Wayne Osmond, one of the original members of the Osmond siblings’ singing group, died Wednesday in Salt Lake City. He was 73.

Merrill Osmond, one of Wayne Osmond’s brothers, shared on Facebook that Wayne had suffered a massive stroke and that he was able to drive to the hospital in Salt Lake to say goodbye before he died.

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In a statement, his family wrote: “Wayne Osmond, beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his loving wife and five children. His legacy of faith, music, love and laughter has influenced the lives of many people around the world. He wants everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families last forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him very much.”

Wayne Osmond, known for his baritone voice, first appeared with his siblings Alan, Merrill and Jay as the Osmond Brothers when they performed at their LDS church in Ogden, Utah, then evolved into the secular circuit as a barbershop quartet. After being discovered singing at Disneyland, they made their television debut on The Andy Williams Show in 1962 and eventually became series regulars.

When younger brother Donny joined in 1970, the quartet became a quintet and the name was changed to simply “The Osmonds”. This change made it easier when Sister Marie later became a member along with the youngest member, Jimmy. Donny and Marie eventually became a spin-off act as a duo, and Jimmy also performed as a solo artist, while the Osmond Brothers returned to working under their original name and quartet format beginning in the 1980s. Wayne remained with the group until 2007.

In the early 1970s, when Donny was in the group, the Osmonds had five gold albums, one of which, 1972’s “Phase III,” reached the Top 10 on the Billboard 200. They also had a number of hit singles starting with “One”. “Bad Apple,” which reached No. 1 in 1970. “Yo-Yo,” “Down by the Lazy River” and “Love Me for a Reason” also reached the top 10 on the Hot 100. The last time the group charted on the Hot 100 was in 1976, but after that the brothers had a spate of Nashville crossover success, with singles hitting the country charts 1982-86.

In 2004, Wayne did an interview with Coping With Cancer magazine in which he spoke candidly about health problems he had had up to that point, including having a brain tumor as a child. At the time, he was celebrating his 10th anniversary as a cancer survivor after reportedly suffering a recurrence of his childhood cancer, which was eventually diagnosed as ependymoma, “a childhood cancer that is very fatal to children.” He was not intimidated during the treatment and said: “I resumed performing six months after the diagnosis. I wore my cowboy hat on stage because all my hair had fallen out from the radiation. But after a while it grew again.”

“The best thing about it is that I have become even closer to my love, Kathy,” Wayne said of his wife in a 2004 interview. “She is an absolute angel. I am a very, very blessed man. That’s what I am. …I became enlightened. And now I look back and think: I’m glad I have cancer. Isn’t that something? It really opened my eyes. This made me realize that life really matters. And I’m only 52 years old – I hope I live to be 52!”

However, there were further health problems as Wayne lost almost all of his hearing as a result of cancer treatment and suffered a serious stroke in 2012.

Jay Osmond, one of Wayne Osmond’s siblings, shared a heartfelt tribute to his brother on Facebook. He wrote: “A true legend has left the earth. I am deeply saddened by the loss of my brother Wayne. It is said that where there is great love, there is also great sorrow when we part on our earthly journey. Throughout my life, I have always felt the most connected to Wayne of all my siblings. He was my roommate and my confidant over the decades.”

Merrill wrote in his own post: “When I learned that my dear brother Wayne had suffered a severe stroke, my first reaction was to fall to my knees and pray for him to be assured that his mission had been accomplished , and that he had succeeded in this.” Strive in many ways. I immediately went to the hospital in SLC to see him and was able to say goodbye…

“My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave an even greater saint than when he came in,” Merrill continued. “I have never known a man who had more humility. A man without any guile. A person who was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met. His departure from this earth will be a sad moment for some, but for those who wait for him on the other side, there will be a tremendous celebration beyond anything we can imagine… I am so grateful, “To be raised with a celestial father’s greatest sons.”

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