Dame Olivia Newton-John, the British-born Australian pop singer and actress, and arguably one of Eurovision’s all-time most popular entrants, whose songs and films have brought joy to hundreds of millions of fans over the span of five decades, has passed away at the age of 73.
In a post on Newton-John’s Instagram account, her husband John Easterling wrote, “Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends.”
“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” the statement continued. “Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the @onjfoundation.”
Born on September 26, 1948, in Cambridge, United Kingdom, Newton-John’s family emigrated to Melbourne, Australia, when she was six. Newton-John came from an accomplished family – her maternal grandfather was Nobel Prize winning physicist Max Born and her father was an MI5 agent who took Nazi politician Rudolf Hess into custody in 1941.
Newton-John’s charisma and talent were apparent from an early age, and at age 14 she was part of singing girl groups and managed to perform solo on Australian television talent shows. In 1966, she earned a record deal with Decca Records and released her debut single “Till You Say You’ll be Mine.”
Moving back to the United Kingdom, Newton-John slowly but surely began building her singing career, releasing songs as both a solo artist and as a duet with fellow Australian Pat Carroll. In 1971, Newton-John released her solo debut album “If Not For You,” which managed to hit Number 158 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart, based largely on the Singles chart performance of the Bob Dylan written title track and “Banks of the Ohio,” which was her first ever Top Ten single.
In 1973, she struck gold again in the United States with “Let Me Be There” hitting Number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Though her career was gathering stream in the USA, UK and Australia, her 1974 tilt at Eurovision exposed her to an even wider audience. She was internally selected by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and in early 1974, the British public was tasked with selecting one of six songs for her to perform. The public selected “Long Live Love,” though all six compositions did end up on her 1974 “Long Live Love” album.
“Long Live Love” came in fourth at Eurovision 1974, held at the Dome, in Brighton, United Kingdom, on April 6, 1974. It is arguably one of the toughest line-ups Eurovision has ever seen, with the winners being Swedish pop icons ABBA, the runner-up being Eurovision 1964 winner Gigliola Cinquetti, and third-place being Dutch country act Mouth and MacNeil, who had also had Billboard Hot 100 Top Ten singles.
Though Newton-John did not have another Billboard Hot 100 charting single until 1978, she did dominate the country’s Adult Contemporary and Country charts, with Top Ten entries on both charts.
In 1978, Newton-John was offered the lead role in the film version of the hit Broadway musical “Grease,” alongside John Travolta. She was initially sceptical, as she was a 28-year-old being asked to play a high school student, but when she was happy with her screen test alongside Travolta, she accepted the role and history was made. “Grease” was a smash hit, the biggest box office film of 1978.
Its soundtrack album spent a whopping 12 weeks atop the Billboard 200, and its singles such as “You’re the One That I Want,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and “Summer Nights” hitting Number 1, 3, and 5 of the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.
“Summer Nights” was from the original musical, though “You’re the One That I Want” was written by Newton-John’s long-time producer and songwriter John Farrar specifically for the film.
“Grease” launched Newton-John into the pop stratosphere, with charting success coming thick and fast in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
She quickly released “Totally Hot” in November 1978 to capitalize on the “Grease” phenomenon, and “A Little More Love” and “Deeper Than the Night” hit Number 3 and 11, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Number One spot did not elude her again for long, as she hit that height again with “Magic” in 1980. She had a Number 12 duet with Cliff Richard, and hit Number 8 with “Xanadu,” a collaboration with the Electric Light Orchestra for the film “Xanadu.”
Though “Xanadu,” a musical featuring roller disco and with songs performed primarily by Newton-John and British pop prog-rockers Electric Light Orchestra, was not a box office success and was critically panned, it has gained cult status throughout the years, especially in the LGBT+ community.
Robert Greenwald famously won the first “Golden Raspberry” award in 1981 for Worst Director, but time has been kind to such a degree a $5 million 2007 revival on Broadway was done (with Newton-John and Farrar attending the debut).
In 1981, Newton-John released her double-album “Physical,” another roaring success with the title track spending 12 weeks at Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Its overly suggestive lyrics led to the song getting in trouble with the usual pearl-clutchers, with the song being banned by radio stations in Utah.
Success continued for Newton-John into the 1980s, and though her second film reunion with Travolta tanked – the 1983 comedy “Two of a Kind” – the soundtrack went platinum on the back of two Top Ten hits (“Take a Chance” and “Twist of Fate,” at Numbers 3 and 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively).
Newton-John also branched into activism and commercial endeavors. With Farrar, Newton-John founded Koala Blue, a line of women’s clothing boutiques. And Newton-John famously took up the cause of dolphins being slaughtered as by-catch for the tuna industry after cancelling a tour of Japan in 1978, writing a book called “The Promise (The Dolphin Song)” in 1981.
In 1992, Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer on the same weekend that her father passed away. She was able to recover from her cancer, and became a prominent advocate for breast cancer awareness worldwide, raising hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2019, she held a public auction of her famous stage and musical outfits, raising $2.4 million for cancer research.
Awards wise, Newton-John has received pretty much all of them. She received the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II in 1979, and was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2020 New Years Honours.
She won four Grammy Awards – three for her 1973 and 1974 Country work and one for “Grease” – and was nominated for an Academy Award in 1978 for “Hopelessly Devoted to You”.
Several hospitals in Australia and the United States gave awards to Newton-John for the work she did in obtaining funding for their research and treatment wings.
We at ESC United extend our thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Olivia Newton-John, and want to thank her for the many wonderful memories and moments that she brought to our lives.
What memory of Olivia Newton-John do #YOU treasure most? How will #YOU honor the life and legacy of one of Eurovision’s most well-known entrants? Let us know in the comments below, on social media, and in our forum.
