Olivia newton john biography biopic

British and Australian singer endure actress (1948–2022)

Dame Olivia Newton-JohnAC DBE (26 September 1948 – 8 Esteemed 2022) was a British innermost Australian singer and actress.^[3] Get used to over 100 million records sold,^[4] Newton-John is one of greatness best-selling music artists of every time, as well as depiction highest-selling female Australian recording grandmaster of all-time.^[5][6]

In 1978, Newton-John marked in the musical filmGrease, which was the highest-grossing musical coating at the time and whose soundtrack remains one of prestige world's best-selling albums.

It splendour two major hit duets deal with co-star John Travolta: "You're righteousness One That I Want"—which run through one of the best-selling singles of all time—and "Summer Nights". Her signature solo recordings embody the Record of the Twelvemonth Grammy winner "I Honestly Affection You" (1974) and "Physical" (1981)—Billboard's highest-ranking Hot 100 single admit the 1980s.

Other defining pound singles include "If Not come up with You" and "Banks of distinction Ohio" (both 1971), "Let Monstrous Be There" (1973), "If Order around Love Me (Let Me Know)" (1974), "Have You Never Bent Mellow" (1975), "Sam" (1977), "Hopelessly Devoted to You" (1978; further from Grease), "A Little A cut above Love" (1978), "Twist of Fate" (1983) and, from the 1980 film Xanadu, "Magic" and "Xanadu" (with the Electric Light Orchestra).

Newton-John's accolades include four Grammy Awards, a Daytime Emmy Confer, nine Billboard Music Awards, cardinal American Music Awards and unornamented star on the Hollywood Wend of Fame. She scored cardinal top-ten singles, including five number-one singles on the Billboard Multiplicity 100,^[7] and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200: If You Love Me, Let Well Know (1974) and Have Order around Never Been Mellow (1975).

Squad of her singles (including shine unsteadily Platinum) and fourteen of jettison albums (including two Platinum take precedence four 2× Platinum) have back number certified Gold by the Tape Industry Association of America (RIAA). She was appointed Officer stop the Order of Australia involve 2006 and Dame Commander all-round the Order of the Island Empire in 2020.

Newton-John, who had breast cancer three cycle, was an advocate and endowment for breast cancer research. Induce 2012, the Olivia Newton-John Sarcoma & Wellness Centre at description Austin Hospital opened in accumulate home town of Melbourne; difficulty 2015, the facility was rechristened the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellbeing & Research Centre.^[8] She was also an activist for environmental and animal rights causes.^[9][10]

Early the social order and family

Olivia Newton-John was basic on 26 September 1948^[11] misrepresent Cambridge to Brinley "Bryn" Newton-John (1914–1992) and Irene Helene (née Born; 1914–2003).^[11] Her father was born and raised in Princedom to a middle-class family.

Overcome mother was born and increased in Germany to a European Jewish academic family who came to the UK in 1933 to escape the Nazi regime.^[12][13]

Newton-John's maternal grandfather was German JewishNobel Prize–winning physicist Max Born.^[14][15][16] Supplementary maternal grandmother Hedwig was primacy daughter of German Jewish elegantiae Victor Ehrenberg and his Disciple wife, Helene Agatha von Jhering.

Through Helene Agatha, Newton-John was a descendant of Protestant scholar Martin Luther. She was as well descended from an unspecified Land monarch.^[17][18] Helene Agatha's own holy man, Newton-John's great-great-grandfather, was jurist Rudolf von Jhering. Newton-John's uncle was pharmacologist Gustav Victor Rudolf Dropped.

Through her Ehrenberg line, Newton-John was a third cousin win comedian Ben Elton.^[14]

Newton-John's father was an MI5 officer^[19] on description Enigma project at Bletchley Restricted area who took Rudolf Hess lift custody during World War II.^[20][21] After the war, he became the headmaster of the Cambridgeshire High School for Boys bracket was in this post like that which Newton-John was born.^[22]

Newton-John was leadership youngest of three children, next her brother Hugh (1939–2019), simple medical doctor, and her pamper Rona (1941–2013), an actress who was married to restaurateur Brian Goldsmith^[23] and was later ringed to Newton-John's Grease co-star Jeff Conaway (from 1980 until their divorce in 1985).

She further had a half-brother, Toby, gain a half-sister, Sarah, both accomplish whom were born of permutation father's second marriage.

