Olivia Newton-John, singer and actress, dies at 73 | CNN (2023)

CNN—

Olivia Newton-John, aAustralian singerwhose breathy voice and soothing beauty made her one of the biggest pop stars of the 1970s and captivated generations of viewers in the hit film Grease, died on Monday, her husband announced. She was 73 years old.

“Dame Olivia Newton-John passed away peacefully this morning at her Southern California ranch surrounded by family and friends. We ask everyone to respect the family's privacy at this very difficult time," her husband John Easterling wrote in a statement on the singer's verified Instagram account. "Olivia has been a symbol of triumph and hope for over 30 years by sharing her breast cancer journey."

The singer revealed himselfSeptember 2018that he was being treated for cancer at the base of his spine. It was her third cancer diagnosis after bouts of breast cancer in the early 1990s and 2017.

On the way to fame

Thanks to a string of country and soft rock hits, Newton-John was already a popular singer in the late 1970s.John Travoltashe rose to a new level of fame in 1978's Grease, arguably the most popular movie musical of all time.

Olivia Newton-John und John Travolta 1978 in „Grease“.

Despite having little acting experience (and turning 29 during filming), Newton-John delivered an indelible performance as Sandy, a cute Australian high school transfer student who has an affair with Danny, Travolta's alpha shoeshine boy. in the 1950s.

Her on-screen chemistry as mismatched lovebirds who morph in the final act to win each other's hearts (she trades frilly dresses for heels, leather, spandex and a cigarette) anchored the film and inspired legions of fans. Admirers to watch again.

"I don't think anyone could have imagined that a movie would last almost 40 years and still be popular and people would talk to me about it and love it all the time."Newton-John told CNN in 2017. "It's just one of those movies. I'm very happy to have been a part of it. It made a lot of people happy."

Newton-John sang lead roles in three of cinema's biggest hits: the duets "You're The One That I Want" and "Summer Nights" with Travolta, and her stunning solo ballad "Hopeless Devoted To You."

Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England, in 1948 and moved to Melbourne with her family,Australiawhen she was five. After winning a talent contest on a television show, "Sing, Sing, Sing", asTeenagers formed a girl groupand appeared on weekly pop music shows in Australia.

Newton-John recorded her first single in England in 1966 and scored a few international hits, but remained virtually unknown to American audiences until 1973's "Let Me Be There" became a Top 10 hit with both adult contemporary and country audiences would. cards

Es folgte eine Reihe von Easy-Listening-Nr.-1-Hits, darunter „I Honestly Love You“, „Have You Never Been Mellow“ und „Please Mr. Please“.

Then came Grease, the highest-grossing film of 1978, which became an enduring cultural phenomenon.

The film gave Newton-John a chance to change his squeaky clean image. The cover art for her next album, Totally Hot, featured the singer in black leather while her songs had a more edgy contemporary pop sound.

Your success as a singer

In 1981, she took her sexy new persona a step further with "Physical," a dance number with lyrics as suggestive as "There's nothing left to say unless it's horizontal." Banned by several radio stations, it became their biggest hit and spent 10 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

Olivia Newton-John appeared on the BBC TV music show Top Of The Pops in 1974.

He has also appeared in several big budget films, including the musical fantasy Xanadu, starring Hollywood legend Gene Kelly in his final on-screen role. The film flopped, but its soundtrack sold well, spawning "Magic," a number one hit.

In 1983, he reunited with Travolta for Two of a Kind, a romantic fantasy comedy, but couldn't recapture the spark from Grease.

During his long career, Newton-John has won four Grammy Awards and sold more than 100 million albums.

Olivia Newton-John says goodbye in the 1978 film Grease.

A young Newton-John is seen here in front with his father, Brin; his brother Hugo; his mother, Irene; and her sister Rona. Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England in 1948. At the age of 5 he moved to Australia with his family.

Newton-John and his singing partner Pat Carroll pose for a photograph in London in 1966. Newton-John recorded his first single in England in 1966 and had some international hits, but remained virtually unknown to American audiences until 1973, when "Let Be There" became a top 10 hit on the country and adult charts for contemporary music.

