Olivia Newton-John
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Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and two number-one albums on the ''Billboard'' 200: '' If You Love Me, Let Me Know'' (1974) and '' Have You Never Been Mellow'' (1975). Eleven of her
singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
(including two
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...
) and 14 of her
albums An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records col ...
(including two Platinum and four 2× Platinum) have been
certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
Gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
(RIAA). In 1978, Newton-John starred in the
musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as brea ...
'' Grease'', which was the highest-grossing musical film at the time and whose
soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...
remains one of the world's best-selling albums. It features two major hit
duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a sol ...
s with co-star
John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes '' Carrie'' ( ...
: "
You're the One That I Want "You're the One That I Want" is a song performed by American actor and singer John Travolta and Anglo-Australian singer, songwriter and actress Olivia Newton-John for the 1978 film version of the musical '' Grease''. It was written and produc ...
"—which is one of the best-selling singles of all time—and " Summer Nights". Her signature solo recordings include the
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
Grammy winner " I Honestly Love You" (1974) and "
Physical Physical may refer to: * Physical examination, a regular overall check-up with a doctor * ''Physical'' (Olivia Newton-John album), 1981 ** "Physical" (Olivia Newton-John song) * ''Physical'' (Gabe Gurnsey album) * "Physical" (Alcazar song) (2004) * ...
" (1981)—''Billboards highest ranking Hot 100 single of the 1980s. Other defining hit singles include " If Not for You" and " Banks of the Ohio" (both 1971), "
Let Me Be There "Let Me Be There" is a popular song written by John Rostill. It was first recorded by Olivia Newton-John and released in September 1973 as the second single from her studio album of the same name. The country-influenced song was Newton-John's fir ...
" (1973), " If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" (1974), " Have You Never Been Mellow" (1975), " Sam" (1977), " Hopelessly Devoted to You" (1978; also from ''Grease''), " A Little More Love" (1978), " Twist of Fate" (1983) and, from the 1980 film '' Xanadu'', " Magic" and " Xanadu" (with the
Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop, classical ...
). With global sales of more than 100 million records, Newton-John established herself as one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Newton-John, who battled breast cancer three times, was an advocate and sponsor for breast cancer research. She also was an activist for
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and
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causes.


Early life

Newton-John was born on 26 September 1948 in
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
, England, to Brinley "Bryn" Newton-John (1914–1992) and Irene Helene (née Born; 1914–2003). Her father was born in
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
to a middle-class family. Her mother was born in Germany and had come to the UK with her family in 1933 to escape the
Nazi Regime Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. Newton-John's maternal grandfather was
German Jewish The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (''circa'' 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi Jewish ...
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
–winning physicist
Max Born Max Born (; 11 December 1882 – 5 January 1970) was a German physicist and mathematician who was instrumental in the development of quantum mechanics. He also made contributions to solid-state physics and optics and supervised the work of a ...
; Born was practising Lutheranism before being officially baptised as a Lutheran in March 1914, before Irene's birth. Her maternal grandmother Hedwig was the daughter of German Jewish jurist Victor Ehrenberg, and of his Lutheran wife, Helene Agatha von Jhering. Through Helene Agatha, Olivia was a descendant of Protestant theologian
Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...
. Helene Agatha's own father, Newton-John's great-great-grandfather, was jurist Rudolf von Jhering. Olivia's uncle was pharmacologist Gustav Victor Rudolf Born. Through her Ehrenberg line, Newton-John was a third cousin of comedian
Ben Elton Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959) is an English comedian, actor, author, playwright, lyricist and director. He was a part of London's alternative comedy movement of the 1980s and became a writer on the sitcoms '' The Young Ones'' and ''Bla ...
. Newton-John's father was an MI5 officer on the
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project at
Bletchley Park Bletchley Park is an English country house and estate in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire) that became the principal centre of Allied code-breaking during the Second World War. The mansion was constructed during the years following ...
who took
Rudolf Hess Rudolf Walter Richard Hess (Heß in German; 26 April 1894 – 17 August 1987) was a German politician and a leading member of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Appointed Deputy Führer to Adolf Hitler in 1933, Hess held that position unt ...
into custody during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. After the war, he became the headmaster of the Cambridgeshire High School for Boys and was in this post when Newton-John was born. Newton-John was the youngest of three children, following her brother Hugh (1939–2019), a medical doctor, and her sister Rona (1941–2013), an actress who was married to restaurateur Brian Goldsmith and was later married to Newton-John's '' Grease'' co-star
Jeff Conaway Jeffrey Charles William Michael Conaway (October 5, 1950 – May 27, 2011) was an American actor. He portrayed Kenickie in the film '' Grease'' and had roles in two television series: struggling actor Bobby Wheeler in ''Taxi'' and security offic ...
(from 1980 until their divorce in 1985). She also had a half-brother, Toby, and a half-sister, Sarah, both of whom were born of her father's second marriage. In early 1954, when Newton-John was five, her family emigrated to
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
, Australia, on the SS ''Strathaird''. Note: London to Fremantle, Western Australia. Her father worked as a professor of German and as the master of Ormond College at the
University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb ...
. Her family attended church while her father served as the head of the Presbyterian college. Newton-John attended Christ Church Grammar School in the Melbourne suburb of
South Yarra South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Stonnington local government areas. South Yarra recorded a popu ...
and then the University High School in Parkville.


Career


Career beginnings

Newton-John went to primary school with
Daryl Braithwaite Daryl Braithwaite (born 11 January 1949) is an Australian singer. He was the lead vocalist of Sherbet (1970–1984 and many subsequent reunions). Braithwaite also has a solo career, placing 15 singles in the Australian top 40, including t ...
, who also followed a singing career. At age 14, she formed Sol Four, a short-lived all-girl group, with three classmates, often performing at a coffee shop owned by her brother-in-law. Newton-John originally wanted to become a veterinarian, but then chose to focus on performance after doubting her ability to pass science exams. In 1964, Newton-John's acting talent was first recognised portraying "Lady Mary Lasenby" in her University High School's production of '' The Admirable Crichton'' as she became the Young Sun's Drama Award best schoolgirl actress runner-up. She then became a regular on local Australian television shows, including ''Time for Terry'' and HSV-7's '' The Happy Show'', where she performed as "Lovely Livvy". She also appeared on ''
The Go!! Show ''The Go!! Show'' (also known simply as ''Go!!'') was an Australian popular music television series which aired on ATV-0, Melbourne, from August 1964 to August 1967. It was produced by DYT Productions at the ATV-0 studios in Nunawading, Vict ...
'' where she met her future duet partner, singer
Pat Carroll Patricia Ann Carroll (May 5, 1927 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress and comedian. She was known for voicing Ursula in '' The Little Mermaid'' and for appearances in CBS's ''The Danny Thomas Show'', ABC's '' Laverne & Shirley'', and ...
, and her future music producer, John Farrar (Carroll and Farrar later married). In 1965 she entered and won a talent contest on the television program '' Sing, Sing, Sing'' hosted by 1960s Australian icon Johnny O'Keefe, performing the songs " Anyone Who Had a Heart" and " Everything's Coming Up Roses". She was initially reluctant to use the prize she had won, a trip to Great Britain, but travelled there nearly a year later after her mother encouraged her to broaden her horizons. Newton-John recorded her first single, "Till You Say You'll Be Mine", in Britain for
Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American Decca's president. ...
in 1966. While in Britain, Newton-John missed her then-boyfriend, Ian Turpie, with whom she had co-starred in an Australian telefilm, '' Funny Things Happen Down Under''. She repeatedly booked trips back to Australia that her mother cancelled. Newton-John's outlook changed when Pat Carroll moved to the UK. The two formed a duo called "Pat and Olivia" and toured nightclubs in Europe. (In one incident, they were booked at Paul Raymond's Revue in
Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was deve ...
, London, and were unaware that it was a
strip club A strip club is a venue where strippers provide adult entertainment, predominantly in the form of striptease or other erotic or exotic dances. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, and can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style ...
until they began to perform onstage dressed primly in frilly high-collared dresses.)" During this period she and Carroll contributed backup vocals to recordings by a number of other artists, notably the song "Come In, You'll Get Pneumonia" by
the Easybeats The Easybeats were an Australian rock band that formed in Sydney in late 1964. They enjoyed a level of success that in Australia rivalled The Beatles. They became the first Australian rock act to score an international hit, with the 1966 sing ...
. After Carroll's visa expired, forcing her to return to Australia, Newton-John remained in Britain to pursue solo work until 1975. Newton-John was recruited for the group Toomorrow, formed by American producer
Don Kirshner Donald Kirshner (April 17, 1934 – January 17, 2011) was an American music publisher, music consultant, rock music producer, talent manager, and songwriter. Dubbed "the Man with the Golden Ear" by ''Time'' magazine, he was best known ...
. In 1970, the group starred in a "science fiction musical"
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...
and recorded an accompanying
soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' ...
on
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also ...
, both named after the group. That same year the group made two single recordings, "You're My Baby Now"/"Goin' Back" and "I Could Never Live Without Your Love"/"Roll Like a River". Neither track became a chart success; the project failed and the group disbanded.


