Donny Osmond recalls Michael Jackson once told him his name was “poison” for his career

Donny Osmond shared that Michael Jackson once advised him to change his name to revive his music career.

Donny Osmond has reflected on a piece of advice he once received from Michael Jackson, describing it as “very offensive” but ultimately effective in helping him make a career comeback.

Speaking in a resurfaced clip from his 2023 appearance on The Adam Carolla Show, recently shared on his Instagram account, Osmond explained the struggles he faced in the 1980s as he tried to move beyond his child star image.

“The name Donny Osmond was a joke, years ago,” he said. “I mean, if you said you like Donny Osmond music, you were ousted.”

Referring to his 1988 single Soldier of Love, Osmond said that radio stations initially played the song without revealing his identity.

“They played the record to test it because they liked the song, but they just didn’t want to say my name,” he explained.

Osmond recalled a conversation with Jackson around 1983, following the global success of Thriller. “Mike, how do I get back on the charts?” he asked.

According to Osmond, Jackson’s response was blunt: “Your name’s poison, Donny. You gotta change your name.”

Although difficult to hear at the time, Osmond acknowledged that Jackson had a point. “It was tough to hear that. But he was right, because in ‘89, radio stations all across the country played my music, but didn’t say my name. And they did me a favour by not saying who I was, and it became a hit. Then they found out it was me.”

Osmond has previously spoken about his friendship with Jackson, noting the parallels between the Osmonds and the Jacksons, both families had nine children, and Osmond and Jackson were the seventh-born.

“Michael said something to me one day,” Osmond recalled. “He said, ‘Donny, you’re the only person on this planet that knows what my childhood was like.’”