Nov. 21 2009 - 3:11 pm | 94 views | 0 recommendations | 2 comments

6 Reasons to love Donny Osmond

By MARJIE KILLEEN

I’m thrilled that Donny Osmond made the final round on Dancing with the Stars. The man might not be the best dancer, but he’s a great entertainer and he’s got a helluva lot more charisma than the other finalists, Kelly Osborne and Mya. Of course I’m biased. I’ve been a Donny fan since I was a little girl, poring over the pages of Tigerbeat Magazine, lifting the needle of my record player to play “Go Away Little Girl” over and over again. In 1971, Donny introduced many girls, including 8 year-old me, to the idea of longing and heartache.

Donny Osmond back when I puppy loved him

But even if you weren’t alive in the early ’70s or were way too cool to appreciate his teen idol status, here are six good reasons to love Donny Osmond today.

1. He has improved with age. Basically, Donny has grown into his teeth and turned into one fine looking man. Women in Chicago particularly appreciated him in the mid-90s during his long running “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” gig. My friend Kimberly said:

“I thought he was so dorky. I had mixed expectations when we went to see him starring in Joseph. And, to my surprise, he was pretty cool, and decidedly hot.”

My friend Wendy sums it up like this, “he looked good without a shirt.”

Despite maintaining a squeaky-clean image, Donny exudes sex appeal. And at his age (51) the importance of a full head of hair cannot be underrated. You still got it Donny!

2. Donny is funny. I love a man who doesn’t take himself seriously, and Donny isn’t afraid to make fun of himself. You only had to see him dance the 80’s style Paso Doble with partner Kym Johnson dressed as Adam Ant to know that the guy is completely secure in his masculinity. And check out his hilarious cameo in Wierd Al’s “White and Nerdy” below.

3. He’s totally talented. Donny sings, he dances, he does comedy, he has a Vegas act, he’s a record producer, he races cars. Over the decades, he’s found surprising ways to stay relevant – as a “mystery artist” in 1989 releasing the hit single Soldier of Love, as the studly singing voice of Shang in Disney’s 1998 Mulan, and now as a finalist on Dancing with the Stars. He may be famously unhip, but the guy has chops – and resilience.

4. Dedicated Family Man Donny has been married to his wife Debbie for over 30 years, and together they’ve raised five sons. Donny even has a couple grandchildren (although I try not to focus on that too much. I’m still too young to equate grandparenting with hotness.) Even though he’s travelled the world as an entertainer, his commitment to his family is no act. My friend Emily gives this eyewitness acount:

I checked him into the Four Seasons when I worked there! He was SO sweet…his wife called him to give an update on his kids. He apologized to me for taking the cellphone call and then told me his kids are his life. SO sweet!

And you’ve got to be a good guy if you still want to hang out with your sister after all these years. Donny and Marie Osmond have a Vegas act that will run into 2012.

5. Faces his Fears You might be suprised that such a prolific performer as Donny Osmond has grappled with crippling stage fright . His condition, diagnosed as Social Anxiety Disorder, got so bad during his Joseph run, he had to turn to therapy.

6. Local Connection If you don’t live in Wilmette, you may not care about this one, but when Donny was performing in Joseph in the mid-90’s he and his family chose to live right here. He liked to hang out at local joints like Walker Brothers Pancake House and take walks along Gilson beach. Unfortunately, I didn’t move to town until 1997, and by that time, the Osmonds had moved on. Here’s what my realtor friend, Pam, had to say when their house went on the market:

His Wilmette house sold in a day, it was walking distance to their church on Lake. We Realtors lined up to see it, white everything…pristine!! It sold In the $480,000-range at full price…so yeah that was years ago!