"It's the end of an era," said Kevin Sasaki, spokesman for the Osmond family.

Osmond and his late wife, Olive, who died in 2004, had nine children. The offspring, especially Donny and Marie Osmond, were perhaps the nation's most visible Utah entertainers in the 1970s and beyond, from Donny and Marie Osmond's variety show to, more recently, Marie's participation in the successful ABC reality show "Dancing with the Stars."

Marie Osmond's appearance on the top-rated dancing show has led to renewed interest in the family. More than 100 Osmonds were scheduled to appear on Oprah Winfrey's talk show this Friday to mark the family's 50 years in entertainment. Calls to Harpo Productions, Winfrey's production company, about whether the segment would air as planned were not returned Tuesday.

George Osmond had not been ill, Sasaki said, so the death came as a shock to the family. Jimmy and Jay were in Branson, Mo., when they received the call, and Donny flew to Utah from Los Angeles, where he is a correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight," when he heard the news, Sasaki said. Marie, who competed on ''Dancing with the Stars'' Monday night, was scheduled to be on the results show Tuesday, but bowed out of that appearance.

Sasaki released the following statement on behalf of the family: "The Osmonds are of the belief that this should be a time of celebration instead of grief. George Osmond leaves nine children - Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie and Jimmy - [and] 55 grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren. His legacy will forever be remembered."

Karl Engemann, Marie's manager for more than 30 years, remembered George as a moral man who wasn't a typical stage parent.

"He knew when to motivate them, and he knew when to play with them," Engemann said.

Lisa Hatch, who manages Marie Osmond's doll business, said much of the children's success should be credited to George and Olive.

"He was a remarkable, remarkable man," Hatch said. "Look at what [the Osmond children] accomplished."

George Osmond was born Oct. 13, 1917, in Star Valley, Wyo. He served two missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one in Hawaii and one in the United Kingdom, and served in World War II. He married Olive Davis in 1944 and, in the early days of their life together, worked in real estate, sold insurance and served as the postmaster of Ogden.

A singer himself, George taught his children how to harmonize and soon the oldest sons began performing at local functions. On a trip to Disneyland in 1962, the boys caught the eye of a talent scout who offered them an audition for "The Andy Williams Show."

The boys aced the audition and debuted on the show that year, scoring a five-year contract in the process.

George and Olive moved to California with their family, and in later years the boys became teen idols, known for their squeaky-clean image and Donny and Marie's music that was ''a little bit country'' and "a little bit rock 'n' roll." The height of the family's success came between 1976 and 1977, when Donny and Marie hosted a variety television show.

Throughout the success, the parents never spoiled the children, Hatch said.

"George was famously frugal," she said. When the family opened its own recording studio, she said, George wouldn't hire a cleaning crew because, as he saw it, he had nine children who would do the cleaning.

Besides having a hand in his children's success, George and Olive founded the Osmond Foundation, which eventually became the Children's Miracle Network, the largest charitable organization of its kind, which serves nearly 200 children's hospitals nationwide.

Marie and Donny Osmond were interviewed on the "Entertainment Tonight" Web site Tuesday about their father. Donny was on the show Monday, talking about a visit with his father over the previous weekend.

"He was a man of integrity, of honor," Marie said during the online segment. "He was the best man I've ever known."

"His life wasn't perfect," Donny said. "But look at what he's done with it."

He added, "We know our mom and dad are together again."

Funeral arrangements are pending.

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* DAVID BURGER can be reached at dburger@sltrib.com or 801-257-8620. Send comments about this review to livingeditor@sltrib.com.