Donny Osmond on Wednesday July 24, 1974

On this day, in 1974 I met Donny Osmond up close and personal for the first time. This was at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. Way before Las Vegas was family friendly, I somehow got my Dad to take me to adult playground to see the Osmonds perform.

The Tropicana was booked, so we had to stay in the Hacienda Hotel. I was bummed about that, yet we did do breakfast at the Trop. After my we dined, a girl came up to me and asked me my name. Turns out, being in the whole pen pal thing at the time--real hand written letters sent through the mail for eight cents-Bonnie had written me to ask if if I wanted to be part of scrapbook she put together for the Osmonds. So I'd sent a note and a picture--and there she was right there in front of me. She was from.Oswego, NY. Anyway, a bunch of girls were outside the restaurant and I wanted to hang to. My dad really wasn't feeling it--however there were some adults there and he gave in--reluctantly. I'm sure the thought of his teen daughter in Las Vegas--alone-was not appealing. Anyway, after I met my first Osmond, Alan and his wife of eight days, Suzanne--I wouldn't have budged--period.

As I got to know the girls around me and saw my first pair of platform shoes--with sequins yet--I realized I wasn't in Iowa anymore. As us girls gabbed everything Osmond--I was amazed how many times some of them had seen the Osmond perform. For me, it was just once--in Des Moines, and tonight would be my second. Felt kinda outcast with concert going and being just one of the two black girls in the midst.

Commotion. Screams. DONNY! Girls crowded him, while the security guard tried to keep us at bay. Just few feet from him I stood. Regained consciousness enough to snap pictures. There is some picture of Donny holding a brush as he talks to a fan. Heaven knows where it is. Did I have some long, in depth chat with Donny, like; "Is purple REALLY your favorite color?"

Naw. In fact, we didn't chat at all. I don't even recall if I got my picture taken with him that day. I don't think I did. The picture came the next day, when that same security guard let us go back stage around 10am. All I remember is I made Donny laugh and I gave him some hat I had. A girl took our picture with my camera, with the hat donned on Donny's head. The picture came our blurry and I was heartsick. No digital in those day--so you know there would be a do-over.

On that first meeting--well, me meeting Donny than he'll ever remember meeting me--butterflies flittered in my tummy. I couldn't believe it. In PERSON! -if only for a moment as the security guard ushered Donny away.

As for the pictures-both are from 1977. The one above, I've shared before. It's from Las Vegas on the the 30th floor of the Hilton. I made Donny laugh again on that day. The one below is from Des Moines-when Donny and his family were on my turf for a concert! Just liked the the picture and I think Donny was calling me "Crazy" when saw me.

Now if Donny and I met today and I asked for an autograph? We'd both have to pull out our readers to make sure we could see what was going on! Gotta admit--would be fun, and I'm sure I'd make Donny laugh again. Then I was gonna let this day go by without a song--but it is Friday--plus I wrote about Donny Osmond, so why not the song that really made me notice him: The 12th of Never. See, Donny's voice had changed--and I liked it and liked him--finally. Up til then Donny was not my favorite Osmond. :)

May 23, 1976 was Sunday

And I flew to Las Vegas.

One exact week after high school graduation.

Why--especially since I wasn't old enough to gamble?

Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay and Donny Osmond were the reasons....why else? :)

My diary tells me I landed there and met my chums, from Allentown, PA, at the Las Vegas Hilton. Stayed for a week and nothing but Osmond memories on every page. Like sliding in the elevators , after the Osmonds. to get pictures snapped with them. HA! Or when we spotted Donny at the pool-we thought we would faint. He was shirtless! Or the two hours we waited on the golf course for Jay, Jimmy and my fave Merrill to finish. Pictures galore, along with sun burns. Or when I gave my fave Merrill a bear, and his wife Mary, even thanked me for it. Or when we went to a LDS church to listen to each Osmond give their testimony. Oh wow--to see that now, because back in 1976, I just went to see them. Didn't really want to pay attention to their words about God. A whole different mindset in 1976.

Nonetheless, one of the sweetest Vegas memories, is while my chums and I ate in the restaurant. Yapping anything Osmond and not paying any attention to anything around us-I felt a hand on my shoulder. Heard "Hmm, I like watermelon too!" I turned and saw a fork with some body's hand attached to it take a piece of my melon: Mr. Osmond! My chums were too stunned to get a picture and I was almost speechless! He and Mrs. Osmond just smiled and were so gracious.

Yep May 23, 1976 was the start of week of Kodak moments.

Now I'm gonna cue up a song the Osmonds did do in Vegas, not sure if it was '76 or later--I just know I like it. It's Saturday and I still got words in my mouth so I say them!

Tweak

Mentioned on Twitter. So therefore I tweet. Yet, still don't get the jest, so I feel like twit.

Thought I was up so uptown when I began a blog. Turns out, I was already behind the times. On Facebook for MONTHS, before I started to do anything there. Had to reset my password I don't know how many times. Still don't mess with all the little requests and such they have--except to play Word Twist and Scrabble with Movie Man. I do like the past and present c0ntacts made. Then after all that--comes Twitter.

I follow Oprah and Tom Hanks' tweets. Still try to figure out if can only leave them direct messages if they follow me too. Well, that ain't gonna happen any time soon. Oh, did I mention I follow Donny Osmond too?

