David Osmond paid tribute to his father, Alan Osmond, and reflected on their shared multiple sclerosis diagnosis following the singer’s death at 76.
“He was my buddy, and I shared so much in common with him,” the “American Idol” alum penned in a touching Instagram tribute on Tuesday. “The love of music, yes, but strangely, we even shared the same diagnosis of MS. We knew each other’s frustrations in that, without even saying a word.”
David added, “Just a long hug, and we understood each other in a rare and beautifully unique way.”
The musician expressed that Alan led by example — battling the disease “with resilience and determination,” teaching him to “never EVER [give] up” and “encouraging [him] to do the same.”
Alan was first diagnosed with MS in 1987 after being unable to raise his right hand while on stage.
The artist refused to be defined by the condition — living by the motto, “I may have MS, but MS does not have me!”
David — who is one of eight children Alan shared with his wife, Suzanne Pinegar — received his MS diagnosis in 2005.
In his Instagram post, the motivational speaker went on to acknowledge that he is still ” trying to process” Alan’s passing.
“It’s hard to put into words what a life like his really means. He wasn’t just my father,” David continued. “He was an immense example of strength, of kindness, of how to treat people, and how to show up when it matters most.”
David explained that, looking back, all the little moments with his father now “mean everything.”
The Osmonds 2nd Generation founder concluded his message, “My heart is broken, but it’s also full of immense gratitude. Grief for the tragic loss of his physical presence, but joy in the knowledge that he is now free. I love you, Daddy-O! Thank you for everything.”
David also included a series of throwback photos of himself and Alan over the years.
Alan died on April 20 at 8:30 p.m. local time with his wife, Suzanne Pinegar, and children by his side. However, his cause of death has yet to be revealed.
Alan rose to fame when he and three of his brothers — Wayne, who died in 2025 at age 73, Merrill, 72, and Jay, 71 — formed the barbershop quartet The Osmond Brothers in 1958.
The group later became known as The Osmonds when they were joined by their youngest brothers, Donny, 68, and Jimmy, 63.
Though their 66-year-old sister, Marie, also joined them for a few featured songs, she mainly found success as a solo singer and actress.
Following Alan’s death, his siblings shared a series of memories about their brother on social media.
“As his only sister, I know I had a different relationship with him than he had with his brothers, and I must say I loved that!
He was always very protective of me (not so sure I love that one)
but he was always there if I needed him!” Marie wrote on Instagram.
Donny, meanwhile, took to the platform to post a pic of Alan holding him as a baby.
“Even back then, you can see that he had his arm around me, watching over me. That’s who he was. My protector. My guide. The one who quietly carried so much responsibility so the rest of us could shine,” he captioned the image.
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