The multitalented Marie Osmond to deliver keynote at St. Joseph's/Candler SmartWomen Luncheon & Expo

Marie Osmond was just 14 years old in 1973 when her rendition of “Paper Roses” reached No. 1 on the Billboard country charts. That age may seem young until you consider she started in show business at age 3, when she debuted as part of the Osmond Brothers act on The Andy Williams Show.

An entire generation of women grew up singing “I’m a little bit country” into their hairbrushes after catching an episode of the Donny and Marie variety show, which aired on ABC during prime time between 1976 and 1979. By the time they had their drivers’ licenses, they were singing along with her and Dan Seals’ hit duet, “Meet Me in Montana.”

In the decades between then and now, Osmond has built a diverse portfolio including acting on both stage and screen; creating doll and embroidery lines; serving as a spokesperson and talk show host; sharing her faith through Sunday messages; and headlining an 11-year Vegas residency with Donny at the Flamingo Hotel. At some point in there, she also co-founded with actor John Schneider the nonprofit Children’s Miracle Network that has raised more than $8.5 billion for 170 children’s hospitals throughout the United States.

A newly turned 64-year-old grandmother of nine, Marie Osmond is “having more fun than I’ve ever had in my life.” She and her husband Stephen Craig are ticking things off their bucket lists, such as touring Iceland and Greenland and climbing Mt. Sinai in Egypt after traveling to Israel. And in early December, she kicks it up a notch with a symphonic Christmas tour.

Osmond delivers the keynote address at the 21^st annual St. Joseph’s/Candler SmartWomen Luncheon and Expo on Oct. 27 – the same day she cameos as a countess – “a real snob,” she says – on the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.

SMN: How would you define the qualities and characteristics of a smart woman?

Marie Osmond: “To me, a smart woman knows that a failure is a failure only if you stay in it. Smart women know how to get back up and keep moving forward. It’s an attitude. It’s a faith. It’s a belief that we become better, not bitter… I was raised by a very smart woman.”

SMN: You’ve been in show business for six decades. What are the keys to your longevity in a business that so often privileges youth over experience and wisdom?

Marie: “That’s a really loaded question because I think there are multiple answers. First of all, I started at 3, and I don’t really know anything else but the way I grew up. But I did learn one really great thing, and that was a really hard work ethic. I was raised by parents that said you never think mediocrity. You give the best you have… They taught me how to get back up.

My life has not been perfect. I don’t know any woman today who has a perfect life. It’s the experiences that make us who we are, depending on how we choose to accept them.

I’m kind of a rare female in my business because in the ‘70s, you were lucky if you had a five-year career, especially recording. So, to have an album chart in every decade is just kind of crazy. My current album (“Unexpected”) is probably my most successful, which is just insane to me.

A lot of it is following your intuition. God has always been there, and I’ve always felt that peace.”

SMN: My generation grew up with your music, so our kids and grandkids are discovering you now.

Marie: “I did a show the other day… and there we these girls in the front row. They were, like, ages 14 to 25. And there were like eight of them. And I looked at them and asked, ‘How old are you guys.’ They told me their ages. I said, ‘Do you even know who I am?’ They said, ‘We found you with Nutrisystem, and then we really liked your music.’ Now, they’re singing ‘Meet Me in Montana.’ They love my new album.’

SMN: Women find themselves filling so many roles, and you have performer, spokesperson, writer, actress, philanthropist, wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, friend …

Marie: “That’s my first job. That’s my favorite job. As a mother [of eight] there are different skills sets that you use. My mom was a great example. She was an amazing mother, and I don’t profess to be anything as great as her.

They’re all so different,…but it has given me a wonderful opportunity to say, oh, maybe this is a little mini version of what God sees – all of us down here as different. I love them all for their differences. They’ve taught me so much. I just think that it’s one of the hardest jobs on the planet and one of the most beautiful. It’s the most fulfilling job that I have ever had. When I’m in my bed ready to leave this life, I really don’t think one gold record is going to bring me comfort. It’s going to be my children and grandchildren. And, hopefully, great-grandchildren.”

SMN: What’s one message you want to convey to the people in the Savannah audience this week?

Marie: “I think the most important thing that we need in this world right now is hope. And knowing that everything is an experience. We’re not defined by all the good things that happened to us. We define our lives by how we deal with the hard things. That’s what’s made me who I am.”

This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.

Amy Paige Condon is an editor and content coach for Savannah Morning News. You can reach her at acondon@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Marie Osmond delivers keynote at St. Joseph's/Candler SmartWomen Luncheon