Picture one of the Osmond boys picking up the phone and hearing a voice on the other end. A friendly voice. A familiar voice, maybe, though they could not quite place it.
The caller was not looking for Donny. He was not looking for any of the singing brothers. He wanted their mother.
Donny Osmond, now 68, has told this story more than once over the years. He shared it again recently in an interview with BBC Radio 2. The way it played out is hard to forget.
Elvis Presley used to ring the Osmond home specifically to speak with Olive Osmond, the family matriarch. The brother who answered had no idea who was on the line.
Think about that for a moment. The King of Rock and Roll, one of the most famous people on the planet, calling up a family home just to chat with a mother. No fanfare. No announcement. Just a man who wanted to talk to someone he respected.
Donny has said the story tells you something real about Elvis. But it tells you just as much about Olive Osmond. She was clearly the kind of woman who made an impression on everyone she met, even the biggest star in the world.
Also, Elvis felt a deep emotional attachment to Olive Osmond and missed the comfort of family life, finding that Olive’s warmth and presence echoed his relationship with his own mother, Gladys. Funny thing is, when Elvis first called the family house in Las Vegas, brother Alan Osmond answered the phone. Not recognizing the voice, Alan casually yelled, “Mom, some guy named Elvis is on the phone for you!” before realizing who it was.
For those of us who grew up with both the Osmonds and Elvis as the soundtrack of our younger years, there is something deeply wonderful, even magical about this. Two of the biggest names in music, connected by one remarkable woman answering the phone at home.
