When Marie Osmond broke up with Andy Gibb as he needed a "wake-up call"

3 June 2024, 11:21

Despite their unlikely match up, Marie Osmond and Andy Gibb briefly dated in the late seventies. Picture: Getty

By Thomas Edward

Loading audio...

They were an unlikely match up.

Andy Gibb was the exuberant disco prodigy and the younger brother of the Bee Gees, who at that time were one of the world's most successful acts.

Marie Osmond on the other hand had a squeaky clean image as the younger sister of The Osmonds, the only daughter of the family who was renowned for her girl-next-door image.

Whilst disco was dominating dance floors across the world, a late-night club would've been the last place you'd like to see Marie.

The two joined forces for a duet in 1978 that'd not only indicate their chemistry on stage, but also in their private lives.

Gibb was on a high after his song and album Shadow Dancing helped him break America, so Marie invited him on to the Donny & Marie show to perform together.

But after dating briefly, things swiftly ended with Andy's drug abuse getting out of control, with Marie breaking up with him to hand him a "wake-up call".

Marie Osmond and Andy Gibb had evident chemistry when they duetted in 1978. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images). Picture: Getty

At the time they performed 'Sometimes When We Touch', Andy had recently broken up with his first wife Kim Reeder after they married in 1976.

The young couple relocated to Hollywood the following year, though their relationship couldn't handle the strain of showbiz, or more likely Andy's reliance on cocaine.

Reeder later recalled: "He became ensconced in the drug scene. Cocaine became his first love. He became depressed and paranoid."

Similarly, Marie was briefly engaged to fledgling actor Jeff Crayton in May, though broke it off just a couple of months later having become intertwined with Andy.

Clearly, there was a connection between her and Andy however, though, given his penchant for drugs, the Osmond family didn't approve of their young love.

According to Bob Stanley's 2023 book, Bee Gees: Children Of The World, Marie even took legal action to stop Andy from calling her.

Marie Osmond & Andy Gibb - "Sometimes When We Touch"

"He was doing tonnes of drugs, and she didn't even drink Coca-Cola," record producer Albhy Galuten states in the book.

Marie addressed their relationship and its demise in 2019 after appearing on The Talk, revealing: "I could’ve probably done it better, but I just said, 'We're done'."

"We hung up, and I felt really bad because it was something that I probably wanted to do in person, but it was just enough. And it was breaking my heart to see what he was doing to himself."

During the same interview, Osmond said that Gibb told her the break-up was a "wake-up call" for him, as he went on to date Dallas star Victoria Principal, who also struggled with Andy's worsening addiction.

She added that Gibb told her it was "a really good thing because I saw where my life was heading, and I changed it. Unfortunately, his heart gave out on him."

According to Bob Stanley's book, Dallas star Principal "forced him on the spot to choose between staying together or leaving her for cocaine and alcohol, he told her he'd have to leave."

"He was doing tonnes of drugs and she didn’t even drink Coca-Cola." (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images). Picture: Getty

Andy's romantic relationships were often destroyed by his extreme cocaine usage, including his fling with Straw Dogs starlet Susan George.

Eight years his senior, the final straw of their dalliance was when Andy would lounge around his house - where the owner's previous owner who was a drug lord had been shot dead - taking drugs, staring into the ceiling, and messing around with guns.

His addiction got to the point where he'd already started selling off his belongings as early as 1982, according to author Stanley.

"As early as 1982, he had been selling his belongings to make ends meet, flogging his jewellery for cash on Sunset Boulevard," Stanley wrote.

"He had filed for bankruptcy … and was living on a weekly $200 allowance from his family."

Andy and Marie remained fond of each other after their short romance, duetting together once again in 1982 and 1986 when Andy was briefly clean.

Sadly, it was too late by then - Andy Gibb died just days after his 30th birthday in 1988 to myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart which is frequently caused by abuse of illicit drugs.