Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John was a British-Australian singer and actress who was born on September 26, 1948, in Cambridge, England. She moved to Australia with her family when she was five years old and began her singing career at the age of 15. She won a talent contest on a TV show called Sing, Sing, Sing and was offered a trip to England as a prize. She decided to stay there and pursue her music career, recording her first single "Till You Say You’ll Be Mine" in 1966. She also formed a duo with her friend Pat Carroll, who later became her sister-in-law. In 1971, she had her first solo hit with a cover of Bob Dylan’s "If Not for You", which reached the top ten in the UK and Australia. She followed it with another hit, "Banks of the Ohio", which showcased her country-pop style. She moved to the US in 1974 and signed with MCA Records. She achieved more success with songs like "Let Me Be There", "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)", "I Honestly Love You", "Have You Never Been Mellow" and "Please Mr. Please". She won four Grammy Awards in the categories of Best Female Country Vocal Performance, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year. She also hosted two TV specials, Olivia and A Special Olivia Newton-John. In 1978, she starred opposite John Travolta in the film adaptation of the musical Grease, which became a worldwide phenomenon and one of the highest-grossing films of all time. The soundtrack album also sold over 40 million copies and spawned several hit singles, including "You’re the One That I Want", "Summer Nights" and "Hopelessly Devoted to You". Newton-John’s image changed from a wholesome country girl to a sexy pop star, which was reflected in her next album, Totally Hot, which featured the hit "A Little More Love". In 1980, she starred in another musical film, Xanadu, which was a critical and commercial failure but had a successful soundtrack album that included the songs "Magic" and "Xanadu" (with Electric Light Orchestra). She also launched her own fashion line, Koala Blue, with Pat Carroll. In 1981, she released her most successful album to date, Physical, which sold over 10 million copies and topped the Billboard 200 chart for 10 weeks. The title track was also a huge hit and became Billboard’s number-one single of the 1980s. She also made two more TV specials, Olivia Newton-John: Hollywood Nights and Olivia in Concert. In 1983, she starred in another film, Two of a Kind, with John Travolta, which was also a flop but had a popular soundtrack that featured the song "Twist of Fate". She also released another album, Soul Kiss, which had moderate success. In 1985, she participated in the charity single "We Are the World" and performed at the Live Aid concert. She also married actor Matt Lattanzi, whom she had met on the set of Xanadu in 1980. They had a daughter, Chloe, in 1986. In 1988, she released another album, The Rumour, which was produced by Elton John and featured the hit "The Rumour". She also published a memoir, Don’t Stop Believin’, and made a cameo appearance in the film Sordid Lives. In 1992, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a partial mastectomy, chemotherapy and breast reconstruction. She also divorced Lattanzi in 1996. She became an advocate for breast cancer awareness and research, and opened the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne in 2012. She also resumed her music career, releasing albums such as Gaia: One Woman’s Journey (1994), Back with a Heart (1998), (2) (2002), Indigo: Women of Song (2004), Grace and Gratitude (2006), A Celebration in Song (2008), This Christmas (with John Travolta) (2012), Liv On (with Amy Sky and Beth Nielsen Chapman) (2016) and Friends for Christmas (with John Farnham) (2016). She also toured extensively and performed in Las Vegas residencies. She also appeared in films and TV shows such as It’s My Party (1996), The Wilde Girls (2001), Glee (2010-2011), A Few Best Men (2011), Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017) and The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee (2020). She also received many honors and awards, such as the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1992, the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1979, the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2020, the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2020, the Australian of the Year in 1998, the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame in 2002, the Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 1981 and the Grammy Hall of Fame inductee in 2002. She also supported various causes and charities, such as animal rights, environmental protection, children’s health and education. She died on August 8, 2022, at her ranch in Santa Ynez, California, from a bleeding ulcer and chest infection. She had battled breast cancer three times since 1992 and revealed in 2017 that it had metastasized to her bones. She was surrounded by her family and friends at the time of her death. She was remembered as one of the most successful and beloved singers and actresses of all time, as well as a courageous and compassionate human being.678910