Olivia Newton-John, star of the hit musical “Grease” and multi-platinum singer, has died at the age of 73, her husband John Easterling announced on social media Monday. For many years the artist fought cancer, which at one point came back, and devoted himself to the fight against this disease by establishing the foundation for research into new treatment methods.
In 1992, she was first diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a partial mastectomy, but the disease returned 21 years later. Later, in 2018, the star revealed that she had metastases. In 2019, he testified on the show “60 Minutes” says he is suffering from terminal cancer and doesn’t know how long he has to live.
“Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully this morning at her farm in Southern California surrounded by family and friends. We ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy at this difficult time,” said her husband John Easterling.
After her first cancer diagnosis, Newton-John became a prominent campaigner in the fight against cancer, founding the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Research Center in Melbourne. Her efforts in this field have been recognized by Queen Elizabeth II, who in 2020 awarded her the title of “Dame”.
The artist was convinced that he would beat the disease and asked his country, Australia, to adopt the laws of the US state of California, where he lived, allowing the use of marijuana for therapeutic purposes.
Olivia Newton-John admits she has had an “incredible career” and has nothing to complain about, despite her moments of frustration.
“Grease”, the film that gave him fame
It says that as important as his showbiz career, which included four Grammy Awards and sales of more than 100 million discs, his importance as an activist for research and finding better anti-cancer treatments will be an essential part of his legacy. Guardian.
The 1978 film adaptation of the Broadway musical Grease, in which she starred opposite John Travolta, brought her worldwide fame. Olivia Newton-John, then 29, had to be persuaded to accept the role. She worried that she was too old to play a high school girl. The character was also changed to suit his Australian accent.
“Grease” was the biggest box office hit of the year, and its soundtrack album spent 12 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the US. He later inspired an entire generation and made many youngsters fall in love with dance.
Olivia Newton-John was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and “Incredibly Devoted to You” at the 1979 Academy Awards.
The film’s soundtrack is among the top 10 best sellers of all time.
Competed with ABBA at Eurovision
Born in Cambridge, England in 1948, Newton-John and his family moved to Melbourne, Australia when he was six years old. However, he was proud of his roots: his father was an MI5 officer who worked on the Enigma project at Bletchley Park during the war; His maternal grandfather was the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Max Born, who fled Nazi Germany in exile in Britain.
At the age of 14, Olivia Newton-John began her professional singing career, recording her first single in 1966 and her first solo album, If Not For You, in 1971.
In 1974, Olivia Newton-John represented Great Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest. Her song “Long Live Love” came in fourth place, tied with another song that ABBA won the competition with their hit “Waterloo” that year.
For Olivia, her stint singing and recording country music continued before she starred in ‘Grease’.
A lifelong friendship with John Travolta
In the film Sandy, her character’s transformation — from tight-lipped girlfriend to spandex-clad man — led to a similar turn in Olivia Newton-John’s music career, culminating in the 1981 album “Physical.”
A second collaboration with Travolta in 1983’s Two of a Kind was less successful, but the two remained close friends for decades. They last acted together in 2012.
For the past 40 years, Olivia Newton-John has combined her musical career with health, environmental and animal rights activism, battling illness and raising her daughter Chloe.
The artist admitted to The Observer in 2012, “Cancer was refreshing. I feel blessed to have had the chance to live.”
“My dear Olivia, you have made all of our lives so much better. Your impact is incredible. I love you so much. We’ll meet at the end of the road and we’ll all be together again. Always yours from the first moment I saw you! Yours Danny, Yours John” – a message from her “Grease” co-star John Travolta on Instagram after the announcement of Olivia Newton-John’s death.
Author: Luana Pavaluka
“Evil gamer. Amateur music trailblazer. Alcohol geek. Problem solver. Coffee advocate. Troublemaker. Infuriatingly humble zombieaholic.”