Las Vegas Weekly

March 9, 2010 · 1:18 PM

Marie Osmond returning to Flamingo show after son’s funeral

By Robin Leach

Nevada Ballet Theater honored Marie Osmond as its Woman of the Year in the Champagne Ballroom of the Paris on Jan. 23, 2010.

Photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage

A grieving Marie Osmond will return to the stage of the Flamingo tonight less than one day after the funeral service for her son Michael Bryan, who jumped to his death Feb. 26 in Los Angeles.

Performances of Donny & Marie were canceled last week, but she and Donny have told hotel executives that they will resume tonight. They are canceling vacation plans to make up for the missed shows. As of this past weekend, more than 400 seats had already been sold for their first show back during what would have been a one-week vacation.

“It’s going to be her way of working through the heartbreaking grief,” I was told. “She’s a fighter and a survivor. Marie has had a history of heartaches through the years and always bounced back stronger. She’s a remarkably strong woman.”

The 50-year-old entertainer was seen yesterday sobbing, wearing sunglasses and leaning on the shoulders of Mormon leaders and her brother Donny, who was one of the pallbearers. He opened the service with a teary opening prayer, “Bless my sister. Bless my sister and her family.”

Photo: Harrah's

Donny Osmond, Kym Johnson and Marie Osmond onstage at the Flamingo.

Marie had originally decided that she didn’t want to speak at the service but ended up giving a spontaneous eulogy: “Thank you for those beautiful 18 years.” She thanked everybody for prayers, support and said she was proud of all her children. Michael was one of five children adopted by Marie during her 20-year marriage to Brian Blosil, her second husband. They also had two biological children together before the marriage broke down in messy litigation and financial feuding two years ago before she moved to Las Vegas to start the Flamingo shows. She also had another child with her first husband Stephen Craig before their 1985 divorce.

Yesterday’s service at a chapel near the Mormon temple in Provo, Utah, was attended by more than 400 mourners and church President Thomas Monson. The family’s Las Vegas bishop, Gary Milne, read a biography of Michael’s life sketch, a Mormon funeral service tradition.

Michael was a first-year student at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise in L.A. He had entered a rehab facility in 2007. He left a suicide note but police have not revealed its contents. It is believed that he was suffering from depression.

Marie joined Donny and their brothers Alan, Jay, Jimmy, Merrill and Wayne for the Mormon hymn that concluded the service. Older brothers Tom and Virl joined the family using sign language, as they are deaf. At the internment, members of the Osmond family used markers to write messages onto orange balloons that they then released skyward.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

Photographer Tom Donoghue, who is covering the 2010 Miss America Pageant from start to finish, had a busy Friday, Jan. 29, 2010, that included the PH Towers Westgate opening, the Evening of Dreams gala, Marie Osmond, Gretchen Carlson and 2009 Miss America Katie Stam's engagement to Brian Irk, her boyfriend of four years.

On her Web site, Marie wrote: “My family and I are devastated and in deep shock by the tragic loss of our dear Michael and ask that everyone respect our privacy during this difficult time.”

I’ll attend tonight’s show at the Flamingo and report via Twitter Marie’s brave performance and follow up here tomorrow with a story of her courageous return.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

Share This