Osmond makes triumphant return to Salt Lake City — 'Puppy Love' and all

DONNY OSMOND, Capitol Theatre, Tuesday

Donny Osmond's biggest fear was that he would end up singing "Puppy Love" in a lounge.

The singer, now a grandfather who is on the brink of turning 50, told the sold-out Capitol Theatre audience that some pop singers have theme songs.

"Frank Sinatra has 'My Way' and I have 'Puppy Love,'" Osmond said. "Throughout my career, I tried to change it a bit and do it differently."

He demonstrated by singing country and other renditions of the song. "But the only way to really sing it is in its original way."

And he did.

Just off taping a 50th anniversary special with his older brothers, Donny Osmond made a triumphant return to Salt Lake City Tuesday night.

"I've been in this business for 45 years," he said. "My brothers have been in it for 50."

To celebrate, Osmond recently released his 55th album, "Love Songs of the '70s." And he performed a few of them during the two-part set.

Neil Sedaka's "Laughter in the Rain," Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" and Bread's "If" (the latter was performed to pin-drop silence) were a few of the familiar gems Osmond remade and brought to the present.

And while the new versions of the old songs went over well with his audience, he did play his own hits.

"Soldier of Love," "Sacred Emotion," "In It for Love" and his song "Breeze on By," co-written with George Benson, showed the audience that Osmond still had the gift.

"What I Meant to Say" and his favorite Osmond Brothers song, "Hold Her Tight," highlighted the evening.

One heart-warming segment came during "Love Me for a Reason," when the back-drop screens flashed images and video of his brothers in their '70s heyday.

In keeping with the touch of nostalgia, Osmond picked and chose some vintage tracks on his iPod and played them over the system. He and the band then did updated versions of the songs which included "Twelfth of Never," "Go Away Little Girl," "Sweet and Innocent" and "One Bad Apple," which was highlighted by video of the opening sequence of the Osmond's '70s cartoon.

What would a Donny Osmond show be without something from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"? He played "Any Dream Will Do" and did a saxophone duet with his sax player.

Osmond was cool and comfortable on stage, telling stories and interacting with his band. The emotions were high as he closed his set with a passionate remake of Dan Hill's "Sometimes When We Touch" and he left the audience screaming for more when he wrapped up the encore with the heavy rock of "Crazy Horses."

Not bad for, as he said, "a grandpa."

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E-mail: scott@desnews.com