Olivia Newton John has passed away at aged 73.
It has been reported that the British-Australian singer, songwriter and actress passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by her friends and family.
Olivia Newton John is survived by her husband, John Easterling and their daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, and her siblings Sarah and Toby.
Olivia’s husband, John, broke the news: “Dame Olivia Newton-John passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”
“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the Olivia Newton John Foundation Fund.”
Who was Olivia Newton John?
Olivia Newton John, born September 26th 1948, was a British-born Australian actress, singer, songwriter and entrepeneur. She is best known for playing Sandy in the hit musical Grease, alongside John Travolta.
Throughout her career, Olivia had a lot of success with singing and acting, starting when she was just 14 years old! She recorded her first single “Till You Say You’ll Be Mine” in 1966, and released her first solo album “If Not For You” in 1970.
In 1978, she got her first major acting breakthrough, when she was cast as the lead, Sandy Olsson, in the film adaptation of the musical Grease. Her performance in Grease earned her the “People’s Choice Award” for Favourite Film Actress, and a Golden Globe nomination for “Best Actress in a musical”.
After the success of Grease, Olivia continued to sing and act, until 1992, when she took a break after she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. After undergoing a partial masectomy, chemotherapy and breast reconstruction, she made an initial full recovery. However, her cancer returned in 2013 and again in 2017.
Her later career saw Olivia actively touring and doing concerts between 2012 to 2017, as well as enjoying a Las Vegas residency between 2013 and 2016. In 2015, she was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame, annual awards night celebrating music from the Australian state of Victoria.
Olivia and Eurovision
Most Eurovision fans will remember Olivia Newton John as being the United Kingdom’s representative in Eurovision 1974, which was held in Brighton, United Kingdom.
Olivia performed six songs in a special national final. “Long Live Love” was the winning song, as chosen by the British public. She went on to finish in fourth place at Eurovision, being beaten to the top spot by none other than ABBA.
We send our condolences to Olivia’s family and friends during this difficult time.
