NEW YORK — Wayne Osmond, who rose to fame in the 1970s with his brothers in the musical act The Osmonds, died Wednesday at the age of 73 after suffering a massive stroke last week.

Osmond’s brother, Donny Osmond, confirmed the death in a post on Instagram.

“Wayne brought so much light, laughter, and love to everyone who knew him, especially me,” Donny Osmond writes in the post. “He was the ultimate optimist and was loved by everyone. I’m sure I speak on behalf of every one of us siblings when I state that we were fortunate to have Wayne as a brother.”

Merrill Osmond also released a statement on his brother’s death.

“My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave as an even greater saint than he came in,” Merrill Osmond writes on Facebook. “I’ve never known a man that had more humility. A man with absolute no guile. An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met.”

The Osmonds, consisting of brothers Wayne, Alan, Merrill, Jay and Donny, enjoyed great success in the early 1970s, releasing light pop-rock hits such as “One Bad Apple,” “Down by the Lazy River,” “Double Lovin’” and “Puppy Love.”

The group eventually sold an estimated 77 million recordings. It also helped launch the solo careers of both Donny and his sister, Marie Osmond, who in the late 1970s teamed up for a successful variety TV show. The popularity of The Osmonds as a group faded, though.

In the 1980s, Wayne Osmond regrouped with Alan, Merrill and Jay as a country act and had a handful of hits, including “I Think About Your Lovin.’”

But in the mid-1990s he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and lost much of his hearing from the surgery and treatment. A stroke in 2012 left him unable to play guitar.

Wayne Osmond married Kathlyn White in 1974. They had five children.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)