Pop music and 'Grease' star Olivia Newton-John dead at age 73

Olivia Newton-John, the singer who rose to the top of pop music charts worldwide in the 1970s and 1980s with songs like I Honestly Love You, and Physical, and starred in Grease, has died at the age of 73.

The death of the performer, who was born in Britain and raised in Australia, was announced by her Instagram account. She said she "passed peacefully" at her ranch home, "surrounded with family and friends".

Four-time Grammy winner Newton-John had revealed in 2017 that her breast cancer had recurred and had spread to her lower back. She had to cancel her performances. Newton-John, who had had a partial mastectomy 25 years ago, became a vocal advocate for breast cancer research. She also established a cancer treatment-research center in Australia.

As a child, the entertainer started performing and then became a worldwide superstar when she moved to the United States. When she recorded her first hit, If Not for You, in 1971, she was blue-eyed, blond and full of wholesomeness. It was also a Bob Dylan song.

In the following years, it was followed by Let Me Be There, which won her a Grammy as best female country vocal performance. If You Love Me (Let Me Know), and Have You Never Been Mellow (I Honestly Love You) Grammys won the record and best female pop performance of the year for this song.

Newton-John was also named Country Music Association's female vocalist of the year in 1974. She beat out homegrown stars like Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton. Many Nashville purists were surprised at the unlikely success of an Australian singer performing country-flavoured pop songs.

Newton-John's work was not always appreciated by critics. They often found her style too commercial and frothy. The New York Times once called her voice "nearly colourless".

However, Newton-John continued to sell well. She also co-starred with John Travolta in Grease, the 1978 film that would be one of the most beloved musicals in Hollywood history.

The film is set in 1950s America. Sandy, Newton-John's primary character, has a summer affair with Danny, Travolta's "greaser", but their relationship ends up falling apart because of cultural differences. They reconcile when their roles are reversed, with Danny tidying up his act and Sandy striking out in tight, black leather clothes.

Travolta, now 68, paid tribute to his co-star, saying that her "impact" was amazing.

The actor wrote: "My dearest Olivia. You made all our lives so much easier. I love you so very much. We will all see each other down the road, and we will all be back together again. From the moment I first saw you, and forever! Your Danny, your John!"

Allan Carr, the film's producer, sought Newton-John as the female lead. He had been impressed by her at a dinner party and encouraged her to accept the role.

Initial hesitation by the singer stemmed from her experience in Tomorrow, a 1970 British film disaster. She was also concerned about her record career and her American accent so the part was rewritten.

Based on the 1972 Broadway musical, the film was a huge commercial and critical success. The soundtrack also generated many hits including Newton-John's title song, Hopelessly Devoted To You, Summer Nights, and Travolta's bouncy duet, You're The One That I Want.

She told Detroit News that she was grateful for Grease in 2016. "The movie and its songs are still very much loved."

Although Xanadu, her next musical film in 1980, was a failure, it did give Newton-John some hits with the title song and Magic reaching No. 1.

Newton-John's biggest hit single was Physical in 1981. The accompanying video for the song featured Newton-John in work-out clothes with a headband. This helped to fuel a fashion trend. The song's sex-infused lyrics ("there is nothing left to discuss unless it's horizontal, let's get physical") damaged her positive-girl image, leading some radio stations to ban the song.

After Physical, Newton-John's career slowed down, but she did have another No. #1 hit in the dance charts with You Have to Believe, a reworked version of Magic that she performed with her only child, Chloe Lattanzi.

In 1983, she would star in Two of a Kind, and in 2012, she recorded a Christmas album.

Newton-John was the sister of a victim of brain cancer. She became an advocate for breast cancer after her first battle with it. In her hometown of Melbourne, she established the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre. The Olivia Breast Self-Exam Kit was also created by her.

Share this article: