Despair and cynicism had no place in my world on Sunday, however, when my oldest and best friend and I went to see THE OSMONDS on their final UK tour. Older brother Alan hasn't toured with them for a long time, as he is very ill with MS, and Wayne, who survived a cancerous brain tumour a few years ago, had a stroke just before the tour started, and he wasn't with them, so the line-up was just Merrill, Jay and Jimmy. Hang on, what am I saying, 'Just'? It was a superb show - a bit on the short side, granted, with an overlong first half of 'Osmond Trivia' on a massive screen on the stage and a warm-up band called The Dropouts. The audience was comprised of mainly menopausal women: we did not need a warm up!
The brothers played mainly old songs from the 70s, and hearing an audience of 2,500 people sing along was very moving (if a little out of tune!) Kate and I were in the 2nd row, on the aisle, allowing us to dart up to the stage for a sing and a dance the moment they came on and, in my case, to hand Merrill one of the 800 wooden rosebuds I bought about 7 years ago in the vain hope that they would make me a fortune at car boot sales. They didn't. I still have about 750 left, but it doesn't matter! Merrill Osmond now has one, and so does Jay. And if you don't believe me, here is the proof - not one but TWO Osmonds, holding one of my wooden roses. My work here is done.