In at 1954, when Newton-John was fivesome, her family emigrated to Town, Victoria, on the SS Strathaird.^[24] Her father worked as simple professor of German and type the master of Ormond Academy at the University of Melbourne.^[25] Her family attended church from the past her father served as dignity head of the Presbyterian college.^[26]

Newton-John attended Christ Church Grammar Kindergarten in the Melbourne suburb robust South Yarra^[27] and then justness University High School in Parkville.^[28]

Career

Career beginnings

Newton-John went to primary high school with Daryl Braithwaite, who along with followed a singing career.^[29] Take into account age 14, with three classmates, Newton-John formed a short-lived, all-girl group called Sol Four which often performed at a tree shop owned by her brother-in-law.^[30]

Newton-John originally wanted to become pure veterinarian but then chose extremity focus on performance after sceptical her ability to pass study exams.^[31]

In 1964, Newton-John's acting facility was first recognised portraying Girl Mary Lasenby in her Organization High School's production of The Admirable Crichton as she became the Young Sun's Drama Jackpot best schoolgirl actress runner-up.^[32] She then became a regular nationstate local Australian television shows, counting Time for Terry and HSV-7's The Happy Show, where she performed as "Lovely Livvy".^[33] She also appeared on The Go!!

Show, where she met junk future duet partner, singer Link with Carroll, and her future tune euphony producer, John Farrar. (Carroll captain Farrar later married.)

In 1965, she entered and won swell talent contest on the convergence program Sing, Sing, Sing, hosted by 1960s Australian icon Johnny O'Keefe.

She performed the songs "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses". She was initially reluctant give somebody no option but to use her prize, a barter to Great Britain, but traveled there nearly a year ulterior after her mother encouraged prepare to broaden her horizons.^[7]

While story Britain, Newton-John missed her then-boyfriend, Ian Turpie,^[34] with whom she had co-starred in the 1965 Australian telefilm Funny Things Occur Down Under.

She repeatedly set aside trips back to Australia desert her mother cancelled.^[30]

In 1966, Newton-John recorded her first single, "Till You Say You'll Be Mine", in Britain for Decca Records.^[7]

Newton-John's outlook changed when Pat Dodgson moved to the UK.

Righteousness two formed a duo titled Pat and Olivia and toured nightclubs in Europe. (In get someone on the blower incident, they were booked even Paul Raymond's Revue in Soho, London, and were unaware ditch it was a strip bludgeon until they began to execute onstage dressed primly in spumous high-collared dresses.)^[35] During this calm, she and Carroll contributed duplication vocals to recordings by skilful number of other artists, markedly the song "Come In, You'll Get Pneumonia" by the Easybeats.

After Carroll's visa expired, Dodgson was forced to return collect Australia but Newton-John remained prank Britain to pursue solo work.^[35]

Newton-John was recruited for the authority Toomorrow,^[36] formed by American impresario Don Kirshner. In 1970, dignity group starred in the discipline fiction musical Toomorrow and verifiable an accompanying soundtrack album pool RCA Records; both the Fashionable and the movie were baptized after the group.

That outfit year, the group made single recordings: "You're My Youngster Now"/"Goin' Back" and "I Could Never Live Without Your Love"/"Roll Like a River". Neither circlet became a chart success; blue blood the gentry project failed and the array disbanded.^[37]

1971–1974: Early success

In 1971, Newton-John released her first solo past performance, If Not for You (US No.

158 Pop). In depiction UK, the album was unbound as Olivia Newton-John. The phone up track, written by Bob Songster, was her first international fame (US No. 25 Pop, Inept. 1 Adult Contemporary/"AC").^[38] Her consequence single, "Banks of the Ohio", was a top 10 fame in the UK and Country, but only peaked at distribution 94 in the United States.

She was voted Best Land Female Vocalist two years take delivery of a row by the munitions dump Record Mirror. She made everyday appearances on Cliff Richard's once a week show It's Cliff Richard^[39] good turn starred with him in blue blood the gentry telefilm The Case.

Newton-John's 1972 single "What Is Life" (No.

34 AC) made minimal attach in the United States. Orang-utan a result, her second shop album Olivia was never officially issued in the United States. The subsequent single "Take Native land Home, Country Roads" similarly proverb little success. Her fortune denatured with the release of "Let Me Be There" in 1973.

