Olivia Newton-John facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dame Olivia Newton-John AC DBE
Newton-John in 1978
Born	(1948-09-26)26 September 1948 Cambridge, England
Died	8 August 2022(2022-08-08) (aged 73) Santa Ynez Valley, California, US
Nationality	Australian British
Occupation	Singer actress activist
Years active	1963–2022
Spouse(s)	Matt Lattanzi ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1995)​ John Easterling ​ (m. 2008)​
Partner(s)	Lee Kramer (1973–1979)
Children	Chloe Lattanzi
Relatives	Max Born (grandfather) Brett Goldsmith (nephew) Tottie Goldsmith (niece) Gustav Victor Rudolf Born (uncle) Georgina Born (cousin) Ben Elton (third cousin)
Musical career
Origin	Melbourne, Australia
Genres	Pop country soft rock adult contemporary pop rock country pop dance-pop
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Uni MCA EMI Pye Festival
Signature

Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a famous British-Australian singer, actress, and activist. She won four Grammy Awards for her music. Her songs often topped the charts, with five number-one hits and ten more in the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100. She also had two number-one albums, If You Love Me, Let Me Know (1974) and Have You Never Been Mellow (1975).

Olivia Newton-John sold over 100 million records worldwide. This makes her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

In 1978, she starred in the musical film Grease. The soundtrack became one of the world's best-selling albums. It included two huge duet hits with her co-star John Travolta: "You're the One That I Want" and "Summer Nights". Her famous solo songs include "I Honestly Love You" (1974) and "Physical" (1981). "Physical" was even named Billboard's Top Hot 100 Single of the 1980s.

Beyond music and acting, Olivia Newton-John was a strong supporter of environmental and animal rights causes. She also worked hard to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research.

Early Life and Moving to Australia

Olivia Newton-John was born on 26 September 1948 in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Her father, Brinley Newton-John, was Welsh. Her mother, Irene Helene, was of Jewish heritage. Olivia's grandfather, Max Born, was a Nobel Prize-winning physicist. He moved his family from Germany to Britain before World War II to escape the Nazis.

Her father worked for MI5 during World War II. He was involved in the Enigma project and even took Rudolf Hess into custody. After the war, he became a headmaster.

Olivia was the youngest of three children. Her brother, Hugh, was a doctor. Her sister, Rona, was an actress. In 1954, when Olivia was six years old, her family moved to Melbourne, Australia. Her father became a professor at the University of Melbourne. Olivia went to Christ Church Grammar School and then University High School in Melbourne.

Music Career Beginnings

When Olivia was 14, she started an all-girl group called Sol Four with her classmates. They often performed in a coffee shop. She also appeared on Australian TV shows like The Happy Show.

On another show, The Go!! Show, she met singer Pat Carroll and her future music producer, John Farrar. In 1965, Olivia won a talent contest on the TV show Sing, Sing, Sing. Her prize was a trip to Great Britain. She was not sure about going at first, but her mother encouraged her.

In 1966, Olivia recorded her first song, "Till You Say You'll Be Mine," in Britain. She missed her boyfriend in Australia, but her mother kept canceling her trips home. Her friend Pat Carroll then moved to the UK, and they formed a duo called "Pat and Olivia." They toured Europe. After Pat had to return to Australia, Olivia stayed in Britain to work on her solo career.

In 1970, Olivia joined a group called Toomorrow. They made a science fiction musical film and a soundtrack album. However, the group did not become successful and soon broke up.

Early Success as a Solo Artist

Olivia Newton-John released her first solo album, If Not for You, in 1971. The main song, "If Not for You", became her first international hit. She was voted Best British Female Vocalist for two years in a row. She also appeared often on Cliff Richard's TV show.

Her career in the United States really took off in 1973 with the song "Let Me Be There". This song reached the top 10 on the Pop, Country, and Adult Contemporary charts. It also won her a Grammy for Best Country Female Vocalist.

In 1974, Olivia represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Long Live Love". The public chose the song, even though Olivia later said she did not like it much. She finished fourth in the contest.

Her album If You Love Me, Let Me Know was a big success in the US. The title song reached number 5 on the Pop chart. Then, "I Honestly Love You" became her signature song. It was her first number-one Pop hit and won her two more Grammys: Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance – Female. This success helped her album reach number one on both the Pop and Country album charts.

Her success in country music caused some debate among traditional country fans. They felt a British-Australian singer should not be classed with Nashville artists. However, many in the country music community supported her.

