Introduction
From Songs to Miracles: The Inspiring Origins of the Osmond Brothers
The story of the Osmond Brothers begins not with fame or music—but with a mother’s love and an unshakable sense of purpose. George and Olive Osmond were advised by doctors to institutionalize their first two sons, Tom and Virl, who were born with severe hearing loss. But Olive refused. Instead, she chose faith, perseverance, and action.
With little money and limited resources, the family took matters into their own hands. At home, Olive dedicated herself to speech therapy sessions with Tom and Virl, turning the top floor of their house into a small classroom. Meanwhile, the younger Osmond siblings, still just children, found a way to help. They began performing songs in public—barbershop harmonies that drew crowds and pocket change. That spare change was carefully saved to buy hearing aids for their older brothers.
What began as a grassroots effort quickly grew into something far greater. Olive dreamed of creating a foundation—not just to support her own children, but to help other families facing similar struggles. That dream became the Osmond Foundation, which eventually evolved into the Children’s Miracle Network, with Marie Osmond taking a leading role.
Since its first telethon in 1983—broadcast from the Osmond Studios—the Children’s Miracle Network has raised more than $7 billion to support children’s hospitals and medical care across the country.
This powerful journey, rooted in family love and the desire to help others, is the true origin of the Osmond Brothers. Their music was a means to a mission—proof that from small beginnings, extraordinary legacies can grow. As Donny Osmond reflected, “We wanted to make a difference… and maybe we did.”