Early success

Newton-John released her first solo album, '' If Not for You'' (US No. 158 Pop), in 1971. (In the UK, the album was known as ''Olivia Newton-John''.) The title track, written by
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
, was her first international hit (US No. 25 Pop, No. 1
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
/"AC"). Her follow-up single, " Banks of the Ohio", was a top 10 hit in the UK and Australia. She was voted Best British Female Vocalist two years in a row by the magazine ''
Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...
''. She made frequent appearances on
Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million ...
's weekly show ''It's Cliff Richard'' and starred with him in the telefilm ''The Case''. In 1972, Newton-John's second UK album, '' Olivia'', was released but never formally issued in the United States, where her career floundered after ''If Not for You''. Subsequent singles, including " Banks of the Ohio" (No. 94 Pop, No. 34 AC) and remakes of George Harrison's " What Is Life" (No. 34 AC) and
John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singe ...
's "
Take Me Home, Country Roads "Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver about West Virginia. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two ...
" (No. 119 Pop), made minimal impact on the
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
. Her fortune changed with the release of "
Let Me Be There "Let Me Be There" is a popular song written by John Rostill. It was first recorded by Olivia Newton-John and released in September 1973 as the second single from her studio album of the same name. The country-influenced song was Newton-John's fir ...
" in 1973. The song reached the American top 10 on the Pop (No. 6), Country (No. 7), and AC (No. 3) charts and earned her a
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for Best Country Female and an Academy of Country Music award for Most Promising Female Vocalist. Her second American album, named ''
Let Me Be There "Let Me Be There" is a popular song written by John Rostill. It was first recorded by Olivia Newton-John and released in September 1973 as the second single from her studio album of the same name. The country-influenced song was Newton-John's fir ...
'' after the hit single, was her third in Britain, where the LP is known as ''Music Makes My Day''. It is also called ''Let Me Be There'' in Australia; however, the US and Canadian versions featured an alternate track list that mixed new cuts with selections from ''Olivia'' and also recycled six songs from ''If Not for You'', which was going out of print. In 1974, Newton-John represented the United Kingdom in the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
with the song " Long Live Love". The song was chosen for Newton-John by the British public out of six possible entries (Newton-John later admitted that she disliked the song). Newton-John finished fourth at the contest, held in
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
, behind the Swedish winning entry, " Waterloo" by
ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The grou ...
. All six Eurovision contest song candidates—"Have Love, Will Travel", "Lovin' You Ain't Easy", "Long Live Love", "Someday", "Angel Eyes" and "Hands Across the Sea"—were recorded by Newton-John and included on her '' Long Live Love'' album, her first for the
EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...
label. The ''Long Live Love'' album was released in the US and Canada as '' If You Love Me, Let Me Know''. All the Eurovision entries were dropped for different and more country-flavoured tunes intended to capitalise on the success of "Let Me Be There"; the North American offering used selections from ''Long Live Love'', ''Olivia'' and ''Music Makes My Day'', and only the title cut was new. ''If You Love Me, Let Me Know'' title track was its first single and reached No. 5 Pop, No. 2 Country (her best country position to date) and No. 2 AC. The next single, " I Honestly Love You", became Newton-John's signature song. Written and composed by
Jeff Barry Jeff Barry (born Joel Adelberg; April 3, 1938) is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer. Among the most successful songs that he has co-written in his career are " Do Wah Diddy Diddy", " Da Doo Ron Ron", " Then He Kiss ...
and Peter Allen, the ballad became her first Pop number-one (staying there for two weeks), second AC number-one (for three weeks) and third top 10 Country (No. 6) hit and earned Newton-John two more Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance – Female. In her 2018 autobiography, ''Don't Stop Believin','' Newton-John describes "I Honestly Love You" as a song which is "so simple, with a meaning that was deeper than the ocean". In many of her concert performances, Newton-John closed with this tune, and she further explains: “It’s such a special song, and I have some very profound memories of times that I’ve sung it, very intimate times, with special people in my life; and all through my life, it’s meant something different to me, and every time I sing it it has a different resonance”. The success of the singles "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" and "I Honestly Love You" helped the album reach No. 1 on both the pop (one week) and country (eight weeks) albums charts. In the UK and Australia, "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" was featured on compilations titled ''First Impressions'' and ''Great Hits! First Impressions'' respectively. In 1974, George Hamilton IV also presented to her the (BCMA) British Country Music Association Award for "Female Vocalist of the Year" in London, England. In the United States, Newton-John's success in
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
sparked a debate among purists, who took issue with a foreigner singing country-flavoured pop music being classed with native Nashville artists. In addition to her Grammy for "Let Me Be There", Newton-John was also named the
Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The objectives of the organization are to guide and enha ...
Female Vocalist of the Year in 1974, making her the first British singer to have won the award. Consequently, defeating more established Nashville-based nominees
Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Ma ...
,
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...
and
Tanya Tucker Tanya Denise Tucker (born October 10, 1958) is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, " Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. Over the succeeding decades, Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature in ...
, as well as Canadian artist
Anne Murray Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a retired Canadian singer. Her albums, consisting primarily of pop, country, and adult contemporary music, have sold over 55 million copies worldwide during her over 40-year career. Murray was the fir ...
. This protest, in part, led to the formation of the short-lived Association of Country Entertainers (ACE). Newton-John was eventually supported by the country music community. Stella Parton, Dolly's sister, recorded " Ode to Olivia" and Newton-John recorded her 1976 album, '' Don't Stop Believin''', in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
. Encouraged by expatriate Australian singer
Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a showbusiness family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on rad ...
, Newton-John left the UK and moved to the US. Newton-John topped the Pop (one week) and Country (six weeks) albums charts with her next album, '' Have You Never Been Mellow''. For 45 years, Olivia held the
Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
for the shortest gap (154 days) by a female between new Number 1 albums (''If You Love Me, Let Me Know > Have You Never Been Mellow'') on the US Billboard 200 album charts until
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...
in 2020 (140 days with ''
folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, rangin ...
> evermore''). The ''If You Love Me, Let Me Know'' album generated two singles – the John Rostill-penned title track (No. 1 Pop, No. 3 Country, No. 1 AC) and " Please Mr. Please" (No. 3 Pop, No. 5 Country, No. 1 AC). Her pop career cooled with the release of her next album, ''
Clearly Love ''Clearly Love'' is the sixth studio album by Olivia Newton-John, released in September 1975. Commercial performance The album was certified gold in the US. and both of the album's singles were country chart hits, with " Something Better to Do" ...
''. Her streak of five consecutive gold top 10 singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 ended when the album's first single, "
Something Better to Do "Something Better to Do" is a song written by John Farrar and recorded by Olivia Newton-John. The song was released in September 1975 as the lead single from Newton-John's sixth studio album, ''Clearly Love''. The narrator of the song muses that s ...
", stopped at No. 13 (also No. 19 Country and No. 1 AC). Her albums still achieved gold status, and she returned to the top ten of the Hot 100 and ''Billboard'' 200 charts again in 1978. Newton-John's singles continued to top the AC chart, where she amassed ten No. 1 singles, including a record seven consecutively: * " I Honestly Love You" (1974) – 3 weeks * " Have You Never Been Mellow" (1975) – 1 week * " Please Mr. Please" (1975) – 3 weeks * "
Something Better to Do "Something Better to Do" is a song written by John Farrar and recorded by Olivia Newton-John. The song was released in September 1975 as the lead single from Newton-John's sixth studio album, ''Clearly Love''. The narrator of the song muses that s ...
" (1975) – 3 weeks * " Let It Shine"/" He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (1976) – 2 weeks * "
Come on Over ''Come On Over'' is the third studio album by Canadian country music singer Shania Twain. It was released on November 4, 1997, by Mercury Records. Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the album became the best-selling country album, the be ...
" (1976) – 1 week * " Don't Stop Believin'" (1976) – 1 week She provided a prominent, but uncredited, vocal on
John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singe ...
's " Fly Away" single, which was succeeded by her own single, " Let It Shine"/" He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", at No. 1 on the AC chart. (" Fly Away" returned to No. 1 after the two-week reign of " Let It Shine".) Newton-John also continued to reach the Country top 10 where she tallied seven top 10 singles through 1976's "
Come on Over ''Come On Over'' is the third studio album by Canadian country music singer Shania Twain. It was released on November 4, 1997, by Mercury Records. Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the album became the best-selling country album, the be ...
" (No. 23 Pop, No. 5 Country, No. 1 AC) and six consecutive (of a career nine total) top 10 albums through 1976's '' Don't Stop Believin''' (No. 30 Pop, No. 7 Country). She headlined her first US television special, ''A Special Olivia Newton-John'', in November 1976. In 1977, the single " Sam", a mid-tempo
waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...
from ''Don't Stop Believin, returned her to the No. 1 spot on the AC (No. 40 Country) and also reached No. 20 Pop, her highest chart placement since "Something Better to Do". By mid-1977, Newton-John's pop, AC, and country success all suffered a slight blow. Her ''
Making a Good Thing Better ''Making a Good Thing Better'' is the ninth studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on June 1977. The album peaked at No. 34 on the US Pop chart and No. 13 on the Country chart. It was Newton-John's first album no ...
'' album (No. 34 Pop, No. 13 Country) was not certified gold, and its only single, the title track (No. 87 Pop, No. 20 AC), did not reach the AC top 10 or the Country chart. Later that year, '' Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits'' (No. 13 Pop, No. 7 Country) became her first
platinum album Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
. Newton-John was appointed
Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(OBE) in the
1979 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1979 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 1 January 1979 to celebr ...
and
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(DBE) in the
2020 New Year Honours The 2020 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...
for services to charity, cancer research, and entertainment.