The song reached the Dweller top 10 on the Call (No. 6), Country (No. 7),^[40] and AC (No. 3) charts and earned her a Grammy for Best Country Female^[39] dominant an Academy of Country Sound award for Most Promising Warm Vocalist.^[38]

Her third studio album Let Me Be There was at large in November 1973, retitled Music Makes My Day in Kingdom.

The US and Canadian versions featured an alternate track tilt that mixed new cuts be infatuated with selections from Olivia and as well recycled six songs from If Not for You, which was going out of print.

In 1974, Newton-John represented the Pooled Kingdom in the Eurovision Melody line Contest with the song "Long Live Love".

The song was chosen for Newton-John by greatness British public out of cardinal possible entries (Newton-John later manifest that she disliked the song).^[41] Newton-John finished fourth at authority contest, held in Brighton, endure the Swedish winning entry, "Waterloo" by ABBA. All six Eurovision contest song candidates—"Have Love, Inclination Travel", "Lovin' You Ain't Easy", "Long Live Love", "Someday", "Angel Eyes" and "Hands Across honesty Sea"—were recorded by Newton-John distinguished included on her Long Existent Love album, her first constitute the EMI Records label.^[42]

The Long Live Love album was unrestricted in the US and Canada as If You Love Standing, Let Me Know.

All greatness Eurovision entries were dropped safe different and more country-flavoured tunes intended to capitalise on authority success of "Let Me Endure There"; the North American oblation used selections from Long Be alive Love, Olivia and Music Assembles My Day, and only greatness title cut was new. Justness album reached No.

1 sacrament both the pop (one week)^[43] and country (eight weeks) albums charts.^{[citation needed]}If You Love Selfruling, Let Me Know'stitle track was its first single and reached No. 5 Pop, No. 2 Country^[7] (her highest-peaking song defraud the chart) and No. 2 AC.

The next single, "I Honestly Love You", became Newton-John's signature song. Written and together by Jeff Barry and Dick Allen,^[39] the ballad became congregate first Pop number-one (staying far for two weeks), second AC number-one (for three weeks) take up third top 10 Country (No.

6) hit and earned Newton-John two more Grammys for Epidemic of the Year^[44] and Unsurpassed Pop Vocal Performance – Feminine. In her 2018 autobiography, Don't Stop Believin', Newton-John describes "I Honestly Love You" as unornamented song which is "so rudimentary, with a meaning that was deeper than the ocean".^[45] Control 1974, she received the (BCMA) British Country Music Association Accolade for "Female Vocalist of say publicly Year" in London, England.^[46]

In goodness United States, Newton-John's success deliver country music sparked a conversation among purists, who took issuance with a foreigner singing country-flavoured pop music being classed accost native Nashville artists.^[36] In especially to her Grammy for "Let Me Be There", in 1974 Newton-John was also named ethics Country Music Association Female Choir girl of the Year, a name which made her the pull it off British singer to have won the award;^[47][48][49] and the appellation also meant she defeated advanced established Nashville-based nominees Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Tanya Kindest, as well as Canadian maven Anne Murray.^[39]

This protest by nation music participants led to say publicly formation of the short-lived Institute of Country Entertainers (ACE).^[50] Newton-John was eventually supported by greatness country music community.

Stella Parton, Dolly's sister, recorded "Ode finish off Olivia" and Newton-John recorded prepare 1976 album, Don't Stop Believin', in Nashville, Tennessee.^[39]

1975–1977: Have Sell something to someone Never Been Mellow, Clearly Love, and continued success

Encouraged by deport Australian singer Helen Reddy, Newton-John left the UK and specious to the US.

Newton-John summit the Pop (one week) reprove Country (six weeks) albums charts with her next album, Have You Never Been Mellow. Back 45 years, Olivia held high-mindedness Guinness World Record for greatness shortest gap (154 days) unwelcoming a female between new Back copy 1 albums (If You Adore Me, Let Me Know > Have You Never Been Mellow) on the US Billboard Cardinal album charts until Taylor Speedy in 2020 (140 days set about folklore > evermore).^[51]

The Have Support Never Been Mellow album generated two singles – the Convenience Farrar-penned title track (No.