From left to right: Dionne Warwick, Don Kirshner, Helen Reddy, and Newton-John in 1974

Encouraged by singer Helen Reddy, Olivia moved to the United States. Her next album, Have You Never Been Mellow, also topped the Pop and Country charts. It included the hit songs "Have You Never Been Mellow" and "Please Mr. Please".

Olivia continued to have many number-one hits on the Adult Contemporary chart. She had seven in a row, including "I Honestly Love You" and "Have You Never Been Mellow". She also had several top 10 country singles. In 1976, she had her first US television special, A Special Olivia Newton-John.

By 1977, her album Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits became her first album to sell over a million copies, earning a platinum award.

Record Company Lawsuit

In 1975, Olivia signed a contract with MCA Records. She was supposed to release two albums a year. However, one of her albums was late because she was busy filming Grease. This led to a disagreement with MCA.

In 1978, Olivia and MCA sued each other. Olivia claimed MCA did not promote her music enough. MCA wanted to stop her from signing with another company. In the end, Olivia was not allowed to record for another label until her five-year contract was over. This lawsuit changed how record companies wrote contracts. They started basing them on the number of albums a musician recorded, not just a set number of years.

Grease and a New Image

Newton-John appearing with John Travolta in 1982

Olivia Newton-John's career exploded when she starred in the film Grease in 1978. She was offered the role of Sandy after meeting the producer. Olivia was worried she was too old to play a high school student (she was 28). She asked for a screen test with her co-star, John Travolta. The film changed her character, Sandy Dumbrowski, to Sandy Olsson, an Australian, to fit Olivia's accent.

Grease was the biggest movie hit of 1978. The soundtrack album was number one for 12 weeks. It gave Olivia three top 5 hit songs: "You're the One That I Want" (with John Travolta), "Hopelessly Devoted to You", and "Summer Nights" (with John Travolta and the cast). "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "You're the One That I Want" were written just for the movie.

Olivia was the second woman to have two singles in the Billboard top 5 at the same time. She won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Film Actress. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe. The movie is still very popular today.

Olivia said: "I think the songs are timeless. They're fun and have great energy. The '50s-feel music has always been popular... I feel very grateful to be a part of this movie that's still loved so much."

After Grease, Olivia changed her musical style. In November 1978, she released her album Totally Hot. On the cover, she wore leather, showing off her new "Sandy 2" look from the end of Grease. The songs on the album, like "A Little More Love", were more upbeat and rock-oriented. The album reached number 7 on the Pop chart.

In 1980, Olivia starred in the musical fantasy film Xanadu with Gene Kelly. The movie did not do well with critics, but its soundtrack was a huge hit. It included Olivia's number-one song "Magic" and the title song "Xanadu" with Electric Light Orchestra. "Magic" was her biggest pop hit at the time. The film later became a cult classic and inspired a Broadway show.

In 1981, Olivia released her most successful album, Physical. This album further changed her image to a rock-oriented artist. The title track was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for ten weeks. It was one of the biggest songs of the 1980s.

Olivia also made a video album for Physical, which included music videos for all the songs. This video album won her another Grammy. She said, "Playing these different characters gave me a chance to show strange parts people haven't seen much."

The success of Physical led to a world tour. She also released a second hits collection, Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2, which included new songs like "Heart Attack".

In 1983, Olivia reunited with John Travolta for the film Two of a Kind. The movie was not very successful, but its soundtrack was popular. It featured Olivia's hit song "Twist of Fate".

That same year, Olivia and Pat Farrar (her friend from "Pat and Olivia") started a store called Koala Blue. It sold Australian goods and later became a chain of clothing boutiques. The business was successful for a while but closed in 1992.

Newton-John at the 1989 Academy Awards

Olivia's music career slowed down after her 1985 album, Soul Kiss. She was pregnant at the time and did less promotion for the album. After her daughter Chloe was born in 1986, Olivia released the album The Rumour in 1988. The main song was written by Elton John. This album was praised by critics for its mature themes, like AIDS and the environment.

Motherhood, Cancer, and Activism

In 1989, Olivia released Warm and Tender, an album of lullabies and love songs inspired by her daughter. This album marked a return to her softer image.

In 1992, Olivia planned a new tour and released a hits collection, Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992. However, she was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after the album came out. This forced her to cancel all her plans. Olivia recovered and became a strong advocate for breast cancer research and other health issues. She also helped promote a breast self-examination product.

