Introduction:
In 1971, a teen idol scored a three-week stint at the top of the Billboard charts with a song first recorded in the early 1960s, knocking a Beatle from the No. 1 spot in the process.
Donny Osmond began a run at number one with “Go Away Little Girl” on September 11, 1971, reports the website This Day in Music. This song marked the first and only time Osmond hit the top of the charts as a solo act in the United States.
The entertainer reflected on his accomplishment via a 2018 Facebook post. He wrote that “Go Away Little Girl” bumped Paul McCartney‘s “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” (from the album Ram) out of the top spot.
The song was initially written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin in 1962, and it was their fourth number one in under two years. “Go Away Little Girl” followed his such as “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “Take Good Care of My Baby,” and “The Loco-Motion.”
History reports that Osmond would continue to have a series of chart hits, but none would take the top spot in the United States. “Sweet and Innocent” would reach number 7, and the remainder of his chart hits would all place in the top 20. In 1973, he would hit the Top 20 for the last time until 1989’s “Soldier of Love,” with a cover of Elvis Presley‘s “Are You Lonesome Tonight.”
Osmond said of his 50-plus entertainment career, per History, “Throughout my 20s and into my 30s, I would apologize for my career, for all of the cheesy music I was a part of. It wasn’t until my late 30s or early 40s…[that I] thought to myself, ‘You know what? That music was great for what it was, people loved it, it was incredibly successful—why should I feel bad?’”
“Go Away Little Girl” was also a huge hit for singer Steve Lawrence in January 1963, according to Billboard Magazine. The music outlet writes, “It’s a pretty song, with a lovely melody and a warm vocal — and in early 1963, a year before The Beatles electrified the music business, that was often enough to get you to No. 1.”
At 67, Donny Osmond continues to have a successful career in the entertainment industry. He currently headlines a residency at Harrah’s Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.