Marie Osmond is paying tribute to her brother Wayne after his sudden death at 73 on Jan. 1.
In an emotional Instagram post Wednesday, the singer, 65, recalled the last moments she spent with Wayne while reflecting on the loss.
"I've taken a break from social media for the past 9 months and will continue to do so as I have felt a need to unplug and spend time with family," she wrote. "I'm so grateful that just a few weeks ago, I was able to take a long drive to spend time with my brother Wayne.
"I really felt the Spirit compel me to go see him, and I'm so thankful I listened to what I was feeling. I will cherish those hours I spent with him for the rest of my life. I didn't know that just a few days after my visit, he would have a massive stroke."
Commenting on why she only broke her silence now, and not in the days after Wayne's death, Marie admitted it was "just too hard to put into words."
"Wayne's death has left another giant hole in my heart," she continued.
While praising her brother and his career as an entertainer, Marie noted her most memorable moments were "the joy-filled, humorous times I spent laughing with him and our deep intellectual conversations that left me edified in one way or another," adding, "He was always my safe place to go when I needed advice."
"So right now, if I could say anything to him, it would be: 'Wayne, I could not cherish the gift God gave me more than to be loved by you in this life!'" Marie wrote, concluding her post.
"You are a true, loving brother, and I will miss you so very much. I testify eternally of my great love for you with every fiber of my heart and soul! #TillWeMeetAgain."
Wayne, the fourth oldest of nine siblings in a Mormon family from Ogden, Utah, rose to prominence in the 1950s as part of the Osmonds' barbershop quartet. Their success peaked in the early 1970s and while their popularity waned by the mid-1970s, Wayne later joined his brothers in a country music comeback during the 1980s.
His health challenges began in the 1990s with a brain tumor diagnosis, which led to hearing loss, and a 2012 stroke that ended his ability to play guitar.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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