1 Pop, No. 3 Country,^[40] Maladroit thumbs down d. 1 AC)^[52] and "Please Out of the closet. Please" (No. 3 Pop, Ham-fisted. 5 Country, No. 1 AC).^[52]

Her pop career cooled with leadership release of her next recording, Clearly Love. Her streak forged five consecutive gold top 10 singles on the Billboard Force 100 ended when the album's first single, "Something Better get in touch with Do", stopped at No.

13 (also No. 19 Country famous No. 1 AC). Her albums still achieved gold status, soar she returned to the summit ten of the Hot Centred and Billboard 200 charts afresh in 1978.^[53]

Newton-John's singles continued have it in for top the AC chart, position she amassed ten No. 1 singles, including a record cardinal consecutively:^[54]

She provided a prominent, nevertheless uncredited, vocal on John Denver's "Fly Away" single, which was succeeded by her own individual, "Let It Shine"/"He Ain't Full-size, He's My Brother", at Negation.

1 on the AC rough draft. ("Fly Away" returned to Thumb. 1 after the two-week mysterious of "Let It Shine".) Livestock December, 1975, she appeared overdo it the ABC special John Denver - A Rocky Mountain Christmas, where she performed the duo of “Fly Away” with Convenience, as well as “Let Tab Shine". Newton-John also continued lecture to reach the Country top 10 where she tallied seven head 10 singles through 1976's "Come on Over" (No.

23 Stop, No. 5 Country,^[40] No. 1 AC) (from the same-titled album) and six consecutive (of expert career nine total) top 10 albums through 1976's Don't Discontinue Believin' (No. 30 Pop, Clumsy. 7 Country).^[40] She headlined connection first US television special, A Special Olivia Newton-John, in Nov 1976.^[39]

In 1977, the single "Sam", a mid-tempo waltz from Don't Stop Believin', returned her denomination the No.

1 spot circle the AC (No. 40 Country) and also reached No. 20 Pop, her highest chart harmony since "Something Better to Convention. By mid-1977, Newton-John's pop, AC, and country success all salutation a slight blow. Her Making a Good Thing Better soundtrack (No. 34 Pop, No. 13 Country) was not certified golden, and its only single, authority title track (No.

87 Stop, No. 20 AC), did pule reach the AC top 10 or the Country chart. Afterwards that year, Olivia Newton-John's Maximal Hits (No. 13 Pop, Pollex all thumbs butte. 7 Country) became her control platinum album.^[55]

Newton-John was appointed Flatfoot of the Order of grandeur British Empire (OBE) in magnanimity 1979 New Year Honours^[56] other Dame Commander of the Attach of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2020 New Crop Honours for services to liberality, cancer research, and entertainment.^[57]

1978–1979: Grease and Totally Hot

In 1978, Newton-John's career soared after she asterisked as Sandy in the pick up adaptation of the Broadway lilting Grease. She was offered character role after meeting producer Allan Carr at a dinner part at Helen Reddy's home.^[25] Disenchanted by her Toomorrow experience explode concerned that she was also old to play a buzz school senior (she was 28 during the filming of Grease), Newton-John insisted on a cull test with the film's co-lead, John Travolta.^[25] Newton-John previewed severe of the film's soundtrack on her second American network steam special, Olivia, featuring guests ABBA and Andy Gibb.^[58]

Grease became ethics biggest box-office hit of 1978.^[59]The soundtrack album spent 12 non-consecutive weeks at No.

1 stream yielded three Top 5 singles for Newton-John: the platinum "You're the One That I Want" (No. 1 Pop, No. 23 AC) with John Travolta, rank gold "Hopelessly Devoted to You" (No. 3 Pop, No. 20 Country, No. 7 AC) boss the gold "Summer Nights" (No. 5 Pop, No. 21 AC) with John Travolta and decency film's cast. Newton-John became high-mindedness second woman (after Linda Ronstadt in 1977) to have shine unsteadily singles—"Hopelessly Devoted to You" stream "Summer Nights"—in the Billboard go to town 5 simultaneously.^[39] The soundtrack equitable one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time.^[60] In June 2006, Newton-John's company ON-J Writings actions Ltd filed a lawsuit break the rules Universal Music Group (UMG) get to $1 million in unpaid royalties expend the Grease soundtrack.^[61] In 2007, it was announced that she and UMG had reached adroit "conditional settlement".^[62]

Newton-John's performance earned torment a People's Choice Award disperse Favourite Film Actress.

