News | Entertainment
31 Jan 2026 1:42
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Donny Osmond feared he'd never walk again after contracting an infection following spinal surgery

    The 63-year-old singer was horrified to lose sensation in his limbs during a gig in Las Vegas in November 2019 and was taken to hospital, where it was discovered his spine had shifted, in part due to previous dancing injuries, including one sustained on 'Dancing With the Stars' in 2009, and it marked the beginning of a 12-month health battle for the former child star


    Donny recalled: “I couldn’t feel my arms, then suddenly my legs too. I didn’t tell anyone what was happening to me......I just kept dancing and finished the show.”

    Subsequent surgery on his back and neck were successful, leading Donny to believe he was back on the road to recovery, but he soon suffered a setback once he was back home in Utah.

    He recalled: "I thought everything was going to be fine, but it couldn’t have been worse. I got a secondary infection which meant I wasn’t able to move.”

    Asked if he feared he'd never walk again during his months of rehab, he told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Oh sure, absolutely. It absolutely crossed my mind. But I just didn’t take no for an answer.”

    The 'Puppy Love' singer - who has five sons with wife Debbie - credited the team of "great professionals" around him, as well as his Mormon faith, for helping him to ultimately make a full recovery.

    He said: "It was my faith, a lot of hard work and positive thinking."

    And Donny was thankful to have his beloved wife by his side.

    He said: “She knows exactly the sort of determination that I have and she knew I would be fine."

    The 'Who' singer now feels stronger than ever.

    He said: “Last night’s show was wild....the amount of dancing and singing and everything.

    “I started from below ground zero but it feels like coming back from the dead. I’m pain free now, maybe even stronger than I was before.”

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     30 Jan: Jennifer Lopez feels "very confident" when she has healthy-looking skin
     30 Jan: Paris Hilton will feel haunted by her sex tape for "the rest of [her] life"
     30 Jan: Jason Momoa has likened Dave Bautista to "an older brother"
     30 Jan: The Blind Side star Quinton Aaron is fighting for his life in hospital after contracting a "severe blood infection"
     30 Jan: Jessie J cancelled a gig in Toronto, Canada on Sunday night (25.01.26) after the venue was hit by a massive snow storm
     30 Jan: JoJo Siwa "needs" to have a baby with Chris Hughes
     30 Jan: Alexander Skarsgard doesn't feel "comfortable" playing "good-hearted" characters
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Rugby Australia has shown its desire to retain young talent after re-signing star Wallabies outside back Max Jorgensen through to the 2031 World Cup More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Gold price plummets as markets prepare for Fed chair announcement — as it happened More...



     Today's News

    International:
    Gold and silver prices collapse ahead of announcement of new US Federal Reserve chair 23:16

    Soccer:
    Mistakes have cost the Wellington Phoenix a win against the visiting Melbourne City in football's A-League 21:57

    Basketball:
    The New Zealand Breakers have kept the NBL playoff door ajar with a 97-95 win over Melbourne United at Auckland's Spark Arena 21:47

    Entertainment:
    Jennifer Lopez feels "very confident" when she has healthy-looking skin 21:31

    Soccer:
    To A-League football in the capital 21:17

    Entertainment:
    Paris Hilton will feel haunted by her sex tape for "the rest of [her] life" 21:01

    Entertainment:
    Jason Momoa has likened Dave Bautista to "an older brother" 20:31

    Entertainment:
    The Blind Side star Quinton Aaron is fighting for his life in hospital after contracting a "severe blood infection" 20:01

    Business:
    Gold price plummets as markets prepare for Fed chair announcement — as it happened 19:37

    Entertainment:
    Jessie J cancelled a gig in Toronto, Canada on Sunday night (25.01.26) after the venue was hit by a massive snow storm 19:31


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd