The Majestic Olivia Newton John
Olivia Newton-John was born on September 26, 1948, in Cambridge, England. She was the youngest of three children. Her father, Brinley “Bryn” Newton-John, was a professor of Germanic languages at the University of Cambridge. Her mother, Irene Helene (née Born), was the daughter of a Yorkshire doctor who had been trained at the Royal Infirmary in Leeds. Olivia had two older siblings: Hugh, a doctor, and Rona, an actress, and former teacher.
The family moved to Melbourne, Australia, when she was five. Olivia attended Christchurch Grammar School and studied psychology at the University of Melbourne. She left college after one year to pursue her singing career full-time. In 1966 she released her first single, titled Till You Say You’ll Be Mine. It didn’t do well commercially, but it did catch the attention of Australian entertainer Pat Carroll who invited her to tour with him as part of his show The Carols by Candlelight.
In 1971 she signed with EMI Records and released her debut album, If Not for You, which contained her version of Bob Dylan’s song If Not For You. The album peaked at number fourteen on the UK charts and became a gold record in Australia. She followed this up with another Dylan cover, Let Me Be There, which reached number six in Australia and number ten in the US.
Olivia’s next album Long Live Love contained her first major hit single; I Honestly Love You, which topped charts around the world, including spending ten weeks at number one in America. After that, Olivia’s star continued to rise throughout the 1970s with more chart-topping singles like Have You Never Been Mellow, Please Mr. Please, physical albums like Have You Never Been Mellow and Grease soundtrack, and movies such as Xanadu.
Olivia Newton John inspired generations of fans and became a screen siren. Such is her star power that she features in merchandise, music, and entertainment media across the world. One stellar example is Grease slot game available at Slots Heaven Casino. Fans of John Travolta and Olivia Newton John will be thrilled with this fabulous audio-visual ensemble. It brings everything into sharp focus with musical tracks, and various throwback elements to the 1970s musical sensation of the same name. Plus, this medium-volatility slot features a competitive 95.55% RTP.
In 1978 she starred opposite John Travolta in what would become one of the most successful movie musicals ever made, Grease. The film’s soundtrack containing Olivia’s songs “You’re The One That I Want” and “Hopelessly Devoted To You” went to number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, making her only the second artist after Marvin Gaye to have done so from a movie soundtrack. Olivia married actor Matt Lattanzi in 1984; they had one child together, Chloe Rose Lattanzi, born on January 17, 1986. After seventeen years together, they divorced amicably in 1995.
Health Concerns: Diagnosis and Recovery
In 2008 Olivia was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a partial mastectomy followed by eight months of chemotherapy. She never fully recovered and advocated for breast cancer awareness and early detection. Olivia Newton-John died on 8 August 2022, after a long battle with breast cancer. She leaves her beloved husband, John Easterling and children behind. She was 73 years old.
Olivia Newton-John was a legendary figure in the music and film industries, with a career spanning over five decades. She sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling artists. She won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, an Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award.
In addition to her musical accomplishments, she is also well-known for her roles in hit films such as Grease and Xanadu.
Grease
Paramount Pictures originally released the movie Grease on June 16, 1978. With a budget of $6 million, the 1-hour 50-minute comedy/musical/romance film had a total domestic take of $159,978,870. But its true appeal was evident with the international take of $206,200,000, for a grand total of $396,271,103. The movie has been rereleased multiple times over the years. Years ago, there was even talk of a new film release, but that got shelved.
This glorious film tells the story of a summer romance between a greaser name Danny Zuko and a good girl named Sandy Olsson. The inimitable John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John star in this smash hit sensation that remains hugely popular today.
Xanadu
Xanadu stars Olivia Newton-John as Kira, alongside Gene Kelly (Dane Maguire), Michael Beck (Sonny Malone), and James Sloyan (Simpson). While nowhere near as successful as Grease, Xanadu (released by Universal Pictures in August 1980) had a worldwide take of $22,762,571. This fantasy/musical/romance tells the tale of a Los Angeles artist who meets a girl. We’ll leave the rest up to your imagination!
The UK newspaper – The Guardian – ran an op-ed about Olivia Newton John’s illustrious career. They listed the top 10 songs as follows:
- Not Gonna Give Into It
- Physical
- I Need Love
- Making a Good Thing Better
- I Honestly Love You
- Don’t Stop Believin’
- Soul Kiss
- A Little More Love
- Have you Never Been Mellow
- Xanadu
There you have it, folks! A fitting tribute for a queen of the silver screen, a diva on the stage, and an angel of the red carpet.
