David Osmond Learns Gratitude, Hope While Battling MS

David Osmond was born into a family of musicians. He is the son of Alan, the oldest of the Osmond brothers. At the young age of four, he became lead singer of The Osmond Brothers Second Generation, discovered along with his brothers by the late Bob Hope. Later David replaced his uncle Donny in the role of Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

David Osmond was born into a family of musicians. He is the son of Alan, the oldest of the Osmond brothers. At the young age of four, he became lead singer of The Osmond Brothers Second Generation, discovered along with his brothers by the late Bob Hope. Later David replaced his uncle Donny in the role of Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

He has only had to put his music aside twice. Once was during the two years he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Madrid, Spain. The second was when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

“The music is in my blood,” David recently said. “It was taken away from me for a while, and I quickly learned that life is a miracle.”

David was diagnosed with MS when he was dating Valerie, who is now his wife. The doctors also told him that he had been bitten by a mosquito that had infected him with the West Nile virus and had been the trigger that caused MS. David knew exactly what that meant, since his father had been dealing with MS for 23 years. By the time David proposed to Valerie, he was already in a wheelchair.

When David compared his experience of MS with his dad’s, “the symptoms were so different. Mine were much more extreme, and I lost the use of pretty much everything in such a fast pace, including my hands and my voice, therefore, losing the ability to write and sing.”

“But,” he added, “having such a supporting, loving family, and knowing who I am, has propelled me to enjoy the journey, and it has been a miracle.”

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David has been dealing with MS for the last five years, but that hasn’t stopped him from moving ahead. He is the proud father of a 15-month-old baby girl, and he just released his first solo inspirational album, The Road Less Traveled.

He described this album as a collection of different experiences that most people go through in life. His songs speak of forgiveness, redemption, faith, hope, and pain. He said that the lyrics speak to him and hopes that they will also speak to those who listen to his songs.

David hopes his audience will listen for the messages of struggle and power of overcoming and that this will compel them to do good and follow their dreams. These songs are a mix of those moments of spiritual search and finding – the holy ground everyone looks for and those values that have been lost throughout the years. His album includes songs like “Good Girl,” “Holy Ground,” “Speak,” “Waiting,” and “Chains.”

David expresses the joy of being alive by writing lyrics that send that hopeful message. He says that he wants his music to inspire people to do good things, not just feel good when listening, but actually serve as a calling to act and connect with each other and the Creator.

“We are all in this together,” he said, explaining that sometimes life’s greatest blessings come through challenges and pain.

In the rough years since his diagnosis, David has not let pain and illness set him back from what he wants to accomplish. His gift as a singer, he said, has given him the opportunity to share that “life is a quick journey.” He has learned to “enjoy every day and capture every single moment, because every second counts.” Adversity has reminded him that this life is just a stepping stone.

One of David’s greatest inspirations in reaching his current state of peace is his dad, Alan. He has taught David that “pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.”

David’s message to everyone is to remember that there’s only one life to live and to live it well, “you have only one small moment on this earth, but what a great moment that is.”

“I don’t want to sound preachy at all,” he added, “but let’s make it count and support each other as brothers and sisters that we are.”

David’s album can be found at www.davidosmond.com and deseretbook.com.