Wayne Osmond, a founding member of the family band The Osmonds, which had a string of hits in the 1970s, has died aged 73.

Wayne was a singer and guitarist and co-wrote many of their biggest hits, including Crazy Horses, Goin’ Home and Let Me In.

“Wayne brought so much light, laughter and love to everyone who knew him, especially me.” wrote Brother Donny. “He was the ultimate optimist and loved by everyone.”

Merrill Osmond called his late brother “a genius in his ability to write music” who “could capture the hearts of millions and bring them closer to God.”

He continued: “I have never known a man who had more humility. A man who had absolutely no guile. A person who was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met.”

Merrill and Donny said the cause of death was a stroke.

Wayne was born in Ogden, Utah in August 1951. He was the fourth oldest of nine children and grew up in a Mormon household.

As a child, he began performing in a barbershop quartet with his siblings Alan, Merrill and Jay.

From 1961 onwards, the harmonizing brothers performed regularly at Disneyland in Florida. A year later they made their television debut on The Andy Williams Show.

They quickly became regulars on the show and were nicknamed the “One-Take Osmonds” due to their flawless, tirelessly rehearsed performances.

Younger brother Donny joined the band in 1963 and they began to expand their repertoire to include straight pop songs.

Their first singles were a flop, but after the success of the Jackson 5 showed that family pop could be a commercial success, MGM Records signed the band and sent them to work at the famous R&B studio Muscle Shoals.

There they got a song called One Bad Apple (Don’t Spoil the Whole Bunch), which was originally written for the Jacksons but was rejected by their record company.

The cheeky, bubbly and upbeat song spent five weeks at the top of the US singles chart in 1971, establishing the band on the charts a decade after their professional debut.

For a time, the siblings created the same feverish excitement as the Beatles.

When the band flew into Heathrow Airport in 1973, 10,000 teenage fans crowded the roof gardens of a nearby office building to watch their arrival. Part of the balcony railing and wall collapsed amid the crowd, slightly injuring 18 women.

As she left, hundreds of fans crowded her limousine. A New York Times reporter said: “They were lucky to get out alive” as the Guardian said the scenes almost led to a ban about pop groups entering the UK via Heathrow.

But pop is a fickle industry, and the Osmonds’ record sales began to decline in the mid-1970s.

At the same time, Donny and Marie Osmond were offered their own TV variety show, which was a huge hit in the US and broadcast on BBC One in the UK.

As a result, the band went on hiatus and eventually disbanded in 1980, although they regularly reformed for carnivals and reunion tours over the coming decades.

Wayne Osmond suffered from a number of health problems throughout his life. As a child, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor that caused cognitive problems.

In 1994 he noticed that the condition was worsening.

“I realized I couldn’t play my saxophone anymore because my head started pounding.” he later recalled. “And when I stood on stage, my knees fell out. This all started within a week.”

The subsequent surgery and associated cancer treatments resulted in significant hearing loss that lasted for the rest of his life. He also suffered a stroke in 2012.

In 2019, the musician accompanied his siblings Alan, Merrill and Jay on their final appearance on the TV show The Talk.

The original quartet performed in front of a screen showing a montage of their career highlights and performed a song called “The Last Chapter,” which they wrote as a thank you to their fans.

Sister Marie, who hosted the show, joined them afterwards to pay her respects and said: “It is a great honor to be your sister. I love you. You’ve worked so hard. Enjoy your retirement.”

Wayne spent his retirement pursuing hobbies such as fly fishing and spending time with his family. He remained optimistic, telling Utah’s Desert News that the hearing loss didn’t bother him.

“What I like most now is taking care of my garden.” he said. “I turn off my hearing aids, numb as a doorknob, turn everything off, it’s really enjoyable.”

He is survived by his wife Kathlyn and five children, Amy, Steven, Gregory, Sarah and Michelle.

He is also survived by his eight siblings: Virl, Tom, Alan, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie and Jimmy.