A Night to Remember

Well I am sitting here just bawling. I am watching Oprah and all the Osmonds are on. All of em’ and there are over 100. What a trip back in time … I LOVED Donny and Marie sooooo much. I had Donny’s posters all over my bedroom. My little record player played his 45s all the time especially “Puppy Love.” When Marie’s first song “Paper Roses” came out I thought she was so beautiful. When Donny & Marie got their own variety show, I NEVER missed an episode …

Their Dad George passed away a day ago. I met him. I can hardly type this. I WILL NEVER EVER EVER EVER forget the night I met George Osmond, his wife Olive and ALL the kids including Donny and Marie. Little Jimmy had JUST started singing with his big brothers and went on to sing two songs at the very end of the concert. He was so young at that time, probably around six or seven.

Anyway like most all the bands, concerts, circus, car shows, wrestling, etc. that was held at our Civic Auditorium, Dad was security. He always took me backstage to meet the bands and then took me out front where I could stand right in front of the stage to watch the concert …

The night I meet Donny and Marie, I wore a new velvet purple dress. Purple is Donny’s favorite color. I went with my Dad, my Grandma Rose and my Grandpa Bud. Grandma and Grandpa were working in the concession stands at the auditorium (when I got older I joined Gram and Grandpa working in the concession stand with them). Those were fun fun times … but back to the story …

Marie and I became fast friends. She had not started singing yet. We were both ten at the time. I asked her if she could spend the night. Her Mom said “No,” but in a very nice way. Marie asked if I wanted to stay at the hotel with her … That never happened. By the end of the night we were both tired and I floated out of there on a cloud never even remembering her invitation …

Anyway I was backstage talking with all the Osmonds. There was a rope and a thick velvet curtain closing off the backstage area. I slipped through the curtain without telling Dad who was backstage with me … I walked up to the table just outside the curtain to grab a poster of the Osmond Brothers that was being sold.