BIRMINGHAM, England, Dec. 31, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Jimmy Osmond, the youngest performer in the original Osmond singing group, suffered a stroke while performing during a theater production in Birmingham, England, late last week.
Osmond, 55, was playing the role of Captain Hook in the pantomime performance of Peter Pan at Birmingham Hippodrome when he was stricken on stage.
According to a statement released by the theater, Osmond finished the performance before being rushed to a nearby hospital.
“On the evening of Thursday December 27th after pushing through the evening’s performance of Peter Pan at Birmingham Hippodrome, Jimmy Osmond was driven straight to hospital and diagnosed with a stroke. He is grateful for all the well wishes and will be taking time out in the new year.
“Everyone here at Birmingham Hippodrome has been deeply saddened to hear of Jimmy’s sudden illness. Jimmy loved being a part of the Hippodrome’s well-renowned panto, and his portrayal of Captain Hook was both dastardly and heartwarming. He won the adoration not just of our audiences, but also of all our staff — we all send Jimmy and his family very best wishes for a speedy recovery.”
Jimmy’s sister, Marie Osmond, took to Twitter with a simple statement, “Prayers for my brother Jimmy.”
Brother Donny Osmond has yet to comment publicly.
Jimmy suffered a first stroke more than a decade ago. In 2004, he told People Magazine he experienced a “transient ischemic attack,” the result of a hole in his heart which he has had since birth.
While The Osmonds’ popularity has waned at home, they remain a popular act in England, still fueled by their phenomenal success in the ’60s and ’70s.
In 1972, “Little” Jimmy Osmond reached the top of the U.K. music charts with the single “Long Haired Lover from Liverpool.”
The pop hit was the No. 1 single in England for five weeks over the Christmas holidays, while climbing to 38 in the U.S.
The song sold over a million copies that year, making Jimmy Osmond the youngest performer ever to hold the top spot on British music charts. He was just 9 years old.