Lawsuit against MCA Records

In April 1975, Newton-John and
MCA MCA may refer to: Astronomy * Mars-crossing asteroid, an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars Aviation * Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways * Medium Combat Aircraft, a 5th gen ...
entered into an initial two-year, four-album deal in which she was expected to deliver two LPs a year for the record company. MCA also had the option of extending the contract for six more records and three more years; and if the artist did not deliver on time, MCA was allegedly allowed to increase the term of the commitment to account for the lateness. Per her new agreement with MCA, Newton-John's first three albums, beginning with ''
Clearly Love ''Clearly Love'' is the sixth studio album by Olivia Newton-John, released in September 1975. Commercial performance The album was certified gold in the US. and both of the album's singles were country chart hits, with " Something Better to Do" ...
'', came out on schedule. Her fourth, ''
Making a Good Thing Better ''Making a Good Thing Better'' is the ninth studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on June 1977. The album peaked at No. 34 on the US Pop chart and No. 13 on the Country chart. It was Newton-John's first album no ...
'', was late. This delay occurred around the same time she was working on '' Grease'' for RSO Records, and the postponement arguably gave MCA—which seemed to want to keep its hold on the performer—the right to exercise its option, extend its contract, and stop her from signing with another enterprise. She also did not deliver a "newly optioned" album. On 31 May 1978, Newton-John and MCA each filed breach-of-contract actions against the other. Newton-John sued for $10 million and claimed that MCA's failure to adequately promote and advertise her product freed her from their agreement. MCA's countersuit requested $1 million in damages and an injunction against Newton-John working with another music firm. Ultimately, Newton-John was forbidden from offering her recording services to another label until the five-year pact had run its course. The original covenant was not automatically extended, though she had not duly supplied the total sum of vinyls indicated in the contract. As a result of the lawsuit, record companies changed their contracts to be based on a set number of albums recorded by a musician and not a specific number of years.


''Grease''

Newton-John's career soared after she starred in the
film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
of the Broadway musical '' Grease'' in 1978. She was offered the lead role of Sandy after meeting producer Allan Carr at a dinner party at
Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a showbusiness family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on rad ...
's home. Disillusioned by her '' Toomorrow'' experience and concerned that she was too old to play a high school senior (she was 28 during the filming of ''Grease''), Newton-John insisted on a
screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...
with the film's co-lead,
John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes '' Carrie'' ( ...
. The film accounted for Newton-John's Australian accent by changing her original American character, Sandy Dumbrowski, into Sandy Olsson, an Australian who holidays in the United States and then moves there with her family. Newton-John previewed some of the film's soundtrack during her second American network television special, ''Olivia'', featuring guests
ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The grou ...
and
Andy Gibb Andrew Roy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English singer, songwriter, and actor. He was the younger brother of Barry, Robin and Maurice, who went on to form the Bee Gees. Gibb came to prominence in the late 1970s through th ...
. '' Grease'' became the biggest box-office hit of 1978. The soundtrack album spent 12 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 and yielded three Top 5 singles for Newton-John: the platinum "
You're the One That I Want "You're the One That I Want" is a song performed by American actor and singer John Travolta and Anglo-Australian singer, songwriter and actress Olivia Newton-John for the 1978 film version of the musical '' Grease''. It was written and produc ...
" (No. 1 Pop, No. 23 AC) with John Travolta, the gold " Hopelessly Devoted to You" (No. 3 Pop, No. 20 Country, No. 7 AC) and the gold " Summer Nights" (No. 5 Pop, No. 21 AC) with John Travolta and the film's cast. " Summer Nights" was from the original play written by
Jim Jacobs Jim Jacobs (born October 7, 1942) is an American actor, composer, lyricist, and writer for the theatre, long associated with the Chicago theater scene. Jacobs is best known for creating the book, storyline, characters, lyrics for the 1971 musi ...
and
Warren Casey Warren Casey (April 20, 1935 – November 8, 1988) was an American theater composer, lyricist, writer, and actor. He was the writer and composer, with Jim Jacobs, of the stage musical '' Grease''. Career Warren Casey was born on April 20, 1935, ...
, but the former two songs were written and composed by her long-time music producer, John Farrar, specifically for the film. Newton-John became the second woman (after
Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...
in 1977) to have two singles – "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Summer Nights" – in the ''Billboard'' top 5 simultaneously. Newton-John's performance earned her a People's Choice Award for Favourite Film Actress. She was nominated for a
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
as Best Actress in a Musical and performed the Oscar-nominated "Hopelessly Devoted to You" at the 1979
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
. The film's popularity has endured through the years. It was re-released for its 20th anniversary in 1998 and ranked as the second highest-grossing film behind ''
Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unite ...
'' in its opening weekend. It was re-shown in April 2018 in over 700 American theatres for two days only. The soundtrack is one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time. Following her death in August 2022, AMC announced that the picture would reappear in some of its cinemas over the weekend and that a portion of the proceeds would go to breast cancer research. Of the film's long-lasting likability, Newton-John contended: "I think the songs are timeless. They're fun and have great energy. The '50s-feel music has always been popular, and it's nostalgic for my generation, and then the young kids are rediscovering it every 10 years or so, it seems. People buying the album was a way for them to remember those feelings of watching the movie and feelings of that time period. I feel very grateful to be a part of this movie that's still loved so much."


Lawsuit against UMG

In June 2006, Newton-John's company ON-J Productions Ltd filed a lawsuit against
Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
(UMG) for $1 million in unpaid royalties from the ''Grease'' soundtrack. In 2007, it was announced that she and UMG had reached a "conditional settlement".


