Olivia Newton-John: British-Australian singer (1948-2022)
Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was an English and Australian singer, songwriter and actress known for her gentle singing voice, her purity of tone and her perfect pitch.
A four-time Grammy Award winner, Newton-John was one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with global sales of more than 120 million records.
Olivia Newton-John | |
|---|---|
.png) Newton-John performing in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 26 September 1948 Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England |
| Origin | Melbourne, Australia |
| Died | 8 August 2022 (aged 73) Santa Ynez Valley, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop, country, soft rock, adult contemporary, dance-pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, actress |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1963–2022 |
| Labels | Uni, MCA, EMI, Pye, Festival |
| Website | olivianewton-john.com |
Newton-John achieved worldwide stardom in a variety of musical genres and was especially well known for her starring role in Grease (1978), one of the most successful movie musicals of all time.
Early life
Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England. Her father was Welsh. Her mother was from Berlin, the daughter of Max Born. Newton-John is the youngest of three children. In 1954, her family moved to Australia. At age 12, she won a contest at school with girl group "Sol Four".
When she was 17 years old, she had her first appearance in a movie, Funny Things Happen Down Under (1965), where she sang "Christmas Time Down Under". Shortly after she was in a talent contest and won first prize, a trip to England. She got a record deal on Decca Records and released her first single, "Till You Say You'll Be Mine", in 1966.
Career
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Newton-John stayed in England and recorded a cover of the Bob Dylan song, "If Not For You". It was the song which first caused her to be well known. She released her first solo album, If Not For You, in 1971. In 1973, her career began to do well. In 1974, she represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 with the song "Long Live Love". She finished in 4th place, with Sweden's ABBA being the winners.
Her first successful song was "Let Me Be There". The song made the top 10 on the US pop chart. It also earned her a Grammy Award for Best Country Female. More successful songs followed: "If You Love Me Let Me Know," "I Honestly Love You", "Have You Never Been Mellow", "Please Mr. Please" and many more.
Her first big acting role was with John Travolta in Grease. It became the most successful movie of 1978.
Personal life
Olivia lived in California for decades. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She had breast cancer in 1992, and recovered. She was married twice. She has a daughter by her first husband.
She was also an activist for environmental and animal rights issues.
Death
In May 2017, it was announced that Newton-John's breast cancer had returned and metastasized to her lower back. In August 2019, it was also reported that the cancer was at Stage IV and spread to her bones.
Newton-John died from the disease at her ranch in Santa Ynez Valley, California at the age of 73. The Australian state of Victoria offered a state funeral for Newton-John.
References
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