Portrait of Donny Osmond

I grew up with Donny Osmond. Shocking, wasn't it? But it's true. In the late 1960s, the Andy Williams Show and the Donny & Marie Osmond Show were regular features on local television while I was on the other side of the tube watching them weekly from the comfort of my home in George Town, Penang.

Knowing that in those days, the syndicated variety shows were often seen on Malaysian television years after they were produced overseas, Donny Osmond came across as very young when compared to my age then. Thus, I was rather shocked recently to learn that he is only three years younger than I. He's not even 60 years old!

This record, Portrait of Donny, was released in 1972 at which time he was already a veteran performer aged 15 years old. Obviously, with songs like Puppy Love, Hey Girl and This Guy's In Love With You, the album was targeted at his millions of female fans in the United states.

The picture which the record company used on the cover of the record showed a Donny Osmond who, I suspect, could possibly be one or two years younger than his actual age then! Do I still hear pre-pubescent American girls still swooning and screaming away at their teenage idol? Oh ho ho ho...

Side One: Puppy love, Hey girl, Going going gone (to somebody else), I've got plans for you, Promise me, Let my people go
Side Two: All I have to do is dream, Hey there lonely girl, Big man, Love me, This guy's in love with you