New image

In November 1978, she released her next studio album, '' Totally Hot'', which became her first solo top 10 (No. 7) album since ''Have You Never Been Mellow''. Dressed on the cover all in leather, Newton-John capitalised on her character's look that was introduced at the end of ''Grease;'' moreover, ''Totally Hot'''s singles – " A Little More Love" (No. 3 Pop, No. 94 Country, No. 4 AC), "
Deeper Than the Night "Deeper Than the Night" is a song by Olivia Newton-John. It was released as the second single from Newton-John's tenth studio album, ''Totally Hot''. The song reached No. 11 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 18 in Canada. On the adult co ...
" (No. 11 Pop, No. 87 Country, No. 4 AC), and the title track (No. 52 Pop) – all demonstrated a more aggressive and uptempo sound for Newton-John. Although the album de-emphasised the country sound, the LP still reached No. 4 on the Country Albums chart. Newton-John released the B-side, "Dancin' 'Round and 'Round", of the "Totally Hot" single to Country radio. The entry peaked at No. 29 (as well as No. 82 Pop and No. 25 AC), and it became her last charted solo Country airplay single. Newton-John began 1980 by releasing " I Can't Help It" (No. 12 Pop, No. 8 AC), a duet with
Andy Gibb Andrew Roy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English singer, songwriter, and actor. He was the younger brother of Barry, Robin and Maurice, who went on to form the Bee Gees. Gibb came to prominence in the late 1970s through th ...
from his '' After Dark'' album, and by starring in her third television special, ''Hollywood Nights''. Later that year, she appeared in her first film since ''Grease'' when she starred with
Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...
and
Michael Beck John Michael Beck Taylor (born February 4, 1949), commonly known as Michael Beck, is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Swan in '' The Warriors'' (1979) and Sonny Malone in '' Xanadu'' (1980). Early life Beck was born in Memphis, T ...
in the musical fantasy '' Xanadu''. Although the film was a critical failure, its soundtrack (No. 4 Pop) was certified double platinum and scored five top 20 singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Newton-John charted with " Magic" (No. 1 Pop, No. 1 AC), " Suddenly" with
Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million ...
(No. 20 Pop, No. 4 AC) and the title song " Xanadu" with the
Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop, classical ...
(No. 8 Pop, No. 2 AC). LO also charted with "I'm Alive" (No. 16 Pop, No. 48 AC) and "All Over the World" (No. 13 Pop, No. 46 AC). "Magic" was Newton-John's biggest pop hit to that point (four weeks at No. 1) and still ranks as the biggest AC hit of her career (five weeks at No. 1). The film has since become a cult classic and the basis for a
Broadway show Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
that ran for more than 500 performances beginning in 2007 and was nominated for four
Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
including Best Musical. In 1981, Newton-John released her most successful studio album, the double platinum ''
Physical Physical may refer to: * Physical examination, a regular overall check-up with a doctor * ''Physical'' (Olivia Newton-John album), 1981 ** "Physical" (Olivia Newton-John song) * ''Physical'' (Gabe Gurnsey album) * "Physical" (Alcazar song) (2004) * ...
'', which strongly reinforced her image change by showcasing risqué, rock-oriented material. Newton-John explained ..."I just wasn't in the mood for tender ballads. I wanted peppy stuff because that's how I'm feeling." Of the title cut, Newton-John said ..."
Roger Davies Roger Davies may refer to: * Roger Davies (actor), English actor known for ''Renford Rejects'' and ''The Cloverfield Paradox'' * Roger Davies (manager) (born 1952), Australian-born manager in the music industry * Roger Davies (footballer) (born 19 ...
was my manager at the time; he played it for me and I knew it was a very catchy song." The title track, written by
Steve Kipner Stephen Alan Kipner (born 1950) is an American-born Australian songwriter and record producer, with hits spanning a 40-year period, including chart-topping songs such as Olivia Newton-John's "Physical", Natasha Bedingfield's "These Words", an ...
and Terry Shaddick, spent ten weeks atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. This matched the record at that time held by
Debby Boone Deborah Anne Boone (born September 22, 1956) is an American singer, author, and actress. She is best known for her 1977 hit, " You Light Up My Life", which spent ten weeks at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and led to her winning the ...
's " You Light Up My Life" for most weeks spent at No. 1 in the rock era. The single was certified platinum, and it ultimately ranked as the biggest song of the decade. (In 2008, ''Billboard'' ranked the song No. 6 among all songs that charted in the 50-year history of the Hot 100.) "Physical" earned Newton-John her only placement ever on the R&B Singles (No. 28) and Albums (No. 32) charts. The ''Physical'' album spawned two more singles, " Make a Move on Me" (No. 5 Pop, No. 6 AC) and "Landslide" (No. 52 Pop). The provocative lyrics of the "Physical" title track prompted two
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
radio stations to ban the single from their playlists. (In 2010, ''Billboard'' magazine ranked this as the most popular single ever about sex.) To counter its overtly suggestive tone, Newton-John filmed an exercise-themed video that turned the song into an
aerobics Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness ( flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). ...
anthem and made headbands a fashion accessory outside the gym. She helped pioneer the music video industry by recording a video album for ''Physical'', featuring videos of all the album's tracks and three of her older hits. The video album earned her a fourth Grammy and was aired as an ABC prime-time special, ''Let's Get Physical'', becoming a top-10 Nielsen hit. Newton-John said that "Like everyone, I've got different sides of my personality. I've my dominant self, my need-to-be-dominated self, the sane Olivia and the crazy Olivia. Playing these different characters gave me a chance to show strange parts people haven't seen much." The success of ''Physical'' led to an international tour and the release of her second hits collection, the double-platinum '' Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2'' (No. 16 Pop), which yielded two more top-40 singles: "
Heart Attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
" (No. 3 Pop) and "Tied Up" (No. 38 Pop). The tour was filmed for her ''Olivia in Concert'' television special, which premiered on HBO in January 1983. The special was subsequently released to video, earning Newton-John another Grammy nomination. Newton-John reteamed with Travolta in 1983 for the critically and commercially unsuccessful movie '' Two of a Kind'', redeemed by its platinum soundtrack (No. 26 Pop) featuring " Twist of Fate" (No. 5 Pop), "Livin' in Desperate Times" (No. 31 Pop), and a new duet with Travolta, "Take a Chance" (No. 3 AC). Newton-John released another video package, the Grammy-nominated ''Twist of Fate'', featuring videos of her four songs on the ''Two of a Kind'' soundtrack and the two new singles from ''Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2''. That same year Newton-John and Pat Farrar (formerly Pat Carroll) founded Koala Blue. The store, originally for Australian imports, evolved into a chain of women's clothing boutiques. The chain was initially successful, but it eventually declared bankruptcy and closed in 1992. Newton-John and Farrar later licensed the brand name for a line of Australian wines. Newton-John, a supporter of
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
Carlton, performed the
Australian national anthem "Advance Australia Fair" is the national anthem of Australia. Written by Scottish-born composer Peter Dodds McCormick, the song was first performed in 1878, sung in Australia as a patriotic song. It first replaced "God Save the Queen" as the ...
at the
1986 VFL Grand Final The 1986 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and the Carlton Football Club. The game was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne on 27 September 1986. It was the ...
between Carlton and
Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
. Newton-John's music career cooled again with the release of her next studio album, the gold ''
Soul Kiss ''Soul Kiss'' is the twelfth studio album by English-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 25 October 1985 by Mercury Records in Europe, by Festival Records in Australia, and by MCA Records in the United States. It reached  11 ...
'' (No. 29 Pop), in 1985. The album's only charted single was the title track (No. 20 Pop, No. 20 AC). The video album for ''Soul Kiss'' featured only five of the album's ten tracks (concept videos for the album's singles "Soul Kiss" and "Toughen Up" as well as performance videos of the tracks "Culture Shock", "Emotional Tangle" and "The Right Moment"). After a nearly three-year hiatus following the birth of her daughter Chloe in January 1986, Newton-John resumed her recording career with the 1988 album ''
The Rumour The Rumour was an English rock band in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known as the backup band for Graham Parker, whose early records (from 1976 to 1980) were credited to Graham Parker & The Rumour. However, The Rumour also ...
''. The album was promoted by an HBO special, ''Olivia Down Under''. Its first single, the title track, was written and produced by
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
. Both the single (No. 62 Pop, No. 33 AC) and the album (No. 67 Pop) faltered commercially as the nearly 40-year-old Newton-John seemed "old" when compared with the teen queens
Debbie Gibson Deborah Ann Gibson (born August 31, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Gibson released her debut album '' Out of the Blue'' in 1987, which spawned several international hits, later being certified triple plati ...
and Tiffany ruling the pop charts at that time. (The album was praised by critics as more mature, with Newton-John addressing topics such as
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ma ...
("Love and Let Live"), the environment and single-parent households.) The second single, "Can't We Talk It Over in Bed", did not chart, but was released in 1989 by
Grayson Hugh Grayson Hugh (born October 30, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, Hammond B3 organ player and composer. He is best known for his 1988 hit "Talk It Over", and his other blue-eyed soul hits "Bring It All Back" and "How 'Bout Us?". Ea ...
, the song's arranger, and became a top-20 pop hit as "Talk It Over".


Motherhood, cancer, and advocacy

In September 1989, Newton-John released her self-described "self-indulgent" album, '' Warm and Tender'', which reunited her with producer John Farrar, absent from her previous LP, and also marked a return to a more wholesome image of herself. Inspired by her daughter, who appeared on the cover, the album featured lullabies and love songs for parents and their children. This album, the last one produced by Farrar, also failed to revive her recording career, as the disc reached only No. 124 Pop. Newton-John was primed for another comeback in 1992 when she compiled her third hits collection, '' Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992'', and planned her first tour since her ''Physical'' trek ten years earlier. Shortly after the album's release, Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer, forcing her to cancel all publicity for the album, including the tour. She received her diagnosis the same weekend her father died. Newton-John recovered and later became an advocate for breast cancer research and other health issues. She was a product spokesperson for the Liv-Kit, a breast self-examination product. She was also partial owner of the
Gaia In Greek mythology, Gaia (; from Ancient Greek , a poetical form of , 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea , is the personification of the Earth and one of the Greek primordial deities. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthen ...
Retreat and Spa in
Byron Bay, New South Wales Byron Bay (Minjungbal: ''Cavvanbah)'' is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia on Bundjalung Country. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a hea ...
. Newton-John's advocacy for health issues was presaged by her prior involvement with many humanitarian causes. Newton-John cancelled a 1978 concert tour of Japan to protest the slaughter of dolphins caught in
tuna A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae (mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max length: ...
fishing nets A fishing net is a Net (device), net used for fishing. Nets are devices made from fibers woven in a grid-like structure. Some fishing nets are also called fish traps, for example #Fyke nets, fyke nets. Fishing nets are usually meshes formed by ...
. She subsequently rescheduled the tour when the
Japanese government The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary state, ...
assured her that the practice was being curbed. Her concern for these "beautifully evolved creatures" (as she called them in the ''Warm and Tender'' liner notes) is also expressed in the 1981 self-penned piece, "The Promise (the Dolphin Song)", described as "one of the most tender, heartfelt vocals of the singer's career." Newton-John said that "The Promise" (from ''Physical'') was inspired by (and even channelled by) dolphins she met at Sea Life Park in Hawaii and attested: "It was strange. The morning after I was in the pools, I woke up and the words and melody were in my head. I think it was a gift from them." She was a performer on the 1979 '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' for the UN's International Year of the Child televised worldwide. During the concert, artists performed songs for which they donated their royalties, some in perpetuity, to benefit the cause. She was appointed a
Goodwill ambassador Goodwill ambassador is a post-nominal honorific title, a professional occupation and/or authoritative designation that is assigned to a person who advocates for a specific cause or global issue on the basis of their notability such as a publ ...
to the
United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on ...
. In 1991, she became the National Spokesperson for the Colette Chuda Environmental Fund/CHEC (Children's Health Environmental Coalition) following the death from Wilms' tumour of five-year-old Colette Chuda, daughter of Newton-John's friend Nancy Chuda. Newton-John's cancer diagnosis also affected the type of music she recorded. In 1994, she released '' Gaia: One Woman's Journey'', which chronicled her ordeal. Co-produced by Newton-John for ONJ Productions, ''Gaia'' was originally issued by
Festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
in Australia but also distributed by various independent labels in Japan and Europe. In 2002, there was an American distribution by
Hip-O Records Hip-O Records is a record label that specializes in reissues and compilations. It is part of Universal Music Group. Established in 1996, the label has distributed releases from 'out of style' genres such as disco and early hip-hop music as we ...
, and a subsequent re-release in 2012 by Green Hill featured an alternative cover photo. ''Gaia'' was the first album on which Newton-John wrote all the music and lyrics herself, and this endeavour encouraged her to become more active as a songwriter thereafter. The single "No Matter What You Do" entered the Australian top 40, and the second single, the environmentally themed "Don't Cut Me Down", was also used in the film '' It's My Party''. The Latin-fuelled "Not Gonna Give into It" eventually became heavily showcased in concert performance; "The Way of Love" was featured in the telefilm '' A Christmas Romance'', and "Trust Yourself" was incorporated into both the TV-movie ''The Wilde Girls'' and the theatrical flick ''
Sordid Lives Sordid may refer to: * Paul Sordid (20th century), English drummer * Sordid (character), a fictional character in the ''Simon the Sorcerer'' series of video games {{Disambig ...
''. Newton-John was listed as president of the
Isle of Man ) , anthem = " O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europ ...
Basking shark The basking shark (''Cetorhinus maximus'') is the second-largest living shark and fish, after the whale shark, and one of three plankton-eating shark species, along with the whale shark and megamouth shark. Adults typically reach in leng ...
Society between 1998 and 2005. In 2005, she released '' Stronger Than Before'', sold exclusively in the United States by Hallmark. This was her second exclusive album for
Hallmark Cards Hallmark Cards, Inc. is a private, family-owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce Hall, Hallmark is the oldest and largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was award ...
after her successful first Christmas album ''Tis the Season'' with
Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist ...
five years earlier. Proceeds from the album's sales benefited breast cancer research. The album featured the song "Phenomenal Woman" based on the poem by
Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...
that featured guest vocals from
Diahann Carroll Diahann Carroll (; born Carol Diann Johnson; July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019) was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. She rose to prominence in some of the earliest major film studio, major studio films to feature black cas ...
,
Beth Nielsen Chapman Beth Nielsen Chapman (born September 14, 1958) is an American singer and songwriter who has written hits for country and pop music performers. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016. Nielsen Chapman is two-time Gr ...
,
Delta Goodrem Delta Lea Goodrem AM (born November 9, 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Goodrem signed to Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut album, '' Innocent Eyes'' (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive wee ...
,
Amy Holland Amy Celeste Boersma, known professionally as Amy Holland, is an American pop rock singer, songwriter, and composer. Holland's music career spans more than 30 years. She received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1981, following ...
,
Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...
and
Mindy Smith Melinda Leigh Smith (born June 1, 1972, Long Island, New York) is an American singer-songwriter. Her first record deal came after she sang a cover version of the song " Jolene" by Dolly Parton. Music career Smith was adopted at birth by a non-d ...
– all survivors of or affected by cancer. The following year, Newton-John released a healing CD, '' Grace and Gratitude''. The album was sold exclusively by
Walgreens Walgreen Company, d/b/a Walgreens, is an American company that operates the second-largest pharmacy store chain in the United States behind CVS Health. It specializes in filling prescriptions, health and wellness products, health information, a ...
, also to benefit various charities including Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization. The CD was the "heart" of their ''Body — Heart — Spirit'' Wellness Collection, which also featured a re-branded Liv-Kit and breast-health dietary supplements. She re-recorded some tracks from ''Grace and Gratitude'' in 2010 and re-released the album as '' Grace and Gratitude Renewed'' on the Green Hill music label. The ''Renewed'' CD includes a new track, "Help Me to Heal", not featured on the original album. In 2008, she raised funds to help build the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
, Australia. She led a three-week, 228 km walk along the
Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand ''li'' wall") is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against various nomadic grou ...
during April, joined by various celebrities and cancer survivors throughout her trek. The walk symbolised the steps cancer patients must take on their road to recovery. She released a companion CD, ''A Celebration in Song'', the following month in Australia and later worldwide, featuring new and previously recorded duets by "Olivia Newton-John & Friends", including
Jann Arden Jann Arden (born Jann Arden Anne Richards; March 27, 1962) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. She is famous for her signature ballads, " Could I Be Your Girl" and " Insensitive", which is her biggest hit to date. Early life and educa ...
,
Jimmy Barnes James Dixon "Jimmy" Barnes (née Swan; born 28 April 1956) is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best- ...
, John Farrar,
Barry Gibb Sir Barry Alan Crompton Gibb (born 1 September 1946) is a British musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees, one of the most commercially successful groups in the history of popula ...
,
Delta Goodrem Delta Lea Goodrem AM (born November 9, 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Goodrem signed to Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut album, '' Innocent Eyes'' (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive wee ...
, Sun Ho,
Richard Marx Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963) is an American adult contemporary and pop rock singer-songwriter. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Marx's self-titled debut album went triple-platinum in 1987, and his first single, " D ...
,
Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million ...
, Melinda Schneider,
Amy Sky Amy Sky (born 24 September 1960) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, theatre actress, and television host. Sky started classical music lessons at the age of five, and plays piano, guitar, cello and recorder. She has a degree from t ...
, and
Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...
. In 2016, Newton-John re-teamed with Amy Sky and Beth Nielsen Chapman to form a trio for the album '' Liv On''. Newton-John was featured in UniGlobe Entertainment's breast cancer docu-drama, ''
1 a Minute ''1 a Minute'' is a 2010 American docudrama film written and directed by Indian American actress Namrata Singh Gujral. It is based on her own life and the lives of other women who suffered from cancer. Synopsis The film is a hybrid between narra ...
'', released in October 2010. The documentary was made by actress
Namrata Singh Gujral Namrata Singh Gujral (born February 26, 1976) is an American filmmaker, motivational speaker and actor. Life and career Gujral was born in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, but left India at a young age. A devout Sikh by faith, she graduated in 19 ...
and featured other celebrities who had survived breast cancer or who were affected by the disease. During the same month,
Bluewater Productions TidalWave Productions (previously known as Bluewater Productions, StormFront Media/Publishing & Storm Entertainment) is an independent production studio of comic books and graphic novels. Based in Portland, Oregon, United States, Bluewater publis ...
released a comic book featuring Newton-John to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.