Donny and I still need to sit down, chow and chat. See, I need to remind him how a bunch of us crammed in the service elevator space of the 30th Floor in the Las Vegas Hilton. We hoped to sneak a peek of our fave, since this was right outside the Osmonds' suite. And then Donny can explain how once in Provo, Utah, as a Baskin Robbins stood right next door while he informed us of his love for pralines and cream ice cream-that he never treated?

Now headed back to Twitter to tweet. Can't wait until I quit feeling like a twit. Gotta savor Blue Bell Cookies n Cream ice cream while a cat fights me for it. In the meantime let's showcase a Saturday song: Havin A Party, by those Osmonds....and check out the choreography!

Donny Osmond, Las Vegas and Me...

Last night, Donny Osmond and his sister Marie, finished a stint at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas. I shoulda been there. I gander around this house, sigh at the electric bill, smile at the new car in the driveway and wonder if I can lift the 50 lb bag of Tidy Cat litter in the utility room—that’s why I’m still here in Dallas.


In the midst, I do smile. Because of the Osmonds, this was before Donny and Marie became Donny and Marie, I experienced my first ever plane ride. That destination on July 23, 1974 was from Des Moines, Iowa to Las Vegas. My Dear Dad explained, as the plane flew thousand of feet above the Earth, I wouldn’t feel as if we were even moving. He was right, until we hit a bit of turbulence—then that didn’t seem as bad.


The Osmonds performed at the Tropicana, yet we couldn’t stay there due to some convention or some such. So we were down the street at the Hacienda. It was all bright lights and big city to a girl from small town Iowa. Nonetheless, because of the Osmond’s I saw my first pair of platform shoes. They actually had sequins on the platforms! Oh MY! Sequins….ON shoes??

The morning of the July 24th, 1974 my Dear Dad took us to breakfast at the Tropicana. I just know there had to be an Osmond somewhere. I didn’t care about seeing any of Las Vegas. Which was a good thing because this was way before it became ‘family friendly. After breakfast, as we began to leave the restaurant, a girl came up and asked my name. Turns out I’d sent her a picture to put in a scrapbook she planned to give the Osmonds. In about two minutes I asked Dear Dad if I could hang with her and her sister. There was also a small group of girls that sat and waited. Dear Dad hesitated, and then agreed. I think one of the girls’ moms was there and reassured him.

That was the end of just posters on the wall tacked up by dreams to the beginning of dreams come true—Osmond style. Just to get an autograph wasn’t enough. Oh no, I learned during that first jaunt to Las Vegas, that a picture with an Osmond was the ultimate-especially with Donny. About 15 minutes after my Dear Dad left exited, my first picture snapped with an Osmond: Alan and his bride of eight days, Suzanne happened. That picture became one of the hundred of personal Osmond pictures through the decades.

July 24th, 1974, I witnessed my first ever Las Vegas show. Dear Dad tipped the maitre’d$40. The maitre’d led us to seats up front, which sat at the bottom of a few steps. The steps were against the stage. Butterflies flapped inside my tummy. I was going to see the Osmonds for my second time and in Las Vegas to boot. The maitre’d announced as he pulled the chairs from the table, “These are the best in the house.”

The guy was right.

Before a particular song started which I’ve forgotten, maybe “Puppy Love,” all these girls crowded around the bottom of the steps. Right around me. I was clueless. WHY? Then it happened. Donny began to sing. The girls started to scream. I didn’t. Then Donny came to those steps and walked down a few. Pandemonium. Girls went nuts. They reached for him. I did too. He took my hand and squeezed it. I looked into his eyes. The closest my 16 year old self got to Heaven.

The best $40 bucks my Dear Dad ever spent-at that moment, anyway....

We left Las Vegas on July 26. Heartsick. Sure, I tried to talk Dear Dad into staying longer. Nope. Las Vegas presented me with the memories of having my picture snapped with each Osmond—including Donny. I was bummed when it was developed and the picture was fuzzy. At that time, I didn’t know I would visit Las Vegas three more times before the 70’s ended. A better picture with Donny would be had.

Las Vegas gifted me with friendships that continue to this day. I met these girls, from Allentown, Pennsylvania, who took a bus from their home to Las Vegas. We waited, for Osmonds, in the hallway that led to the backstage door of the Tropicana. That next August, I visited those same girls in their Pennsylvania homes, so we could see the Osmonds at the Great Allentown Fair. Tasted my first funnel cake and perogie. Yep, BFF’s.

Because of the Osmonds, my memories are countless. Yep, I wish I woulda been at the MGM Grand for Donny and Marie in 2008. Aren’t they going to be at the Flamingo later on this year? Maybe it’s time I put my cats to work so they can earn their keep and I go make some new memories. Would be nice to re-visit the scene of the first crime. :) And with a digital camera, heck, I’ll know right then if the picture is fuzzy or not.

Ready for my close up.

The picture posted here is from the 30th floor of the Las Vegas Hilton, in 1977. We called it Heaven on the 30th floor. Six of us stashed away inside a bathroom until a server found us out. Miraculously, we got the chance to talk chat up Donny outside their suite---in the service hallway.

Yep—Dear Dad didn’t know what he started when he OK’d my first ever plane ride.

I am blessed.