The Andy Williams Show ran for almost ten years, from 1962 to 1971, as a successful variety show hosted by the beloved singer Andy Williams.
And although Williams had dozens of guests on the show over the years, there was one group who not only debuted their act on the show but also continued to come back week after week to perform: The Osmond Brothers.
The story of how The Osmond Brothers came to play on The Andy Williams Show is quite unique. William’s father, Jay, saw the young brothers performing on a Disney special in early 1962, and he reported back to Andy that he simply had to have these adorable vocalists on his show.
Luckily for The Osmond Brothers, Andy agreed, and they debuted their group on national television on December 20, 1962.
At the time, there were only four Osmond brothers (although Donny Osmond would join the group on the show the following year), and they experienced immediate success for their performance.
In fact, the audience of The Andy Williams Show loved them so much that they wrote thousands of letters in to request that the brothers continue to perform on the show. Andy obliged, and the group was invited back on-air dozens of times throughout the 1960s.
That first performance was certainly magical as the four young boys, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay sang a version of “I’m A Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas” with absolutely perfect vocals.
They were young, sweet, adorable, and oh-so-fun to both watch and listen to, and some say that their time on The Andy Williams Show is really what spearheaded their career and eventual stardom.
And it wasn’t just the audience who loved the boys. They were known on the set of the show as the one-take Osmonds for their professionalism and ability to get their performance right the first time and every time.
The Osmond Brothers performed with Andy Willians on his show until the show was canceled in 1971, and from there, they moved over to the Jerry Lewis Show.
However, the band quickly realized that they wanted to segue away from the variety show audiences and move into rock and roll (much to the distaste of their father at the time.)
The Osmond kids have all had successful careers in music over the years, and collectively, they have released over 200 albums.
But although you may remember Donny, Marie, Jay, Wayne, Merrill, and Jimmy for their many different popular songs, most people still know the Osmonds as the enchanting and charming kids they saw on The Andy Williams Show in the 60s.
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