Wayne Osmond cause of death revealed after brother of Donny and Marie passes at 73

Wayne Osmond’s cause of death was revealed Thursday following news that he passed away at the age of 73 on New Year’s Day.

His brother Merrill Osmond shared that his brother “had a massive stroke.” Twelve years earlier he suffered his first stroke.

He said that upon hearing the news he immediately drove to the hospital and “was able to say goodbye.” Wayne’s wife was also there. Kathlyn Louise White, former Miss Utah.

The singer had a history of health problems.

In 1997 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which was successfully treated, but he lost his hearing. The treatment damaged his cochlea and left Wayne nearly deaf. A stroke in 2012 left him unable to play the guitar.

Wayne told Coping magazine how his health worsened while on tour with his brothers in 1994: ‘One day when I was working in Branson, I realized I couldn’t play the saxophone anymore because my head was starting to hurt.

‘And my knees would fall out from under me when I was on stage. All this started happening within a week.’

That’s when Wayne was diagnosed with ependymoma cancer and underwent a 17-hour surgery to remove a tumor, followed by weeks of radiation therapy before he was allowed to return to the stage.

The Utah native was the second oldest of the original Osmond Brothers singers and the fourth oldest of Osmond’s nine children.

Her famous siblings include Marie Osmond and Donny Osmond from the 1970s variety show Donny & Marie. Both also competed on Dancing With The Stars.

Wayne is the first of the Osmond brothers to die.

The Osmonds legend’s passing was confirmed by his family in an emotional statement to KTVX.

“Wayne Osmond, beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his loving wife and five children,” the family statement obtained by local ABC affiliate KTVX read.

‘His legacy of faith, music, love and laughter has influenced the lives of many people around the world.

‘He would like everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. “We love him and will miss him dearly.”

Wayne and his family began singing at a young age and rose to fame in the 1960s when they performed at Disneyland.

That led to several appearances on the popular variety show The Andy Williams show. The Mormon family became known for being close-knit and healthy.

The boys also became teenage idols.

Wayne worked with his brothers in Las Vegas, where they had a show, and they also often got together for their birthdays.

Several of Wayne Osmond’s siblings have taken to social media to pay tribute to him.

Jay Osmond said that throughout his life he “has always felt the most connected to Wayne of all my brothers.”

He added: “My heart is deeply saddened by the loss of my brother Wayne. It is said that where there is great love there is great pain as we part during our earthly journey.

“What makes me happy is knowing that my brother Wings has earned his wings and I can only imagine the heights he is reaching right now.”

Merrill added: “My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave an even greater saint than he came.”

“His departure from this earth will be a sad moment for some, but for those who wait for him on the other side, there will be a massive celebration beyond anything we can imagine.”

Wayne’s daughter, Amy Cook, also took to Facebook to announce her father’s death, calling him a “loving husband and father.”

She said he had “passed away peacefully” surrounded by “his loving wife and five children.”