Life Is Just What You Make It : My Story So Far [Mass Market Paperback]

Donny Osmond (Author), Patricia Romanowski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2000

At age five, Donny Osmond first sang his way into North Americas heart. By the time he was a teenager, he had four separate careers successfully underway, as a solo artist, as a member of the Osmond Brothers, as part of a singing duo with his sister, Marie, and as the co-host of a highly successful network television variety show. But by the early 80s, public perception had changed, and Donny discovered that, thanks to his squeaky-clean image, his very name had become poison. In this inspiring autobiography, Donny tells what it is like to survive the ups and downs of the entertainment business while trying to keep his faith, dignity, and sense of humor intact. He recalls memories of his experiences with a variety of celebrities, from Groucho Marx and Lucille Ball to Michael Jackson and Howard Stern. He shares how he finally achieved resolution through marriage, fatherhood, perseverance, and self-acceptance. And he recounts the long and difficult road leading to a renewed recording career, nearly two thousand triumphant performances in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and a new nationally syndicated talk show. The millions of people who watched Donny grow up are now embracing the man whose life and career exemplify the classic values that so many now share.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Change your name. Your name is poison," advised Michael Jackson when Donny Osmond was trying to forge an adult singing career in 1983. Osmond's name was not always a punch line. At the age of five, he joined his four older siblings as the pop group The Osmonds. Barely in his teens, Donny became a solo artist, cutting more than 20 gold records by the mid-'70s. From 1976 to 1979, he and his sister starred in the popular, campy TV variety series The Donny & Marie Show. But his toothy, wholesome image and his strict religious beliefs as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints were at odds with the harder-edged rock of that era. This, and the fact that the Osmond entertainment empire was located in distant Utah, fostered the impression that he was a has-been by age 22. Osmond's emotionally raw and startlingly candid autobiography is a difficult tightrope act: a triumph-of-the-spirit tale that avoids homilies or bitterness. Taught to ignore his own feelings in favor of the interest of the family, Osmond was a child star under enormous pressure to be "perfect." His debilitating panic attacks (which plagued his five-year run in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and his efforts to find emotional peace through psychotherapy are recounted with bracing honesty, and he provides keen insights into the music business, especially the behind-the-scenes politics that govern radio airtime. By the end of his story (so far), Osmond's long-sought inner peace includes the understanding that he can't control how he is perceived by the public. Writing this book may have been the best form of therapy for Osmond, but it will prove a revelation to readers as well. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Little Donny Osmond, whose toothy grin graced posters on many pre-teens' bedroom walls, is all grown up. He started his singing career at the age of five and eventually broke out as a teen idol, earning 23 gold records by the time he was 13. In the 1970s, Donny and his sister Marie hosted a popular television program. But his singing style and goodie-goodie image didn't fare well in the 1980s, and his career plummeted. He got a chance to make a comeback when he was offered the lead in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Gossip mavens won't find much here; Donny is as squeaky clean as his image implies. However, this is a surprisingly open and sincere look at the life of a child star whose early fame came and went (including a hint of resentment about having to work so hard so young), and the effort it took to get back on top. A good addition to inspirational as well as celebrity biography collections.ARosellen Brewer, Monterey Bay Area Cooperative Lib. Syst., Pacific Grove, CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786889713
• ISBN-13: 978-0786889716
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (118 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,970,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book is a consistent, enjoyable read about Osmond's life., May 26, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Way South Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life is Just What You Make It: My Story So Far (Hardcover)

As a long-time fan, I anxiously awaited this book, and it was NOT a disappointment. Well-written and concise, it covers Donny and his brother's careers throughout the last four decades. I am a realist, though, and I know the book will have its detractors, most notably the unopen-minded people who let the Osmond's positive views on family and God interfere with letting them listen to the consistent good music that they were capable of making, and later making their fans feel that it was something that they should be apologetic for liking. I hope critics will come to realize that just because someone did not wind up in an alcohol or drug rehab in their autobiography, it does not make their life any less interesting to read about. Isn't it enough that the man feels that even after twenty-five years that he still has to apologize for being Donny Osmond? You can bet that although he may not get the accolades that Michael Jackson did in the eighties, that he is a much happier man with the life that he has lived.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We Need more Donny Osmonds in this world., September 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Life is Just What You Make It: My Story So Far (Hardcover)

I applaud Donny. I read his book within 2 days and I started reading it again. As a child in the 60's I was teased for loving Donny and I don't regret it. Admiring and following the Osmond family, and the support of my own loving family, kept me straight and out of trouble all my life. Donny shouldn't have to be embarassed about being Donny Osmond. With the way children are teased and abused and victimized by other children in today's world, the kids today should read his book and learn how such actions could affect someone. If they are the ones being teased, then follow his footsteps in dealing with verbal and emotional abuse by society. Maybe if more people read his book they will think twice about not accepting people for who they are. I hope Donny writes additional books in the future, he is as talented in writing as he is in entertaining.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Meet a Real Man, May 7, 2000

By 

R. Camilleri "Peace Lover" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life Is Just What You Make It : My Story So Far (Mass Market Paperback)

I disagree with the reviewer who said you would only like this book if you'd been a fan of Donny Osmond in the 70s. I'd never heard him sing a song before I saw JOSEPH on video; I read the book and will reread it because it reveals, poignantly but never heavy handedly, a man with an actual emotional life. A man who has grown emotionally and is willing to analyze the process dispassionately, and invite us in. If you want to know what a real man is like, get this book.