Donny Osmond has been one of the biggest stars in the world since he was a child so you would imagine that everything he touches would turn to gold.
However, by the late 1980’s after enjoying huge success with his brothers in The Osmonds, Donny was somewhat out of fashion but hoping to make a comeback.
However, he found it difficult to get taken seriously and despite being a global superstar he was forced to release a record anonymously to prove that he could be credible.
The track was Soldier of Love in 1989, which he has since called “the most important record” of his career, and at the time he didn’t even have a record deal in the US.
However, the acting Program and Music Director at ABC’s WPLJ-FM New York, Jessica Ettinger, managed to get their hands on a cassette version from the UK and liked what she heard.
Jessica, was also an Osmonds fan but was aware that people might not accept the former teen idol in his new rockier, more grown up incarnation.
The song was a huge departure for Donny and saw him abanodon the famous white jumpsuits for a leather jacket and jeans.
Jessica believed that it could be a hit so put it on station playlists but with a twist. Donny’s name wasn’t associated with it.
She very cleverly created a “mystery artist” promotion and put the song in rotation but kept listeners guessing who the artist was for several weeks.
Eventually, it was revealed that the song was by Donny Osmond, who appeared live on the air to acknowledge this.
The song led to Donny getting signed by Capitol Records and they copied Jessica’s promotion when they released the song as an anonymous single.
To this day Donny credits Jessica with re-launching his career by listening to the music and not pre-judging whether a song could be a hit based on the name of the artist. Just last March he gushed about its importance to his career in a chat on Virgin Radio.
Asked about the most important song of his career he said: “I gotta go with Soldier Of Love and here’s why – because the ’70s was amazing but there’s a life span. Especially if you’re a teenybopper. Eventually, that teenybopperis dies because those who loved you – the 12 13,14-year-olds – grow up and have kids and eventually they say what I used to like at 13 that’s for kids.
“Well hello, I grew up too, you know! And as soon as Soldier Of Love became a hit that was long lasting because now I’m an adult. So Soldier Of Love was the most important record of my entire career. It put me back on the charts.
“There was an article that came out against me [back then] and they said the day that Donny Osmond gets back on the charts will be the day that pigs can fly. In 1989 Pigs were flying.”
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