FOUR decades ago, four young boys appeared on television in The Andy Williams, and that led to an overwhelming response that developed into the phenomenon of 'Osmondmania'.

Since then, The Osmonds have sold over 77m records and accrued more than 30 gold discs for such massive-selling hits as Love Me For A Reason and Crazy Horses.

These days, Donny is a solo headliner while Marie prefers to stay off the road, but Merrill, Jay, Jimmy and Wayne still tour as The Osmonds and devoted fans still pack the venues at which they play.

"A lot of people feel that they are a part of our family," says Jimmy. "But what's really the ultimate compliment is that these friends, as I call them, come to our shows with their families and their kids and they're singing our songs. It's amazing to see that passing down over so many years. We are in awe."

Jay, jovial and mild-mannered, agrees the Osmonds had a profound impact on the lives of their fans. "From reading the letters and talking with them, when they were younger, a lot of them have said that the music was there for them when people weren't," he suggests. "It kind of cements their childhood and their lives with our family. We just kind of grew up together."

"The support and the groundswell has increased substantially over the last few years," adds brother Merrill. "I'm not sure exactly what has caused that. I think people do maybe appreciate what the Osmonds stood for."

If their appeal has lasted, it's also true to say that the brothers themselves are survivors. Having endured the harsh regime of a showbiz childhood, The Osmonds went on to lose most of their millions.

Their amazing success has also been peppered with ill health - Wayne continues to perform after having had a cancerous tumour removed from his brain. "They told me that the cancer had probably been growing since I was just a little boy," he recalls.

"I only discovered that it was there when I collapsed on stage. Two months later I was back on stage performing. I feel so grateful that I have got my life back. It's so easy to take life for granted."

Like all families, there's an easy competitiveness between the siblings. When Wayne mentions having part of his brain removed as a result of his cancer, Jimmy quips that they took too much.

"They took all of your memories. But only the bad ones, so there's none of that troubled stuff left."

When Olive Osmond, matriarch and architect of one of the world's most famous musical families, died recently, "I thought that we were all going to drift apart, because she was the glue which held us tightly together," Jimmy admits.

"Everyone has problems, but I'm happy that we'd been able to get over them. In her death, she brought us together, which was amazing."

The Osmonds will be appearing at the Manchester Apollo on Friday, March 3. £29.50.