneider, in the 1980s.

The Network has now expanded to the UK, where it will work in partnership with financial services organisation Foresters to raise funds for 24 hospitals that specialise in child care.

Osmond, the former child star who had a UK number one in 1972 with Long Haired Lover From Liverpool, said: "The Osmond Family and John Schneider set up Children's Miracle Network more than 25 years ago with the dream of helping children in hospitals throughout the world. With our expansion into the UK, funded by our UK founding sponsor Foresters, we are another step closer to seeing that dream become a reality - helping support the fantastic work of children's hospitals in the UK in providing the best possible care, equipment, research and preventive education for children."

The CMN currently helps 170 children's hospitals in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the US, generating more than £100 million in funds last year.

In partnership with major corporations such as Disney and Microsoft, the Network holds annual fundraisers, including the Children's Miracle Network Celebration at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

At last year's event a host of stars turned out to perform, including the Jonas Brothers and Daniel Powter.

"Radiothons" with local radio stations are planned in the UK, three-day broadcast events designed to engage communities in fundraising campaigns for their local children's hospital.

The CMN has already raised more than £1 million for hospitals in Bristol, Cardiff and Edinburgh as well as Cork and Dublin. Osmond will be taking five British "champion" children who have benefited from the scheme to Disney World later this year to celebrate its success.

Osmond said: "It's a fun and worthwhile cause to be involved in and it's exciting when you actually see a child benefit from those efforts. There's no big administrative fees - we've never made a dime, none of the celebrities have, and that's unique, it's a true charity - 100% of the money raised goes to benefiting the kids, there's no silliness involved."

Source: Press Association

Jimmy Osmond and Emma Barton to Star in UK Chicago Tour

By: Dan Bacalzo · Jan 5, 2009 · London

Jimmy Osmond

Jimmy Osmond and Emma Barton will star as "Billy Flynn" and "Roxie Hart" respectively in the UK national tour of the Kander & Ebb musical, Chicago, from March 9-June 13. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

Chicago features a score by John Kander and the late Fred Ebb, including such hits as "All That Jazz," "Mister Cellophane," "Razzle Dazzle," and "Nowadays." The production is directed by Walter Bobbie with choreography by Ann Reinking. The production features scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting by Ken Billington, and sound by Rick Clarke. Musical supervision is by Rob Fisher.

Osmond is best remembered for his 1972 hit, "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool," which was released when he was just nine years old. He sang for many years with his siblings, who include Donny and Marie Osmond. As previously announced, he will be making his West End stage debut in Grease beginning January 19. Barton is best known for her role as 'Honey Mitchell' in BBC1's EastEnders. Previous stage credits include The Secret Garden, Victor/Victoria, and Grease.

Tour stops will include Bradford Alhambra, Princess Theatre Torquay, Sunderland Empire, Liverpool Empire, York Grand Opera House, New Theatre Oxford, Regent Theatre Stoke-on-Trent, Leicester De Montford Hall, Edinburgh Playhouse, Kings Theatre Southsea, and Birmingham Hippodrome.

For more information, visit www.chicagothemusical.com/uktour.php.

Did They Have Ball? You Bet They Did!

Northampton Chronicle and Echo
December 18, 2008

If it isn't already, then surely one of the great rites of passage for any parent and child should be their first trip to the panto together.

Derngate's production of Cinderella, which runs until January 11, left neither this reviewer nor his four-year-old Jack wanting on any count: It was truly fabulous from start to finish.

Cinderella is rightly billed as the greatest panto of them all and was actually the last one I saw, circa 1974, when I doubtless missed all the parent-oriented gags that peppered this one and help to make the traditional panto a great standalone entertainment for the adults too.

Jimmy Osmond revealed how this was his first ever stab at panto, but he was a tremendously assured presence on stage throughout. Warm and witty in the part of Buttons, he also had ladies of a certain vintage swooning in the aisles with a rendition of his trademark Long Haired Lover from Liverpool while a series of giant – and we mean giant – balloons were bounced around the auditorium.

The plotline was followed loyally, but there was plenty of contemporary humour along the way, mostly from an excellent pair of ugly sisters (Brian Godfrey was especially good) and a brilliant Baron Hardup, played by Peter Piper, whose repertoire included possibly the only gag doing the panto rounds about a lock-up in Bellinge, an amazing take-off of Basil Fawlty and a very bizarre scene involving a gorilla where the kids were left mesmerised. And a few parents confused too.

The stronger first half culminated in perhaps the best scene of the show with Cinders heading for the ball in a fantastic blaze of colour and a carriage pulled by two Shetland ponies. The second half was a riot of dance, colour and song and some really beautiful costumes – not least Cinderella (the excellent Danielle York) – and sets.

Our performance was only at the very start of a month-long run, but it was faultless and the cast had the audience utterly smitten by the end. And did Jack and his parents have a night to remember? Oh yes they did.

Cinderella runs at Derngate until Sunday, January 11. Call the box office on Northampton 624811 or book online at www.royalandderngate.co.uk
Richard Edmondson

My Secret Life: Jimmy Osmond

Singer & panto star, 45

Interview by Charlotte Philby
Saturday, 20 December 2008

Jimmy Osmond is playing Buttons in Cinderella at Northampton's Royal and Derngate theatre

The home I grew up in ... was a string of hotel rooms across the world. I was touring with The Osmonds from a very young age so I don't remember my first home, which was somewhere in Los Angeles. I grew up on the road, moving between cities with my parents and my brothers and sisters.

The moment that changed me for ever ... puberty, for obvious reasons.

My greatest inspiration ... my mother, Olive.

If I could change one thing about myself ... I'd be more fit than I am now, but it's hard finding time to get down to the gym.

At night I dream of ... happy things. Luckily, I don't have to deal with nightmares.

What I see when I look in the mirror is ... Buttons, as in the character, not the fastening device! For the next month I will be Cinderella's father's servant, so not just plain old Jimmy Osmond this Christmas.

My style icon ... The legendary Gianni Versace. I've been a fan of his cloth es since his first store opened in 1978, and the man himself had impeccable style.

My real-life villain ... I would have to say myself. I don't think it's fair to blame others.

I wish I'd never worn ... flares, which I wore a lot of. But then I was born in the Sixties so I had very little chance of avoiding them.

It's not fashionable but I like ... panto. Ooooh yes I do!

I drive ... a black Porsche Carrera S4.

The shop I can't walk past ... The Apple Store, which can work out to be rather expensive because there is always something new to buy once I'm inside.

The best invention ever ... The telephone. I've always been a great traveller, so I depend on the phone to keep in touch with people back home.

My favourite item of clothing ... I have an old black cagoule, which I bought in the UK years ago. I wear it all the time because it's so comfortable, and it reminds me of happy times.

You wouldn't know it but I'm very good at ... drawing cartoons.

You may not know it but I'm no good at ... playing the piano, but luckily we had Donny to fill that spot when we were young.

All my money goes on ... building my new home in Utah, which is where a lot of my family come from and still live now.

If I have time to myself ... I catch up on a few hours of long overdue sleep.

My house is ... still under construction but it will be really beautiful when it's completed. But I spend a lot of my time travelling, so in reality, home becomes wherever it is that me and my family happen to be at any given moment, which could be a lot of different places. It's quite confusing.

My most valuable possession is ... my wife Michele, and our four precious children: Sophia Michele, Zachary James, Arthur Wyatt and Isabella Olive Renee. I hate being without them for a single moment.

My favourite building ... is the Salt Lake City temple. It's a beautiful place and means a lot to me as it's where I married my bride.

Movie heaven ... James Bond, all of them played one after the other.

A book that changed me ... The Bible, which was read to me at a young age.

