'Your Hero Is No Longer in Pain'

Alan Osmond, who steered his famous brothers before they topped charts and fronted TV programs, has died at 76. A family spokesperson said the eldest performing member of the Osmonds died Monday night, with wife Suzanne and their eight sons at his side, reports People. He'd largely stepped away from performing after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis about four decades ago, per a release cited by KUTV.

Alan, once dubbed "No. 1" by his siblings, became the group's leader at age 8, helping launch the act that would eventually include brothers Wayne, Jay, Merrill, and Donny—of Donny and Marie fame, with younger sister Marie Osmond—and make the Utah family a 1970s pop staple, per People. KSL notes that the Osmonds began performing partly to help raise money for hearing aids for two older brothers who weren't in the group and had severe hearing impairment.

Beyond music, Alan Osmond was involved in founding the Children's Miracle Network Telethon and the One Heart Foundation, which helps offer support for orphaned children. Brother Merrill Osmond called him "a gifted creator, a man of faith, and a deeply loving soul," sharing online that the two had a final "heart to heart" in which Alan urged him to continue the message behind their work. "Don't weep for him," Merrill Osmond noted. "Rejoice, knowing that your brother, your friend, your hero is no longer in pain. He is free. He is whole. He is home." Alan Osmond is survived by Suzanne, as well as their eight sons, 30 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.