Olivia Newton-John, who became a formative part of many moviegoers' musical experience thanks to her breakout role in Grease, has died. She was 73.
Born in Cambridge but raised in Melbourne, Australia, she was first attracted to music rather than acting, and learned to play the piano aged 5. By the time she was 15, she'd formed all-girl group Sol Four, and won a talent contest TV show called Sing, Sing, Sing.
Winning a trip to London, Newton-John travelled back to her homeland and performed at army bases and clubs in England and Europe.
Her first music deal came with Decca Records, recording covers and then joining bubblegum band Toomorrow (which was aiming to be a UK version of The Monkees – up to and including making a movie starring the band).
Another big breakthrough came in the 1970s when she opened for Cliff Richard and guested on his TV show. She began having even more success with her own music, scoring top 10 singles and then her first two chart-toppers with 'I Honestly Love You' in 1974 and 'Have You Never Been Mellow' the following year.
She became a country-pop and soft-rock sensation in the 1970s and ’80s, selling more than 100 million albums and enjoying nearly 40 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 during her five decades in music.
While some might have seen Grease as a big opportunity, she was nervous about taking on another movie, since Toomorrow had been an abject flop and her music career was booming. Still, producer Allan Carr convinced her, and the rest is movie musical history, as she starred alongside John Travolta in the tale of opposites attracting.
Also on her film CV? Xanadu, Two Of A Kind (which saw her reunite with Travolta) and the likes of Sordid Lives, It's My Party and an uncredited cameo as herself in She's Having A Baby. Yet her impact on films is just as impressive for her music - she recorded a funny, sexy music video for 'Physical', which saw her gently spoofing the aerobics trend and yet proved it be a hit in itself.
Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, but overcame it. The cancer returned, however, in 2017 and she announced it had spread to her lower back. She never wanted to be seen as simply a cancer survivor, however. "'Survivor' sounds like someone clinging onto a lifeboat," she told US morning show Today. "A thriver’s someone who’s already off the boat and on land."
Her family released the news via her Facebook page. "Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer," husband John Easterling wrote. "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."
"Olivia is survived by her husband John Easterling; daughter Chloe Lattanzi; sister Sarah Newton-John; brother Toby Newton-John; nieces and nephews Tottie, Fiona and Brett Goldsmith; Emerson, Charlie, Zac, Jeremy, Randall, and Pierz Newton-John; Jude Newton-Stock, Layla Lee; Kira and Tasha Edelstein; and Brin and Valerie Hall."
Travolta paid tribute to his friend and co-star via a moving Instagram message.