Scandals make money. That much is clear. The thing is, some people are just not involved in the kind of scandals that their producers would like. Oddly enough, Donny has said was he pressured to be a part of a scandal to make him seem more of the rock star/TV personality. About this time Donny signed with Virgin Records. Then, a substance abuse rumor broke out.
Donny, whose beliefs and practices had nothing to do with the rumor, stayed strong, adhering to his devout faith. He refused to go along with the publicity stunt and continued to remain calm and clean.
The Purple Socks
There were a lot of theories swirling around about why Donny was always wearing purple socks. Could this have been an eccentric demand made by the star? Might these mysterious socks be his lucky charm? Actually no!
Donny has shed light on all of it by revealing it was actually his mother’s idea. She did it for practicality. She came up with a system so that each child had their own colored socks so there would be no fights or confusion over which socks belonged to who. So as a tribute to his mother, Donny just always wears purple socks.
Lessons From Lucille
It doesn't matter what our line of work is, there's always something we can learn from seniors in the field. When Marie was 16, Lucille Ball (who was 52 years older than her) provided the star with a few tricks she learned in her long, illustrious career. These pieces of advice have stayed with her even up until now.
Marie was once a guest on Lucille’s show and Lucille taught the youngster a few things about makeup and lighting. This may be why Marie is so adamant about how she is lighted even to this day. Imagine getting pointers from an old pro like Lucille Ball!
Stealing Jay’s girl
As it so happens, the song "Could She Be Mine?" has a truly great story behind it. In 1975, Donny dated a girl named Tammy, and his brother dated a girl named Debbie.
The four of them went to an Elton John concert and during "Your Song" Donny looked at Debbie and thought, “I’m going to marry her someday.” After asking her out twice, Debbie finally agreed and the two have lived happily ever after. So maybe that’s where the idea for the song came from. Frankly, we're amazed that the case didn't drive a wedge between the two brothers!
A Different Man
While Donny may seem like a wild man on stage, his home life could not be more different. When he is onstage, he focuses on being passionate and in the moment. He doesn't let the lights and the fans confuse him.
At home, it is a different story. He is a great family man. He is down to earth. He mows his own lawn whereas some stars might have that all done for them. He has even stated that he is quite the confident electrician at home. This just goes to show that you can never assume a star's personality based on their stage presence.