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By Kent Larsen
Donny Extends Hand and Finds a Fan ... in Eminem
CLEVELAND, OHIO -- When he was in the United Kingdom recently at the
Brit Awards, LDS pop star Donny Osmond met the controversial rap star
Eminem, and extended a hand of friendship, and discovered an admirer.
Osmond told about the encounter in an interview with the Cleveland
Plain Dealer, as he made an appearance there Saturday at the
pledge-drive premiere of of a concert special for his new album,
"This Is the Moment," on Cleveland's WVIZ Channel 25.
Osmond says he told Eminem, "I just have to shake your hand, just to
say I met you," and he got a surprising response. "Donny Osmond! Man!
Your music really influenced me! Yeah, man, I used to listen to your
music all the time!" In spite of what many people think of Eminem,
Donny was diplomatic about the incident, "Anytime people listen to
your music and they say it influenced them, it's a great compliment."
Interviewer Soeder talks with Donny about his life and music,
mentioning specifically a turning point in Donny's life where advice
from another musician helped him. In the late 1980s, Donny met
Genesis' Peter Gabriel, and eventually the two recorded together at
Gabriel's studio in England. At the time, Donny was very worried
about changing his image. "I had publicists dreaming up ideas to get
me busted for drugs, to change my image," Donny recalls. "Peter told
me to forget about the image, that it's the music that counts." Soon
after, Donny recorded his 1989 hit, "Soldier of Love."
Donny also reminisced with Soeder about his teenybopper stardom, and
his more recent success in "Joseph and the Amazin Technicolor
Dreamcoat." He also is still confused about why the syndicated talk
show featuring him with his sister Marie failed after two years.
"Your guess is as good as mine," he says. "I'm hearing through the
grapevine that it was just too expensive. They could make more money
with another court show and that's what they did."
Source:
Eminem's idol? Who but Donny Osmond
Cleveland OH Plain Dealer 4Mar01 A2
By John Soeder
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