Wayne Osmond, of the Family Music Group The Osmonds, Passes Away at the Age of 73
"My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave as an even greater saint than he came in."
Published Jan. 2 2025, 4:49 p.m. ET
In a talented family of nine kids, it's kind of hard to stand out. Enter The Osmonds, who were part of a strange family band movement that they very well may have kicked off. When The Osmonds first started, the four original members were a barbershop quartet made up of Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay. It wasn't until Donny joined that they shifted to a more rock and roll sound.
Their songs were always influenced by their religious upbringing. The Osmonds were born and raised in Ogden, Utah, and were members of the Mormon church. The barbershop quartet was actually a way for the siblings to raise money for the church. Of the four original members, three are still with us. Sadly, Wayne Osmond passed away in January 2025. Here's what we know about his cause of death.
Here's what we know about Wayne Osmond's cause of death.
Merrill announced Wayne's death in a moving Facebook post to his page. In it, he revealed that his older brother suffered a stroke. "I immediately drove to the hospital in SLC [Salt Lake City] to see him and I was able to say my goodbyes," he said. "My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave as an even greater saint than he came in."
He went on to say that Wayne was humble, guileless, quick to forgive, and had the "ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met." Pulling from his faith, Merrill wrote that although his brother's death is sad for him, he knows that the people waiting for him on the other side will be ready to celebrate Wayne's arrival. 
Wayne had struggled with health issues for most of his life. As a child, he had a brain tumor which caused cognitive issues later in life, per Coping With Cancer Magazine. When he was on tour with his brothers in 1994, things got worse. That's when he was diagnosed with "ependymoma, a childhood cancer that is very fatal for kids." After surgery and six weeks of radiation, Wayne's cancer was gone.
After that, Wayne was particularly grateful to his wife. "The greatest part of all this is that I’ve become even closer with my sweetheart, Kathy," he said. "She’s an absolute angel. I’m a very, very blessed man. That’s what I am."