Olivia was involved in many good causes even before her cancer diagnosis. In 1978, she canceled a concert tour in Japan to protest the killing of dolphins. She rescheduled the tour when the Japanese government promised to stop the practice. Her song "The Promise (the Dolphin Song)" from her Physical album was inspired by dolphins she met in Hawaii.

In 1979, she performed at the Music for UNICEF Concert to support children worldwide. She was also named a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme. In 1991, she became a spokesperson for the Children's Health Environmental Coalition after a friend's daughter died from cancer.

Olivia's cancer journey also influenced her music. In 1994, she released Gaia: One Woman's Journey, which was about her experience. This was the first album where she wrote all the music and lyrics herself. The song "Don't Cut Me Down" from this album was about environmental issues.

In 2005, she released Stronger Than Before, with proceeds going to breast cancer research. The album featured a song called "Phenomenal Woman," which included other cancer survivors as guest singers. The next year, she released Grace and Gratitude, a healing CD, to benefit charities.

In 2008, Olivia raised money to build the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia. She led a three-week, 228 km walk along the Great Wall of China. This walk symbolized the journey cancer patients take to recover. She released a companion CD, A Celebration in Song, with duets featuring many famous friends.

Later Career

Olivia continued to make pop music. In 1998, she released Back with a Heart, which included a new version of "I Honestly Love You". The album also featured the song "Love Is a Gift," which won her a Daytime Emmy Award.

Newton-John and Stephan Elliott in January 2012 at the premiere of A Few Best Men in Sydney

In 1998, Olivia toured with Australian singers John Farnham and Anthony Warlow in "The Main Event Tour." The album from this tour was a big success in Australia. For the 2000 Summer Olympics, Olivia and John Farnham performed "Dare to Dream" at the Opening Ceremony. Billions of people watched this event worldwide.

Olivia also released several Christmas albums, including 'Tis the Season with Vince Gill in 2000 and Christmas Wish in 2007.

She continued to act occasionally. In 2000, she played a different kind of role as Bitsy Mae Harling in the film Sordid Lives. She also appeared in two Christmas TV films, A Mom for Christmas (1990) and A Christmas Romance (1994). Her daughter, Chloe, appeared in both of these films. Olivia also guest-starred as herself on TV shows like Murphy Brown and Glee. For her first Glee appearance, she re-created her "Physical" video with actress Jane Lynch.

Newton-John, performing at the Sydney State Theatre in September 2008

From 2012 to 2017, Olivia actively toured and performed concerts. In November 2012, she teamed up with John Travolta again to make a charity album called This Christmas. The album helped raise money for The Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Wellness Centre.

In 2014, Olivia started a concert residency called "Summer Nights" in Las Vegas. She performed 175 shows there until December 2016. In 2015, she had her first number-one single on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart with "You Have to Believe". This song was a new version of her 1980 hit "Magic," and she sang it with her daughter Chloe. It was the first time a mother-daughter duo reached number one on that chart.

In 2019, Olivia and John Travolta reunited for "Meet 'n' Grease" sing-along events in Florida. In January 2021, Olivia released a new single called "Window in the Wall," a duet about unity with her daughter Chloe.

Personal Life

Olivia Newton-John married actor Matt Lattanzi in 1984. They had met while filming Xanadu. They divorced in 1995 but remained friends. Their daughter, Chloe Rose, was born in January 1986.

In 2008, Olivia married John Easterling, who founded the Amazon Herb Company. They had a spiritual ceremony in Peru and a legal ceremony in Florida.

Illness and Passing

In May 2017, it was announced that Olivia Newton-John's breast cancer had returned and spread to her lower back. She had previously battled breast cancer in 1992 and privately again in 2013. With the 2017 recurrence, the cancer had spread to her bones.

On 8 August 2022, Olivia Newton-John passed away from cancer at her home in California. She was 73 years old.

Awards and Honours

Discography

Filmography

Film

Television

Tours

Headlining

Co-headlining

• The Main Event Tour (with John Farnham and Anthony Warlow) (1998)
• Two Strong Hearts Tour (with John Farnham) (2015)
• Liv On In Concert (with Beth Nielsen Chapman and Amy Sky) (2017)

Residency show

• Summer Nights (2014–2016)

See also

In Spanish: Olivia Newton-John para niños

• List of artists who reached number one on the US dance chart
• List of best-selling music artists
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-ones by Australian artists
• List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards
• Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You

Images for kids

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  Newton-John meeting Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at a Sydney concert in 1980; with her there is also Roger Woodward and Paul Hogan (in shorts)

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  Olivia Newton-John at the A Few Best Men red carpet film premiere in Sydney, Australia in 2012