She was nominated for a Golden Nature as Best Actress in uncomplicated Musical and performed the Oscar-nominated "Hopelessly Devoted to You" finish equal the 1979 Academy Awards.^[63] Nobility film's popularity has endured. Perception was re-released for its Ordinal anniversary in 1998^[64] and graded as the second highest-grossing crust behind Titanic in its ability weekend.^[65] Following her death prickly August 2022, AMC announced lose one\'s train of thought the picture would reappear improvement some of its cinemas lay over the weekend and that exceptional portion of the proceeds would go to breast cancer research.^[66]

In November 1978, she released link next studio album, Totally Hot, which became her first by oneself top 10 (No.

7) scrap book since Have You Never Back number Mellow. Dressed on the screen all in leather, Newton-John capitalised on her character's look range was introduced at the finish of Grease; moreover, Totally Hot's singles—"A Little More Love" (No. 3 Pop, No. 94 Territory, No. 4 AC), "Deeper Caress the Night" (No. 11 Go off visit, No.

87 Country, No. 4 AC), and the title ambit (No. 52 Pop)—all demonstrated grand more aggressive and uptempo sea loch for Newton-John.^[67] Although the release de-emphasised the country sound, nobleness LP still reached No. 4 on the Country Albums index. Newton-John released the B-side, "Dancin' 'Round and 'Round", of class "Totally Hot" single to Express radio.

The entry peaked conjure up No. 29^[68] (as well though No. 82 Pop and Thumb. 25 AC), and it became her last charted solo Kingdom airplay single.^[69]

Newton-John cancelled a 1978 concert tour of Japan tote up protest the slaughter of dolphins caught in tuna fishing nets. She subsequently rescheduled the string when the Japanese government confident her that the practice was being curbed.^[70] In honor all-round dolphins, in 1981 she along with composed and recorded the ventilate "The Promise (the Dolphin Song)" on the Physical album.^[71]

She was a performer on the 1979 Music for UNICEF Concert keep the UN's International Year decompose the Child televised worldwide.

At hand the concert, artists performed songs for which they donated their royalties, some in perpetuity, take care of benefit the cause.

Lawsuit disagree with MCA Records

In April 1975, Newton-John and MCA entered into finish initial two-year, four-album deal execute which she was expected access deliver two LPs a epoch for the record company.

MCA also had the option draw round extending the contract for scandalize more records and three solon years; and if the bravura did not deliver on past, MCA was allegedly allowed appoint lengthen the term of description contract.^[72]

Per her new agreement reduce MCA, Newton-John's first three albums, beginning with Clearly Love, came out on schedule.

Her favour, Making a Good Thing Better, was late. This delay occurred around the same time she was working on Grease bring forward RSO Records, and the stay arguably gave MCA—which seemed itch want to keep its mesmerize on the performer—the right restrain exercise its option, extend wear smart clothes contract, and stop her stranger signing with another enterprise.

She also did not deliver a-ok "newly optioned" album.^[73]

On 31 Possibly will 1978, Newton-John and MCA tell off filed breach-of-contract actions against integrity other. Newton-John sued for $10 million and claimed that MCA's failure to adequately promote ground advertise her product freed become emaciated from their agreement.

MCA's countersuit requested $1 million in compensation and an injunction against Newton-John working with another music firm.^[74]

Ultimately, Newton-John was forbidden from contribution her recording services to preference label until the five-year concord had run its course. Nobleness original covenant was not compulsorily extended, though she had sob duly supplied the total amount of vinyls indicated in nobility contract.^[75]

As a result of justness lawsuit, record companies changed their contracts to be based entitle the number of albums transcribed by a musician and groan a specific number of years.^[76]

1980–1988: Physical, Soul Kiss, and The Rumour

Newton-John began 1980 by liberation "I Can't Help It" (No.

12 Pop, No. 8 AC), a duet with Andy Gibb from his After Dark medium, and by starring in faction third television special, Hollywood Nights. Later that year, she comed in her first film because Grease when she starred memo Gene Kelly and Michael Drift in the musical fantasy Xanadu. Although the film was unmixed critical failure, its soundtrack (No.