Nach „Let Be There“ folgte eine Reihe von Easy-Listening-Nr.-1-Hits, darunter „I Honestly Love You“, „You Were Never Mature“ und „Please, Mr. Please“.

Newton-John is being held by police in Brighton, England, where she was rehearsing for the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.

Newton-John directs her first music video for her 1975 single "Follow Me."

Newton-John performing in Detroit in 1975.

Newton-John stars in the 1978 musical Grease with John Travolta. Grease, the highest-grossing film of 1978, became a cultural phenomenon.

Although Newton-John had little acting experience when she starred in Grease, she gave an indelible performance as Sandy, a good-natured Australian transfer student who falls in love with Travolta's alpha shoeshine boy Danny at a Southern California high school in 1980. 1950

Newton-John is interviewed on the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of Grease.

Newton-John appears in London in 1978 to announce a series of concerts.

Newton-John appears in the 1980 film Xanadu with Andy Gibb. The musical fantasy flopped at the box office, but its soundtrack sold well, spawning "Magic," a #1 hit.

In 1981, Newton-John showed a new, sexier personality with her song "Physical." The song, which was banned by several radio stations because of its suggestive lyrics, became her biggest hit.

Newton-John reprized with Travolta in 1983's "Two of a Kind."

Newton-John holds her daughter Chloe as she arrives at Sydney Airport with her first husband Matt Lattanzi in 1987.

Newton-John is interviewed by Jay Leno on The Tonight Show in 1990.

Newton-John promotes her album Indigo: Women Of Song in a Sydney shop in 2004.

Newton-John appeared as a judge on the television show American Idol in 2007.

(Video) Actress and singer Olivia Newton-John dies at 73

Newton-John performing at a Pride event in New York in 2011.

Newton-John is being held by Nick Adams, Tony Sheldon and Will Swenson while he appeared in the 2011 Broadway musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Newton-John celebrates on a charity walk in Melbourne in 2013. The event raised money for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Center.

Newton-John receives a ceremonial key to the Las Vegas Strip in 2014. He started a residency show that month.

Newton-John poses with her second husband, John Easterling; her daughter Chloe Lattanzi; and Chloe's fiance James Driskill in 2015. They attended an event to celebrate the 35th anniversary of "Xanadu."

Newton-John appears in an episode of "Dancing With the Stars" in 2015.

Newton-John shaves the head of Greg Chase, director of guest experience at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino, during a fundraiser in Las Vegas in 2015.

Newton-John performing at a festival in Viña del Mar, Chile in 2017.

Newton-John and Travolta attend the 40th anniversary screening of "Grease" in 2018.

Newton-John performs with John Farnham at a fundraiser in Sydney in 2020.

People in Ptuj, Slovenia watch Grease at a drive-in cinema in 2020.

Olivia Newton-John's life in pictures

“I've had many lives in music. I had country when I started, then switched to pop," she told CNN. "I had 'Xanadu' and 'Grease', a few songs in between. I'm really thankful that I have such a huge repertoire to choose from. ”

overcome tragedy

But Newton-John also faced problems and tragedy. Her breast cancer diagnosis forced her to postpone and cancel several tours.

And 2005, Newton-John's then-boyfriend,Patrick McDermott, disappeared at sea while fishing off the coast of California. It was never found, an unsolved mystery that has haunted the singer for years.

"It's really hard to live with," he told CNN's Larry King in 2006. "It's probably the hardest thing I've ever experienced, and I've been through a lot." Although her career profile has declined in recent years, Newton-John has never stopped recording and performing. Highlights include guest appearances on "Glee," a long-running "Summer Nights" residency at the Flamingo Las Vegas, and a dance hit, "You Have to Believe," which was recorded with his daughter Chloe.

"I love to sing, that's all I can do," she told CNN in 2017. "It's all I've done since I was 15, so it's my life. I'm so thankful that I can still do this and people still come to me.