Later career

Newton-John continued to record and perform pop-oriented music as well. In 1998, she returned to
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...
to record ''
Back with a Heart ''Back with a Heart'' is the sixteenth studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John. It was released by MCA Nashville on 12 May 1998 in the United States. Her first album in four years, it marked her return to country music after ...
'' (No. 59 Pop). The album returned her to the top 10 (No. 9) on the Country Albums chart. Its first single was a re-recording of " I Honestly Love You" produced by
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
and featuring
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds Kenneth Brian Edmonds (born April 10, 1959), better known by his stage name Babyface, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has written and produced over 26 number-one R&B hits throughout his career and has won 12 Grammy A ...
on background vocals that charted on the Pop (No. 67) and AC (No. 18) charts. Country radio dismissed the song, though it did peak at No. 16 on the Country Sales chart. The album track, "Love Is a Gift", won Newton-John a 1999
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
for Outstanding Original Song after being featured on the daytime serial, ''
As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other s ...
''. During October–December 1998, Newton-John,
John Farnham John Peter Farnham AO (born 1 July 1949) is a British born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed then as Johnny Farnham, but has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer.McFarlane (1999). Enc ...
and
Anthony Warlow Anthony Warlow (born 18 November 1961) is an Australian musical theatre performer, noted for his character acting and considerable vocal range. He is a classically trained lyric baritone and made his debut with the Australian Opera in 1980. ...
performed in The Main Event Tour. The album ''
Highlights from The Main Event ''Highlights from The Main Event'' is an Australian live album released in 1998, which consists of performances from the collaborative The Main Event Tour by John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John, and Anthony Warlow. The album peaked at No. 1 o ...
'' peaked at No. 1 in December, was certified 4× platinum, won an
ARIA Award The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austra ...
for Highest Selling Australian CD at the 1999 Awards and was also nominated for Best Adult Contemporary Album. For the
2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...
, Newton-John and Farnham re-teamed to perform "Dare to Dream" during the Parade of Nations at the Opening Ceremony. Broadcast of the ceremony was viewed by an estimated 3.5 billion people around the world. In December 1998, following a hiatus of about 16 years, Newton-John also resumed touring by herself and in 2000 released a solo CD, '' One Woman's Live Journey'', her first live album since 1981's '' Love Performance''. Newton-John's subsequent albums were released primarily in Australia. In 2002, she released '' (2)'', a duets album featuring mostly Australian artists (
Tina Arena Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena (born 1 November 1967) is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, musical theatre actress and record producer. She is one of Australia's highest-selling artists and has sold over 10 million records worldwid ...
,
Darren Hayes Darren Stanley Hayes (born 8 May 1972) is an Australian singer and songwriter. He was the frontman and singer of the pop duo Savage Garden until their disbandment. Their 1997 album ''Savage Garden'' peaked at number 1 in Australia, number 2 in ...
, Jimmy Little, Johnny O'Keefe, Billy Thorpe and
Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...
), as well as a "duet" with the deceased Peter Allen. In addition, ''(2)'' offered a hidden 12th track, a samba version of "
Physical Physical may refer to: * Physical examination, a regular overall check-up with a doctor * ''Physical'' (Olivia Newton-John album), 1981 ** "Physical" (Olivia Newton-John song) * ''Physical'' (Gabe Gurnsey album) * "Physical" (Alcazar song) (2004) * ...
" which Newton-John later performed occasionally in concert instead of the more rock-style original. The album's 2004 Japanese release includes the bonus track "Let It Be Me", a duet with Cliff Richard with whom she had previously been coupled on "Suddenly" and '' Songs from Heathcliff''. In 2002, Newton-John was also inducted into Australia's
ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompani ...
. Produced by
Phil Ramone Philip Ramone (né Rabinowitz, January 5, 1934March 30, 2013) was a South African-born American recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, who in 1958 co-founded A & R Recording, Inc., a recording studio with business ...
and recorded at the Indigo Recording Studios in Malibu for ONJ Productions, '' Indigo: Women of Song'' was released in October 2004 in Australia. The tribute album featured Newton-John covering songs by artists such as
Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...
,
the Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct, soft, musical style, combining Karen's contr ...
,
Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...
,
Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blu ...
,
Minnie Riperton Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single " Lovin' You" and her four octave D3 to F7 coloratura soprano range. She is also widely known for her use ...
. She dedicated the album to her mother, who had died the previous year of breast cancer. ''Indigo'' was subsequently released in the UK in April 2005 and in Japan in March 2006. A rebranded and resequenced version called ''Portraits: A Tribute to Great Women of Song'' was eventually issued in the United States in 2011. Newton-John also released several Christmas albums. In 2000, she teamed with
Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist ...
and the
London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
for ''Tis the Season'' sold exclusively through Hallmark. The following year, she released ''The Christmas Collection'', which compiled seasonal music previously recorded for her Hallmark Christmas album, her appearance on
Kenny Loggins Kenneth Clark Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded as Loggins and Messina from 1972 to 1977. His ...
' 1999 TNN Christmas special and her contributions to the ''Mother and Child'' and ''Spirit of Christmas'' multi-artist collections. (Green Hill Records re-released this album with different artwork in 2010.) In 2007, she re-teamed with her ''Grace and Gratitude'' producer,
Amy Sky Amy Sky (born 24 September 1960) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, theatre actress, and television host. Sky started classical music lessons at the age of five, and plays piano, guitar, cello and recorder. She has a degree from t ...
, for ''Christmas Wish'' (No. 187 Pop) which was sold exclusively by
Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...
in its first year of release. Newton-John acted occasionally since '' Two of a Kind''. She appeared in a supporting role in the 1996 AIDS drama, ''It's My Party''. In 2000, she appeared in a dramatically different role as Bitsy Mae Harling, a bisexual former-convict country singer, in
Del Shores Delferd Lynn Shores (born December 3, 1957) is an American film director and producer, television writer and producer, playwright and actor. Biography The first play Shores wrote was ''Cheatin which premiered in 1984 in Los Angeles at The MainS ...
' ''
Sordid Lives Sordid may refer to: * Paul Sordid (20th century), English drummer * Sordid (character), a fictional character in the ''Simon the Sorcerer'' series of video games {{Disambig ...
''. Newton-John reprised her role for '' Sordid Lives: The Series'' which aired one season on the
LOGO A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wo ...
television network. The series featured five original songs written and composed by Newton-John specifically for the show. In 2010, Newton-John starred in the film '' Score: A Hockey Musical'', released in Canada. She portrayed Hope Gordon, the mother of a home-schooled hockey prodigy. The film opened the
2010 Toronto International Film Festival The 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival, (TIFF) was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 9 and September 19, 2010. The opening night gala presented '' Score: A Hockey Musical'', a Canadian comedy-drama musical film. '' La ...
. Newton-John's television work included starring in two Christmas films, '' A Mom for Christmas'' (1990) and '' A Christmas Romance'' (1994) – both top 10 Nielsen hits. Her daughter, Chloe, starred as one of her children in both ''A Christmas Romance'' and in the 2001 Showtime film ''The Wilde Girls''. Newton-John guest-starred as herself in the sitcoms ''
Ned and Stacey ''Ned & Stacey'' (or ''Ned and Stacey'') is an American sitcom created by Michael J. Weithorn, and starring Thomas Haden Church and Debra Messing as the titular couple. The series lasted two seasons, airing on Fox from September 11, 1995, to Janu ...
'', ''
Murphy Brown ''Murphy Brown'' is an American television sitcom created by Diane English that premiered on November 14, 1988, on CBS. The series stars Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for ''FYI'', a ...
'' and '' Bette'' and also made two appearances as herself on '' Glee''. In 2008, Newton-John took part in the
BBC Wales BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcasting, public broadcaster in Wales. It is one of the four BBC national regions, alongside the BBC English Regions, BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Scotland. Established in 1964, ...
program '' Coming Home'' about her
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
family history. Also, in 2008, Newton-John joined Anne Murray on Murray's last album, titled '' Duets: Friends & Legends''. She sang
Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1 ...
's hit "
Cotton Jenny "Cotton Jenny" is a song written and recorded by Gordon Lightfoot for his 1971 album '' Summer Side of Life''. The song was later released as a single by Canadian country-pop artist Anne Murray. Anne Murray version Murray's version was released ...
" with Murray. For her first '' Glee'' appearance, Newton-John recreated her "Physical" video with series regular
Jane Lynch Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian and author. She is known for starring as Sue Sylvester in the musical comedy series '' Glee'' (2009–2015), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. Lynch also gained recog ...
. The performance was released as a digital single which peaked at number 89 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2010. In Australia, Newton-John hosted the animal and nature series ''Wild Life'' and guest-starred as Joanna on two episodes of the Australian series '' The Man From Snowy River''. Newton-John released another concert DVD, ''Olivia Newton-John and the Sydney Symphony: Live at the Sydney Opera House'' and a companion CD, her third live album titled ''Olivia's Live Hits''. An edited version of the DVD premiered on PBS station, WLIW (
Garden City, New York Garden City is a village located on Long Island in Nassau County New York. It is the Greater Garden City area's anchor community. The population was 23,272 at the 2020 census. The Incorporated Village of Garden City is primarily located within ...
), in October 2007. In January 2011, Newton-John began filming the comedy ''
A Few Best Men ''A Few Best Men'' is a 2011 comedy film written by Dean Craig and directed by Stephan Elliott. The film stars Xavier Samuel as a young groom heading to the Australian Blue Mountains with his three best men for his wedding. A sequel, ''A Few L ...
'' in Australia with director Stephan Elliott, in the role of mother of the bride. The groom is played by Xavier Samuel.


