Singer Jimmy Osmond of the famous Osmond Brothers, and sibling to Donny and Marie Osmond, suffered a stroke during a performance of “Peter Pan” at a theater in central England.
Osmond, 55, was performing as Captain Hook in what the British refer to as a pantomime, or panto performance, at the Birmingham Hippodrome and managed to finish the musical before being driven to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a stroke, according to a statement on the Hippodrome's website.
"He is grateful for all the well wishes and will be taking time out in the new year," Hippodrome officials said.
"Everyone here at Birmingham Hippodrome has been deeply saddened to hear of Jimmy's sudden illness," the theater's artistic director and chief executive, Fiona Allan, said.
Osmond is well-known to Brits. In 1972 he became the youngest person ever, at age 9 to reach number No. 1 on the British singles chart with the song "Long-Haired Lover from Liverpool."
“Jimmy loved being a part of the Hippodrome’s well-renowned panto, and his portrayal of Captain Hook was both dastardly and heartwarming. He won the adoration not just of our audiences, but also of all our staff – we all send Jimmy and his family very best wishes for a speedy recovery,” Allan said.
Osmond has had health troubles before. In 2004, the film and television star had a stroke and told Parade magazine that it was "actually a transient ischemic attack that occurred due to a hole in my heart [a patent foramen ovale or PFO that doesn't close as it should after birth]," according to People magazine.
Osmond has starred in a number of musical theater shows over his career, including “Boogie Nights,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Aladdin.”
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