Introduction
In the summer of 1971, thirteen-year-old Donny Osmond—a rising teen idol and key member of the family ensemble The Osmonds—released a cover of “Go Away Little Girl”, originally penned by the legendary songwriting duo Gerry Goffin and Carole King.
The song was issued as a single on July 31, 1971, under the MGM label, featuring on Donny’s second studio album, To You with Love, Donny, which arrived in October of that year . “Go Away Little Girl” swiftly climbed the charts and secured the No. 1 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 beginning the week of September 11, 1971, where it remained for three consecutive weeks (.
This marked Osmond’s first No. 1 hit as a solo artist (and his second overall, following “One Bad Apple” earlier that same year with The Osmonds) . The song also earned Gold certification from the RIAA on October 13, 1971 .
The track’s triumph is especially noteworthy as one of only nine songs to reach No. 1 in the U.S. by two different artists—the earlier being Steve Lawrence in January 1963—underscoring its timeless appeal .
Donny’s rendition exemplified the bubblegum-pop and blue-eyed soul sound that defined his early solo work, positioning him as a bona fide teen sensation throughout the early 1970s .