2012–2022

Newton-John was actively touring and doing concerts from 2012 to 2017 and also performed a handful of shows in 2018.Tour dates
at her website
Her dates for
A Summer Night with Olivia Newton-John A Summer Night with Olivia Newton-John was the eighteenth concert tour by Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, in support of her sixth soundtrack ''A Few Best Men''. The tour name drifts from her 1978 hit, " Summer Nights", from the musical f ...
even included stops in Asia and Canada and culminated in a rare concert appearance in London in 2013. Her March 2013 UK trek also encompassed Bournemouth, Brighton, Birmingham, Manchester and Cardiff, Wales. In November 2012, Newton-John teamed with John Travolta to make the charity album '' This Christmas'', in support of The Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Wellness Centre and the Jett Travolta Foundation. Artists featured on the album include:
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...
,
James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-sell ...
,
Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...
,
Kenny G Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956), known professionally as Kenny G, is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and producer. His 1986 album ''Duotones'' brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the best-selling artis ...
,
Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...
,
Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million ...
and the
Count Basie Orchestra The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 19 ...
. A 2013 residency at the
Flamingo Las Vegas Flamingo Las Vegas (formerly The Fabulous Flamingo and Flamingo Hilton Las Vegas) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The property includes a casino along with 3,4 ...
was postponed due to the May 2013 death of her elder sister, Rona (aged 72), from a brain tumour. Newton-John resumed performing, doing 45 shows beginning in April 2014. Along with the Vegas shows, Newton-John released a new EP in April 2014 entitled ''Hotel Sessions'', which consisted of seven tracks of unreleased demos that were recorded between 2002 and 2011 with her nephew
Brett Goldsmith Brett Hugh Goldsmith (born 4 June 1961) is an Australian-born songwriter, music programmer/producer and photographer. Personal life Goldsmith is the son of British-born actress Rona Newton-John (1941–2013) and Melbourne nightclub owner Bri ...
. The CD contains a cover of "Broken Wings" as well as the popular-with-fans original "Best of My Love", which had leaked on the internet many years prior. Her Vegas stay was eventually extended beyond August 2014, and her Summer Nights residency finished in December 2016 after 175 shows. Her successful three-year run even prompted a fourth live album, ''Summer Nights: Live in Las Vegas'' (2015). In 2015, Newton-John also reunited with John Farnham for a joint venture called '' Two Strong Hearts Live''. In 2015, Newton-John was a guest judge on an episode of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
''. That same year, she scored her first number-one single on ''Billboard''
Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
chart with " You Have to Believe" with daughter Chloe and producer
Dave Audé Dave Audé (born Oct 12, 1969) is an American DJ, producer and remixer. He operates his own label Audacious Records, and is known for having more number ones than any other producer on the ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs chart. He has done prod ...
. The song was a re-imagining of her 1980 single "Magic", which she noted was to celebrate both the 35th anniversary of ''Xanadu'' and as a dedication to her daughter. About the latter, Newton-John stated "I met Chloe's dad on the set of ''Xanadu'', so, without that film, Chloe wouldn't be here. She was the real 'magic' that came out of that film!" The song became the first mother-daughter single to reach No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Dance Club Play chart. In
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
, Newton-John was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame. In 2017, she collaborated with two North American singer-songwriters,
Beth Nielsen Chapman Beth Nielsen Chapman (born September 14, 1958) is an American singer and songwriter who has written hits for country and pop music performers. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016. Nielsen Chapman is two-time Gr ...
and
Amy Sky Amy Sky (born 24 September 1960) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, theatre actress, and television host. Sky started classical music lessons at the age of five, and plays piano, guitar, cello and recorder. She has a degree from t ...
, on a joint concert tour entitled ''Liv On'' and produced a CD by the same name. On 7 May 2019, Newton-John's elder brother Hugh, a doctor, died at age 80; his death left Newton-John as the sole surviving sibling. In recognition for "her work as an entertainer and philanthropist", she was bestowed Australia's highest honour, the
Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
, in June 2019. In December 2019, Newton-John and Travolta also re-teamed for three live "Meet 'n' ''Grease''" sing-along events in the Florida cities of
Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough C ...
,
West Palm Beach West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...
and
Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
. Subsequently, a sing-along re-broadcast of ''Grease'' aired on CBS television. In February 2020, Newton-John appeared at the Fire Fight Australia charity event. This was her final public performance. In January 2021, Newton-John released her final single, "Window in the Wall", a duet about unity which she recorded with her daughter Chloe Lattanzi. The music video for the song peaked at No. 1 on the
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
pop music video chart the week of its release.


