Winner of Season 9 – Donny Osmond

Donald Clark “Donny” Osmond (born December 9, 1957) is an American singer, musician, actor and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk show and game show host, record producer, race car driver, and author. In the mid 1960s. he and his four elder brothers gained fame as the “Osmond Brothers” on the long running variety hour, the “Andy Williams Show”. Donnie went solo in the early 1970s covering such hits as “Go Away Little Girl” and “Puppy Love”. In 1978 he became known for being half of the brother-sister singing duet Donny & Marie, with a four year variety series of their own on ABC. Between a highly successful teen career in the 1970s and a rebirth in the 1990s, the singer/ actor’s career was stymied in the 1980s, by what some have called a, “boy scout image”. Osmond stated on the May 01, 2009 “Larry King Live” show, that Michael Jackson once suggested that Osmond change his name. Osmond’s agent even suggested that spreading false rumors about drug arrest charges might boost his career. In 1989, Osmond had two chart-topping recordings, the first of which was being credited to a “mystery artist”. From 1992-1997 he played Joseph in the Toronto production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Creator Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, impressed by Osmond’s talents and the show’s long run, chose Osmond to do the 1999 film version (which also starred Sir Richard Attenborough as Jacob). On November 24, 2009, two weeks shy of his 52nd birthday, Osmond was crowned Dancing with the Stars season nine champion.

Dancing with the Stars

Osmond and professional Kym Johnson were paired for the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars; he participated in the show to prove he was a better dancer than his sister. It was very difficult for him to manage to get to rehearsals and host his show in Las Vegas with sister Marie. For the first week, the two were assigned to dance a Foxtrot and a 30-second Salsa. His Foxtrot was said to be “too theatrical” and was scored 20/30 from the judges. He however managed to maintain a good score when his Salsa scored 10 points and was safe that week. He danced a Jive the following week which was guest judged by Baz Luhrman. He scored 25 and was scored 2nd place, called first to be safe. That following week he danced a Rumba and scored 21 however after his comments he “attacked” judge Bruno Tonioli who is openly homosexual. The following week introduced 4 new dances including the Charleston which he danced and scored 24. That following week, the two danced an Argentine Tango which scored 29/30, the highest scored dance to date until it was beaten by then leader topping scorer and future runner-up Mýa and her 70′s-themed Samba. He had also received that week’s encore. Following that week, Osmond and Johnson danced a train-station themed Jitterbug and was scored a 24. He then danced a Mambo against all couples and was eliminated 6th receiving 7 points for a total of 31/40. The following week, he danced a Quickstep which he quotes “was one of the worst moments of my life” and scored 24 and a Team Tango along with Joanna Krupa and Kelly Osbourne and received 28/30 and the encore. In the 8th week of competition, Osmond was required to dance a Ballroom and decade-themed Latin dance. His Ballroom Viennese Waltz received 26 but his 1980′s themed Paso Doble received 24 being quoted by judge Len Goodman as “the most scariest, bizarre Paso Doble we’ve ever seen” being awarded last place on the judges’s leaderboard for the first time. Following that week, he danced a Tango and got advice from past runner-up Gilles Marini. He got tangled in Johnson’s dress and received 21 and saying the cause was that “I saw Marie”. He then danced a Samba to a song by him and his brothers called “One Bad Apple” receiving 26 and a Jitterbug scored 27. He once again was scored last place. For the finals week, he danced a Cha-Cha-Cha (27), a Megamix dance alongside Mya and Kelly Osbourne (28), the only perfect-scoring Freestyle (30) and a repeat of his Argetine Tango (30) and won. As he accepted his trophy, he hugged fellow finalist Mya and grabbed sister Marie on stage.