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COURTESY PHOTOOlivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John, the Australian singer and actress best known for her leading role in the popular movie “Grease,” died Monday at the age of 73.
“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,” her husband, John Easterling, wrote in a statement. “Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.”
Ms. Newton-John, whose homes over the years included a ranch in Santa Ynez that was put up for sale in 2019, revealed in 2018 that she was being treated for cancer at the base of her spine. She had previous bouts with breast cancer in the early ‘90s and in 2017.
Already a popular country and soft-rock singer by the late 1970s, Ms. Newton-John’s fame rose to a new level at the age of 29 with her leading role as Sandy in 1978’s “Grease,” often considered the most popular movie musical of all time. In the film, set in the ‘50s, she acted opposite John Travolta, playing an Australian transfer student navigating an unlikely romance with Mr. Travolta’s greaser Danny.
”I don’t think anyone could have imagined a movie would go on almost 40 years and would still be popular and people would still be talking to me about it all the time and loving it,” Ms. Newton-John said in a 2017 interview. “It’s just one of those movies. I’m very lucky to have been a part of it. It’s given so many people pleasure.”
The film produced a number of memorable musical numbers, with three of the biggest featuring Ms. Newton-John. She sang along with Mr. Travolta in the duets “You’re The One That I Want” and “Summer Nights,” as well as her solo song “Hopelessly Devoted To You.”
Born in Cambridge, England, in 1948, Ms. Newton-John moved with her family to Melbourne, Australia, when she was five. It was here that her performing career got started after winning a talent contest on “Sing, Sing, Sing,” a TV show. She later formed an all-girl group as a teenager and appeared on a weekly pop music program in Australia.
Recording her first single in England in 1966, her major introduction to American audiences came in 1973, when “Let Me Be There” hit the top ten on both the adult contemporary and country charts. She followed that up with a number of No. 1 easy listening hits, leading up to “Grease,” 1978’s top grossing movie.
Her musical success continued into the ‘80s, when her biggest hit, “Physical,” spent 10 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. In all, Ms. Newton-John’s career resulted in four Grammy Awards and she sold more than 100 million albums.
Ms. Newton-John also appeared in several more movies, including the musical fantasy “Xanadu” alongside Gene Kelly in his final screen role. In 1983 she teamed with Travolta again for “Two of a Kind,” a romantic comedy-fantasy.
”I love to sing, it’s all I know how to do,” she said in a 2017 interview. “That’s all I’ve ever done since I was 15, so it’s my life. I feel very grateful that I can still do it and people still come to see me.”
email: msmolensky@newspress.com
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