In the media

In 2019, it was announced that Newton-John was among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the
2008 Universal fire On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. The fire began when a worker used a blowtorch to warm asph ...
. On 2 November 2019,
Julien's Auctions Type Private Industry Art, Auctions Founded 2003; 20 years ago Headquarters 13007 S. Western Avenue, Gardena, CA 90249 Key people • Darren Julien (Founder, CEO, President) • Martin J. Nolan (Executive Director, CFO) Website www.juliensauctio ...
auctioned hundreds of memorabilia items from Newton-John's career. The sale raised $2.4 million. Newton-John's ''Grease'' outfit garnered $405,700; her pants and jacket were purchased separately by two different billionaires. Sara Blakely, founder of
Spanx Spanx, Inc. is an American underwear maker focusing on shaping briefs and leggings, founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The company manufactures mainly pantyhose and other underwear for women and, since 2010, produces male underwear as well. Spanx spe ...
, bought Newton-John's black skintight pants from ''Grease'' for $162,000. The anonymous buyer who acquired her famous ''Grease'' leather jacket for $243,200 (£185,000) returned the item to her and said: "It should not sit in a billionaire's closet for country-club bragging rights ..The odds of beating a recurring cancer using the newest emerging therapies is a thousandfold greater than someone appearing out of the blue, buying your most famous and cherished icon, and returning it to you." All proceeds were donated to her cancer and wellness research centre in Australia.


Musical legacy

Newton-John's first boyfriend, Ian Turpie, once said of her early appearances: "In those days she had a small voice, but it was very pure. She could sing prettily in tune....The improvement in her singing since she went to England has been remarkable. She told me
Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalist ...
has been a big influence on her. After hearing Bassey, she worked at developing her head voice to sound like a chest voice, the way Bassey uses hers. The power she's developed is amazing." Michael Dwyer of ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'' maintains that following Newton-John's career was like watching "our slightly older and braver sister growing up in public" and her passing "feels today like a lost member of the family". Rachel Syme of ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' also suggests that her familial, down-to-earth demeanor and humanity may have even superseded her singing accomplishments: "Her most lasting legacy might be as the rare celebrity who was almost universally well liked, and thought of as an essentially kind and warmhearted person". Her musical abilities on their own merits were also impressive. In her 1982 ''Olivia in Concert'' performance of
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...
's "Jolene," Newton-John showcases a down-falling note range covering three octaves; however, author Lauren O'Neill writes: "She sang with clarity and precision, her high notes bright and open like a window on a summer morning, but her voice was never clinical – a sultry purr, euphoric cry or breathy gasp seemed always available to her....Her vocal ''Grease''.html" ;"title="Grease_(film).html" ;"title="n "Hopelessly Devoted to You" from Grease (film)">''Grease''">Grease_(film).html" ;"title="n "Hopelessly Devoted to You" from Grease (film)">''Grease''is clean and soaring, but to hear it is to be right down in the dirt with Sandy too; to feel, and perhaps even identify with, her total frustration with herself. As she slides between notes while singing 'I’m out of my head,' she shows us her emotional freefall as well as telling us about it." Long before and after the career summit of ''Grease'', Newton-John proved herself to be a fairly versatile performer. Maura Johnston of ''Vulture'' assesses: "Newton-John was a regular chart-topper...throughout the ’70s, her lithe soprano adapting well to the soft pop sound" of the era with "''AM Gold'' staples and tracks from the folk and country world...As it turned out, Newton-John’s voice was pretty well suited to the spiky dance pop that would become popular in the early 1980s" too. However, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of the ''Los Angeles Times'' offers a counterpoint on her career decline in the mid-1980s: "Hardness never was Newton-John's comfort zone, though, and the 1980s were a much harder decade than the 1970s. The inherent warmth of 1970s studio sessions gave way to the cold, synthesized gleam of the 1980s, a sterile sound that suited her well only once: the candied faux-new wave of 'Twist of Fate'", produced by
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
. Johnston further maintains: "Her pop heyday transcended any attempts to musically pigeonhole her"; and by the time she stopped having many new hits, "her musical legacy ... had been pretty well solidified." Newton-John's work has inspired many other female vocalists, including Juliana Hatfield,
Lisa Loeb Lisa Loeb (; born March 11, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author and actress. She started her career with the number 1 hit song "Stay (I Missed You)" from the film '' Reality Bites,'' the first number 1 single for an artist ...
,
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
,
Delta Goodrem Delta Lea Goodrem AM (born November 9, 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Goodrem signed to Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut album, '' Innocent Eyes'' (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive wee ...
, Natalie Maines and
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two ...
.
Pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
staged a commemorative Newton-John cover during the 2022
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Pro ...
. At the
2022 ARIA Music Awards The 2022 ARIA Music Awards were the 36th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) and consist of a series of awards, including the 2022 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA ...
, a special tribute in her honour featured performances by Natalie Imbruglia,
Peking Duk Peking Duk are an electronic music group made up of disc jockeys and music producers Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles. The pair first garnered attention in 2012 with the release of a Passion Pit bootleg remix. Their biggest hit "High" reached 5 on ...
and
Tones and I Toni Watson, known professionally as Tones and I, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her breakout single, " Dance Monkey" (May 2019), reached number one in over 30 countries, including Australia. In November 2019, i ...
.


Personal life


Relationships

In the mid-1960s, she dated Australian actor and singer Ian Turpie, her co-star in the 1965 musical film '' Funny Things Happen Down Under''. They met in late 1962 when Turpie attended the coffee shop where Newton-John's group Sol Four performed."Ian Turpie My Love for Olivia!": * * The relationship continued until Newton-John returned to England in 1966. In 1968, Newton-John was engaged to but never married Bruce Welch, one of her early producers and co-writer of her hit " Please Mr. Please". In 1972, Newton-John ended her relationship with Welch, who subsequently attempted suicide. In 1973, while vacationing on the
French Riviera The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend from ...
, Newton-John met British businessman Lee Kramer, who became both her new boyfriend and manager. Newton-John lived with Kramer on and off and they stayed a couple until 1979; she called their turbulent pairing "one long breakup". Kramer subsequently returned to England and married. He also managed vocalist Krishna Das. Kramer died in 2017. Newton-John married her long-time partner, actor
Matt Lattanzi Matthew Vincent Lattanzi (born February 1, 1959) is an American former actor and dancer. He is most commonly recognized as the first husband of singer and actress Dame Olivia Newton-John, and for his acting in films such as ''My Tutor'' and the s ...
, in December 1984. The couple had met in 1980 while filming '' Xanadu''. They divorced in 1995. According to
People magazine ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People'' had the lar ...
, people close to the couple cited the disparity between her spiritual interests and his more earthly ones as a key factor in the dissolution. The couple remained friends. Their daughter,
Chloe Rose Chloe Rose (born October 25, 1994) is a Canadian actress. She rose to prominence when she portrayed Katie Matlin in the long-running teen drama television series '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'', from 2011 to 2013. Following her time on ''Degr ...
, was born in January 1986. Newton-John met gaffer/
cameraman A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not imply that a male is performing the task. In filmmaki ...
Patrick McDermott a year after her 1995 divorce from Matt Lattanzi. The couple dated on and off for nine years. McDermott allegedly disappeared following a 2005 fishing trip off the Californian coast. Newton-John was in Australia at her Gaia Retreat & Spa at the time of McDermott's disappearance. A
United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, m ...
investigation, based on then-available evidence and released in 2008, "suggest dMcDermott was lost at sea", with a friend telling investigators McDermott had appeared sad though not despondent after their breakup. In April 2010, a private investigator, hired by an American television program, claimed that McDermott is alive and had faked his death for a life insurance payout – but did not provide proof beyond their own statement that they were confident. Unsubstantiated claims have been made, particularly in Australian tabloids, that McDermott is living in Mexico. Newton-John married John Easterling, founder and president of the Amazon Herb Company, in an
Inca The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, ( Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts",  "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The adm ...
n spiritual ceremony in Peru on 21 June 2008, followed by a legal ceremony nine days later (30 June 2008) on Jupiter Island, Florida.


Residences and citizenship

Although principally raised in Australia, she remained a British subject through her childhood and did not formally become an Australian citizen until 1981 with an application that was expedited by the then prime minister,
Malcolm Fraser John Malcolm Fraser (; 21 May 1930 – 20 March 2015) was an Australian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Australia from 1975 to 1983, holding office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Fraser was raised on hi ...
. After relocating from Britain to America in 1974, Newton-John set up residence in
Malibu, California Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malib ...
, where for 40 years she owned several properties, including a horse ranch and beach houses. In June 2009, Newton-John and her second husband, John Easterling, purchased a new $4.1 million home in
Jupiter Inlet, Florida Jupiter Inlet Colony is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 405 at the 2020 census. Geography Jupiter Inlet Colony is located at (26.947393, –80.074616), in the southernmost tip of Jupiter Island. Accord ...
. In 2013, a contractor named Christopher Pariseleti committed suicide on the estate, which at the time was up for sale. Following the death on the premises, the property lingered on and off the market for two years but was eventually sold in 2015 to a Swedish advertising executive for $5.1 million. In 2015, the couple purchased a $5.3 million, 12-acre horse ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley outside Santa Barbara. It was offered for sale in 2019 but not sold, and she was living there at the time of her death. In 2019, Newton-John sold her 187-acre Australian farm, which she had owned for nearly 40 years and is located near Byron Bay in New South Wales. The Dalwood estate sold for $4.6 million; in 1980, Newton-John had paid $622,000 for the property, which had additional land adjoined in both 1983 and in 2002. When asked in 2017 whether she considered herself to be a British, Australian or American citizen, she said, "I am still Australian." In December 2019, she expressed: "As a girl born in Cambridge ngland I am very proud of my British ancestry and so appreciative to be recognized in this way by the United Kingdom."


Illness and death

In May 2017, it was announced that Newton-John's breast cancer had returned and
metastasis Metastasis is a pathogenic agent's spread from an initial or primary site to a different or secondary site within the host's body; the term is typically used when referring to metastasis by a cancerous tumor. The newly pathological sites, the ...
ed to her lower back. Her back pains had initially been diagnosed as
sciatica Sciatica is pain going down the leg from the lower back. This pain may go down the back, outside, or front of the leg. Onset is often sudden following activities like heavy lifting, though gradual onset may also occur. The pain is often described ...
. She subsequently revealed this was actually her third bout with breast cancer, as she had a recurrence of the disease in 2013 in addition to her initial 1992 diagnosis. With the 2017 recurrence, the cancer had spread to her bones and progressed to stage IV. Newton-John experienced significant pain from the metastatic bone lesions and had spoken of using
cannabis oil Hash oil or cannabis oil, is an oleoresin obtained by the extraction of cannabis or hashish. It is a cannabis concentrate containing many of its resins and terpenes – in particular, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and other can ...
to ease her pain. She was an advocate for the use of
medical cannabis Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restriction ...
; her daughter Chloe owns a cannabis farm in Oregon. Newton-John died from cancer on 8 August 2022, at age 73 at her home in the Santa Ynez Valley of California. Tributes were paid by
John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes '' Carrie'' ( ...
,
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...
,
Anthony Albanese Anthony Norman Albanese ( or ; born 2 March 1963) is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since 2019 and the member of parlia ...
and many other celebrities. As a mark of respect, Melbourne and Sydney lit up many of their landmarks. In September 2022, Newton-John's family held a "small and very private" memorial service in California for the singer, who asked to be cremated and have her ashes scattered in Byron Bay, on her Santa Ynez ranch and "in other places that I love". A larger memorial is slated to take place in Melbourne, Australia, after the State of Victoria offered Newton-John's family a state funeral, which her niece
Tottie Goldsmith Caroline "Tottie" Goldsmith (born 27 August 1962) is an Australian actress and singer. Career Television In the early 1980s, Goldsmith acted in the Australian television series ''The Young Doctors'', ''Starting Out'', '' Prisoner'', '' Saturd ...
has accepted.


Awards and honours


Discography

* '' If Not for You'' (1971) * '' Olivia'' (1972) * ''
Let Me Be There "Let Me Be There" is a popular song written by John Rostill. It was first recorded by Olivia Newton-John and released in September 1973 as the second single from her studio album of the same name. The country-influenced song was Newton-John's fir ...
'' (1973) * '' Long Live Love'' (1974) * '' Have You Never Been Mellow'' (1975) * ''
Clearly Love ''Clearly Love'' is the sixth studio album by Olivia Newton-John, released in September 1975. Commercial performance The album was certified gold in the US. and both of the album's singles were country chart hits, with " Something Better to Do" ...
'' (1975) * ''
Come on Over ''Come On Over'' is the third studio album by Canadian country music singer Shania Twain. It was released on November 4, 1997, by Mercury Records. Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the album became the best-selling country album, the be ...
'' (1976) * '' Don't Stop Believin''' (1976) * ''
Making a Good Thing Better ''Making a Good Thing Better'' is the ninth studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on June 1977. The album peaked at No. 34 on the US Pop chart and No. 13 on the Country chart. It was Newton-John's first album no ...
'' (1977) * '' Totally Hot'' (1978) * ''
Physical Physical may refer to: * Physical examination, a regular overall check-up with a doctor * ''Physical'' (Olivia Newton-John album), 1981 ** "Physical" (Olivia Newton-John song) * ''Physical'' (Gabe Gurnsey album) * "Physical" (Alcazar song) (2004) * ...
'' (1981) * ''
Soul Kiss ''Soul Kiss'' is the twelfth studio album by English-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 25 October 1985 by Mercury Records in Europe, by Festival Records in Australia, and by MCA Records in the United States. It reached  11 ...
'' (1985) * ''
The Rumour The Rumour was an English rock band in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known as the backup band for Graham Parker, whose early records (from 1976 to 1980) were credited to Graham Parker & The Rumour. However, The Rumour also ...
'' (1988) * '' Warm and Tender'' (1989) * '' Gaia: One Woman's Journey'' (1994) * ''
Back with a Heart ''Back with a Heart'' is the sixteenth studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John. It was released by MCA Nashville on 12 May 1998 in the United States. Her first album in four years, it marked her return to country music after ...
'' (1998) * ''Tis the Season'' (2000) (with
Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist ...
)
* '' (2)'' (2002) * '' Indigo: Women of Song'' (2004) * '' Stronger Than Before'' (2005) * '' Grace and Gratitude'' (2006) * '' Christmas Wish'' (2007) * ''
A Celebration in Song ''A Celebration in Song'' is the twenty-third and final solo studio album by British-Australian pop singer Olivia Newton-John, released on 3 June 2008 by Warner Bros. in Australia. The worldwide release of the album was by EMI, on 2 September 2 ...
'' (2008) * '' This Christmas'' (2012) (with
John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes '' Carrie'' ( ...
)
* '' Liv On'' (2016) * '' Friends for Christmas'' (2016) (with
John Farnham John Peter Farnham AO (born 1 July 1949) is a British born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed then as Johnny Farnham, but has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer.McFarlane (1999). Enc ...
)


Filmography


Film


Television


Tours

Headlining * If Not for You Tour (1972) * Clearly Love Tour (1975) * Love Performance Tour (1976) * Totally Hot World Tour (1978) * Physical Tour (1982–1983) * Greatest Hits Tour (1999) * One Woman's Live Journey Tour (1999) * Millennium Tour (2000) * 30 Musical Years Tour (2001) * Heartstrings World Tour (2002–2005) * 2006 World Tour (2006) * Grace and Gratitude Tour (2006) * Body Heart & Spirit Tour (2007) * An Evening with Olivia Newton-John (2007–2009) * 2010 World Tour (2010) * 2011 United States Tour (2011) *
A Summer Night with Olivia Newton-John A Summer Night with Olivia Newton-John was the eighteenth concert tour by Australian singer Olivia Newton-John, in support of her sixth soundtrack ''A Few Best Men''. The tour name drifts from her 1978 hit, " Summer Nights", from the musical f ...
(2012–2013) Co-headlining * The Main Event Tour (with
John Farnham John Peter Farnham AO (born 1 July 1949) is a British born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed then as Johnny Farnham, but has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer.McFarlane (1999). Enc ...
and
Anthony Warlow Anthony Warlow (born 18 November 1961) is an Australian musical theatre performer, noted for his character acting and considerable vocal range. He is a classically trained lyric baritone and made his debut with the Australian Opera in 1980. ...
)
(1998) * Two Strong Hearts Tour (with
John Farnham John Peter Farnham AO (born 1 July 1949) is a British born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed then as Johnny Farnham, but has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer.McFarlane (1999). Enc ...
)
(2015) * Liv On In Concert (with
Beth Nielsen Chapman Beth Nielsen Chapman (born September 14, 1958) is an American singer and songwriter who has written hits for country and pop music performers. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016. Nielsen Chapman is two-time Gr ...
and
Amy Sky Amy Sky (born 24 September 1960) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, theatre actress, and television host. Sky started classical music lessons at the age of five, and plays piano, guitar, cello and recorder. She has a degree from t ...
)
(2017) Residency show * Summer Nights (2014–2016)


See also

*
List of artists who reached number one on the US dance chart This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on ''Billboard magazine's'' Dance Club Songs chart. ''Billboard'' began ranking dance music on the week ending October 26, 1974, and this is the standard music popularity chart in th ...
*
List of best-selling music artists The following list of best-selling music artists includes those music acts from the 20th century to the present with claims of 75 million or more record sales worldwide. This information cannot be listed officially, as there is no organization ...
*
List of British Grammy winners and nominees The following is a list of Grammy Awards winners and nominees from the United Kingdom. Amongst the winners, Paul McCartney and Adele are the most honoured male and female British artists respectively. Adele also is the most awarded female foreign a ...
*
List of Billboard Hot 100 number-ones by Australian artists This is a list of number-one hits by Australian artists in the United States from the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Weeks followed by an asterisk (*) indicates that the song is still charting and subject to change. See also * List of ''Billboard ...
* List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards * '' Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You'', miniseries


References


Further reading

* * * * *


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Newton-John, Olivia 1948 births 2022 deaths Actresses awarded British damehoods Actresses from Cambridgeshire Actresses from Melbourne ARIA Award winners ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Australian country singers Australian Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Australian dance musicians Australian expatriate actresses in the United States Australian film actresses Australian humanitarians Australian people of Welsh descent Australian people of German-Jewish descent Australian television actresses Australian women environmentalists Australian women memoirists Australian women philanthropists Australian women pop singers British country singers British emigrants to Australia British emigrants to the United States British expatriates in Australia British expatriates in the United States British film actresses British humanitarians British soft rock musicians British people of German-Jewish descent British people of Welsh descent British philanthropists British Protestants British television actresses British women pop singers British women environmentalists Companions of the Order of Australia Country pop musicians Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Daytime Emmy Award winners Deaths from cancer in California EMI Records artists Eurovision Song Contest entrants for the United Kingdom Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1974 Expatriate musicians in the United States Family of Max Born Geffen Records artists Grammy Award winners MCA Records artists Naturalised citizens of Australia Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at University High School, Melbourne People from Cambridge Pye Records artists Singers awarded knighthoods Singers from Cambridgeshire Singers from Melbourne Uni Records artists Women humanitarians 20th-century British actresses 21st-century British actresses 20th-century British women singers Deaths from breast cancer 20th-century Australian women singers 20th-century Australian actresses 21st-century Australian actresses 21st-century Australian singers