My favourite work of art ... 'Sitting Ducks' by Michael Bedard, from the charming children's storybook about an unlikely friendship between a duckling and an alligator.

The last album I bought/downloaded ...The soundtrack to the film version of Chicago, with Catherine Zeta Jones, Richard Gere and Renée Zellweger. It's filled with classics from the original musical, like "Razzle Dazzle".

In 10 years' time, I hope to be ... still working and doing new things. I don't like doing nothin g, I am a do-er in every sense.

The person who really makes me laugh ... My good friend, the born entertainer and full-time Yorkshireman, Billy Pearce, with whom I co-starred in 'Boogie Nights – The Musical' in Blackpool four years ago.

My life in seven words ... Crazy, fun, hard work – and worth it!

A LIFE IN BRIEF

The youngest member of the musical sensation The Osmonds, Jimmy was born in California in 1963 and remains the youngest performer to have a No 1 single in the UK singles chart, with his 1972 hit 'Long Haired Lover from Liverpool' (he was just nine). A devout Mormon, he lives in Utah with his wife and their four young children. Jimmy Osmond is playing Buttons in 'Cinderella' – this year's Christmas pantomime at Northampton's Royal and Derngate theatre, running until 11 January 2009.

Panto star Jimmy Osmond visits sick children

Northampton Chronicle & Echo
Published Date: 17 December 2008

Crazy horses couldn't stop panto star Jimmy Osmond from bringing a little festive cheer to Northampton General Hospital's children's ward.
Seventies pop sensation Jimmy, who plays Buttons in this year's production of Cinderella at Derngate, was joined by his leading lady Danielle York.

The pair toured the ward chatting to parents and staff and helping youngsters with their drawing skills.

Visit Northampton Chronicle & Echo for more photos and video.

Jimmy Osmond Shortens Grease Run by Two Weeks

What's on Stage
Date: 17 December 2008

Seventies pop star Jimmy Osmond (pictured) has reduced by a fortnight his scheduled new year run in Grease (See News, 4 Feb 2008). The American makes his West End debut in the production at the Piccadilly Theatre on 19 January 2009 and had been due to continue for two months until 14 March. He will now finish on 28 February.

The youngest sibling from the family group of singers The Osmonds, Jimmy Osmond is best remembered for his 1972 hit, “Long Haired Lover from Liverpool”, which was released when he was just nine years old. He remains the youngest performer to have a No 1 single in the UK charts. In Grease, he’ll play Teen Angel, who sings “Beauty School Dropout”.

The current cast is led by Danny Bayne, winner of last year’s Grease Is the Word competition on ITV, as Danny Zuko and Nicola Brazil as Sandy. Grease is directed by David Gilmore, choreographed by Arlene Phillips, and produced by Grease Is the Word judge David Ian and Paul Nicholas, by arrangement with Robert Stigwood.

Grease has book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. It’s now-famous songs include “Summer Nights”, “Look at Me I’m Sandra Dee”, “We Go Together”, “Hopelessly Devoted to You”, “Beauty School Dropout”, “You’re the One That I Want”, “Greased Lightnin’” and “Grease Is the Word”.

The 1972 Broadway musical was immortalised by the 1979 film version, in which John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John played Danny and Sandy. The musical originally ran for six years in the West End, first at the Dominion and then at the Cambridge Theatre, returning to London for a short run back at the Dominion in 2001 and at the Victoria Palace in 2002/3. In between, it has toured the UK extensively, produced since 1993 by Ian.

This production celebrates its 15th anniversary in the West End this year, having originally opened at the Dominion on 15 July 1993, with a cast led by Craig McLachlan as Danny, Debbie Gibson as Sandy and Shane Ritchie as Kenickie. Following Grease Is the Word, the musical returned last summer, opening on 8 August 2007 (previews from 25 July) at the Piccadilly, where it’s been seen by more than 250,000 people.

- by Terri Paddock