EPHRAIM — Merrill Osmond remembers a time early in his career when he was talking with Elvis Presley. Elvis talked about how the kids who used to come see him were now bringing their kids to his concerts.
"Entertainment's an amazing business, the way it goes through generations," Osmond said during an interview at his Ephraim home.
At the time, he says, that seemed strange to think about, "but that's exactly what is happening to us now."
For 46 years, Osmond has been performing with his equally famous brothers and sister — Jay, Alan, Wayne, Donny, Jimmy and Marie. They've sold more than 70 million records and had four No. 1 hits on the Billboard charts. In addition, he produced TV's "Donny & Marie Show" for three years and has produced other pageants and special events, including "The Children's Miracle Network" telethons.
The family also has a theater in Branson, Mo., where, for the past decade, they have continued to perform.
In February, Merrill Osmond toured England. It was originally supposed to be a brothers' tour, but it became his first solo tour when Jay decided to retire and Alan was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
So, Osmond said, you had this old guy with gray hair and beard, dressed in black leather, singing the songs the brothers used to sing together — and the fans were just as crazy as they were back in the '70s. "For some reason, we always were very popular in England."
Over the years, Osmond has seen his share of fame and adulation. But if you spend any time talking with him, or if you read his autobiography — "Let The Reason Be Love: A Song of Faith," written with Janice Barrett Graham — you quickly realize that fame is not what it is all about.
"I've always kept journals," Osmond said of the book. "I like writing about the things I see, feel, hear." He had started and stopped writing a book several times over the past decade, and then he ran into Graham, a free-lance writer from Pleasant Grove, and it all came together.
The book contains excerpts from his journals, as well as anecdotes and experiences from his life. But above all, he said, it is a testament of God's love and the role it has played in his life.
"I'm a firm believer in the no-accident theory," he said. "I believe all things happen for a reason."
The story of the Osmonds' career has been well-documented: the young boys who demonstrated a special knack for singing harmony, the almost military discipline and structure of their lives, the first appearance on Andy Williams' TV show, the hit records, the frenzied crowds, the rise and fall of their finances.
That's not the main story Osmond wants to tell, although it is certainly part of it. What he really wants people to know is that, while he's had his struggles, just like everyone else, he's also had faith and family to help him every step of the way. "My unusual life in the entertainment business has stretched me beyond my capacity all along the way."
Osmond's own particular challenge was with depression, which went undiagnosed for many years, and at one point almost drove him to take his own life. But the fact that he is here now, talking about it, means "it hasn't got me yet." And he hopes that talking about it openly and honestly will help other people deal with it.
"Ninety percent of people struggle with clouds of despair," he said. Not all are clinically depressed, "but I know where they are coming from. I know that when you are depressed, all you see are clouds. You don't see the light at all."
Osmond said he has been on medication for years, and it has helped. "But I've also learned I have to go deep within myself to understand the process better. I still have clouds, but now I understand why they are there. And that's why I can keep going. That's why I tell people, you, too, can make it through."
And, he said, his family has been there for him. "When you start entertaining at age 4, you're not sure what you're doing. But I have to hand it to my parents. They created an environment in which we could succeed." Their father was an army sergeant, and the discipline of that life carried over into his orchestrating the career of his children.
It was hard at times, said Osmond, "but I don't know how we could have done half of what we did without that structure. But I also learned from Mom. I watched her in moments of great courage."
One thing he has learned is that "there's a reason why we all suffer our own stuff. We all have opportunities to grow through adversity."
And one thing he believes is this: "It's all part of a plan. We'll see at the end of the game where we came from."
When he's not working in Branson or touring or working or speaking somewhere else, home for Osmond and his wife is Ephraim. Their kids all went to Snow College (they have seven, including an adopted daughter), and some of the married kids still live in the area. Plus, he said, "I'm learning to be a pilot. I'd like to get a plane, and then I could land it in the back yard." That would cut down on a lot of travel time."
But he likes the small town. He likes living in a place "where I've gone from being an Osmond Brother to being Brother Osmond."
The Osmonds originally began entertaining "to raise money to send the boys on (LDS) missions." As it turned out, he said, they became missionaries in another sense, because despite the fact that they sometimes were ridiculed for their squeaky-clean image, they remained true to their values and standards. And for the most part, he said, fellow entertainers respected those standards.
He remembers one tour in England when they the papers reported a comment by Ringo Starr, saying he didn't like the Osmonds. "Two days later there was a comment by Paul McCartney knocking Ringo for knocking us. I met Paul later, and he was very complimentary to us."
Of course, after all these years, he said with a laugh, "I've met practically everyone in the industry." Especially while he was producing the "Donny & Marie Show" He met people from all parts of the entertainment world. But he's always felt able to stay grounded. "My ego was crushed early on."
He credits his parents for creating a sense of oneness in the family. "A lot of people think there was jealousy in the family, but there wasn't. It didn't matter to us who was out front as long as it was an Osmond."
Look at another family who was popular at the same time the Osmonds were, he said. "Look at what the Jacksons have gone through. Jermaine Jackson and I are very close, and we sometimes talk about our parents, our upbringing. We both had structure — but I think maybe we just had a deeper understanding of why we were doing what we were doing."
It's not always easy, Osmond said. He admits that "success does something to your mind. Success and applause do things to your ego." But he's also come to realize that fame is fleeting, success is fickle. "In this business you're only as good as your last record. You have to constantly come up with new ideas, re-invent yourself."
And there have been the well-publicized financial troubles. The family lost millions through bad advice and bad investments, he said. "We've lived through times when the bubble's broken. And we had to go out on our own and start over."
That's what life's all about, he said. "You've got to go through mistakes and struggles or you won't know what joy is."
And, although he's received many awards and much acclaim, including being named one of America's Outstanding Young Men, and although he's recently signed a new record deal and plans to release a new CD and DVD of new songs, and although he plans to continue to work and pursue an entertainment career — when it's all said and done, what he would most like to be remembered for is "being a good husband, being a good father, being a man of faith.
"We are all here for a reason," he said. So why not "let that reason be love?"
E-mail: carma@desnews.com