July 24, 1974, Donny Osmond & Me

Today was the day, in that galaxy far far away, known as the 20th Century, I met Mr.Teen Idol King himself--Donny Osmond--for the very first time--sorta.  Yep. Somehow I talked my Sweet Big Daddy Don to take me to for a four night, three night stay in Las Vegas, so I could see The Osmond Brothers. Their younger sister Marie had just started performing with them too. 
***After some prodding, and I'm sure pouting on my part, Dad agreed.  He thought my ten year older than me cousin Jan could come along-sort of another female for me to hang with. Dad wasn't sure what we were getting into. Heck, me being the Osmond fan, all I cared about was seeing the Osmonds perform, for just my second time--and >gasp< MEET them? The teen magazine bible at the time, Tiger Beat, showed pictures of lucky girls who got their Deep Purple moment to meet them--plus I was really in the pen pal circuit then.
***Any of you have pen pals?  Ya know, we actually wrote letters, put stamps on them, and snail mailed them. About 99% of my worldwide 100 pen pals were also Osmond fans and even most of them had met Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay and just about everybody's hearthrob, Donny. I was bound and determined to be  part of the elite group too.
***OK, back to the story--The Osmonds were performing at the Tropicana. Due to some convention or something, the hotel was booked. Dad, Jan and I stayed down the street at the Hacienda--which had a leak in the ceiling hallway. Dad wanted me to stay with him and my cousin--I wanted to go to the Tropicana. I won.  We did breakfast at the Tropicana, on the 24th, and all I could think of is I wanna meet an Osmond....and I'm sure my Dad looked at those menu prices and wondered if a McDonald's was near by...
*******As we came out of the Tropicana  restaurant, Dad wanted to do something silly, like sight see--while I wanted to might see some Osmonds. I did know Dad wasn't feelin' that so something had to happen and quick otherwise I might be banished to the Hoover Dam. As if God heard my prayers, a fellow teenage girl asked me who I was and I told her. She began to smile and told me to look in this thick scrapbook on her lap.
******I saw a picture of ME and a short note I wrote to the Osmonds!  This other teenage girl was named Bonnie. She'd written me a few months prior, saying she was going to be Las Vegas for the Osmonds. Bonnie planned to give them a scrapbook filled with their fans and would I want to contribute?  Never, ever thinking I would meet her (Bonnie lived out East) now here she was! Bonnie, her sister (I have forgotten her name) and a few other teenage girls were waiting in the hallway, outside the restaurant. Bonnie said this spot was a great place to meet the Osmonds---they did have to eat. My eyes widened and I looked at Dad.  I'm sure he panicked. I wasn't even close to 21, this was before Las Vegas was kid friendly, and I wanted to be left at this hu-mungus hotel for as he said "a bunch of white boys."  I know Dad was about to say No. And he really probably should have---but something happened. Not sure exactly what.
***Maybe Bonnie's parents said something to reassure him. I do remember them talking. After what seemed like forever, Dad said I could stay, but I had to stay around Bonnie and her family. I had to be back at the Hacienda by such and such a time because we were going to see the Osmonds perform that night. Dad gave me taxi money and hesitantly left me there, only after I spotted my first Osmond--the eldest, Alan and his wife Suzanne. They had been married so far, at that time, a grand total of eight days.I got my picture snapped with him. Girls were going nuts, flashing cameras (way before digital) and all--I knew then I wasn't in Iowa anymore.
*****Then as if on cue, Wayne Osmond walked thru--hysteria again. I got my photo op with Wayne too.  I could not believe my good fortune!  I don't know how long we waited--minutes, an hour or so--I don't remember, and my diary doesn't tell me---SCREAMS. Some so high pitched only dogs could hear them--Girls were pushing each other. SCREAMS. Tears and why?

********Donny. DONNY.  I froze. The security guard stuck to Donny like glue. I took as many pictures as my little box 126 camera could take--- The guard let a couple girls get close to have their picture taken with Donny. That alone made the hysteria get even worse. The guard took Donny's arm and began to lead him away. I tried to get my picture with him, as the guard led Donny away. No luck. I did get Donny's autograph but no picture to really prove Donny and I occupied the same space. I was downtrodden for awhile until....

Still July. Still Donny Osmond.

Still Dallas, Texas. TX. HOT. Got Blue Bell Peaches and Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream in the freezer and watermelon in the fridge. All is good and so on with the story....

Took a trip through time (aka my diary and my blog) because of Donny Osmond. My very first airplane trip took me from Des Moines Iowa to Las Vegas! You see, back in yester-century, namely the 70's, my own experience of Osmondmania was well in hand.

In fact, on this night, July 24, in 1974 I sat smack dab in THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE in the Tropicana Showroom, to see Donny, his brothers and sister Marie. My sweet Big Daddy Don tipped the 'd 40 bucks for our seats . I sat at the end of these steps that came down from the stage. I really didn't get it--at the time.

Looking back, I bet some of the other teenage girls in that showroom hated me for where I sat. I had no clue it was THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE. My dad probably just wondered what in the world he was doing there. The scotch and milk probably erased any of his thoughts.

Being in shock I was seeing the Osmonds so up close and personal, imagine when the moment came I realized I had THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE. Girls crowded around the bottom of the steps as Donny broke out in song--I honestly can't remember, maybe "Puppy Love"? Donny came to the steps, maybe even took a couple steps down. Girls went nuts. I went speechless.

Donny was right THERE! He sang. Girls screamed. He reached and squeezed hands. I finally gained consciousness and raised mine. Donny TOUCHED my hand! We looked into each others eyes. Donny's smile blinded me. For a moment we had--well, a moment.

I asked my dad what he thought of the whole Vegas thing. My dad as only my sweet Big Daddy Don could say: "I thought you were crazy."

And the picture below isn't from 1974, because that picture of Donny and me is so blurry. Way before digital-so this is photo is from 1978. Still Las Vegas Just eight days after Donny married the girl on the left, his wife of 32 years, Debbie .

Even now on this so hot July summer day 2010 in Dallas. I still gotta smile because I was sat in THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE!

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. :)

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.