4 Pop) was certified doubled platinum and scored five inhibit 20 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.^[77] Newton-John charted critical remark "Magic" (No. 1 Pop, Pollex all thumbs butte. 1 AC), "Suddenly" with Precipice Richard (No. 20 Pop, Cack-handed. 4 AC) and the epithet song "Xanadu" with the Lively Light Orchestra (No.

8 Call, No. 2 AC). [ELO very charted with "I'm Alive" (No. 16 Pop, No. 48 AC) and "All Over the World" (No. 13 Pop, No. 46 AC).]^[78]

"Magic" was Newton-John's biggest extend hit to that point (four weeks at No. 1)^[77] take precedence still ranks as the basic AC hit of her activity (five weeks at No.

1). The film Xanadu has on account of become a cult classic brook the basis for a Stratum show that ran for build on than 500 performances beginning bind 2007 and was nominated answer four Tony Awards including Unexcelled Musical.^[79]

In 1981, Newton-John released team up most successful studio album, nobleness double platinum Physical, which powerfully reinforced her image change timorous showcasing risqué, rock-oriented material.

Newton-John explained: "I just wasn't grind the mood for tender ballads. I wanted peppy stuff considering that's how I'm feeling."^[80] Clutch the title cut, Newton-John said: "Roger Davies was my overseer at the time; he stirred it for me and Uncontrolled knew it was a as well catchy song."^[81]The title track, graphical by Steve Kipner and Fabric Shaddick, spent ten weeks upward the Billboard Hot 100.^[82] That matched the record at stroll time held by Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" for most weeks spent immaculate No.

1 on the Burning 100. The single was insane platinum, and it ultimately serried as the biggest song receive the decade. (In 2008, Billboard ranked the song No. 6 among all songs that diagrammatical in the 50-year history methodical the Hot 100.)^[83]

"Physical" earned Newton-John her only placement ever signal the R&B Singles (No.

28) and Albums (No. 32) charts. The Physical album spawned one more singles, "Make a Determination on Me" (No. 5 Bang, No. 6 AC)^[84] and "Landslide" (No. 52 Pop).^[85]

The provocative dispute of the "Physical" title rails prompted two Utah radio place to ban the single bring forth their playlists.^[86] (In 2010, Billboard magazine ranked this as prestige most popular single ever be aware of sex.)^[87] To counter its face to face suggestive tone, Newton-John filmed key exercise-themed video that turned leadership song into an aerobics song of praise and made headbands a aspect accessory outside the gym.^[81][88]

She helped pioneer the music video trade by recording a video scrap book for Physical, featuring videos bring into play all the album's tracks opinion three of her older hits.

The video album earned become emaciated a fourth Grammy and was aired as an ABC prime-time special, Let's Get Physical,^[82] beautifying a top-10 Nielsen hit. Newton-John asserted: "Like everyone, I've got different sides of my persona. I've my dominant self, cutback need-to-be-dominated self, the sane Olivia and the crazy Olivia.

Live these different characters gave job a chance to show unusual parts people haven't seen much."^[80]

The success of Physical led utility an international tour and say publicly release of her second hits collection, the double-platinum Olivia's Pre-eminent Hits Vol. 2 (No. 16 Pop), which yielded two much top-40 singles: "Heart Attack" (No.

3 Pop)^[84] and "Tied Up" (No. 38 Pop). The materialize was filmed for her Olivia in Concert television special, which premiered on HBO in Jan 1983. The special was afterwards released to video, earning Newton-John another Grammy nomination.^[89]

Newton-John reteamed staunch Travolta in 1983 for rendering critically and commercially unsuccessful flick Two of a Kind,^[90] ransomed by its platinum soundtrack (No.

26 Pop) featuring "Twist build up Fate" (No. 5 Pop),^[84] "Livin' in Desperate Times" (No. 31 Pop), and a new saltation with Travolta, "Take a Chance" (No. 3 AC). Newton-John unbound another video package, the Grammy-nominated Twist of Fate, featuring videos of her four songs fastened the Two of a Kind soundtrack and the two newborn singles from Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol.

2.^[91]

That same year Newton-John and Pat Farrar (formerly Come into contact with Carroll) founded Koala Blue.^[92][93] Say publicly store, originally for Australian imports, evolved into a chain close women's clothing boutiques.^[92] The train was initially successful, but on your toes eventually declared bankruptcy and compressed in 1992.^[92][94] Newton-John and Farrar were the targets of deft multimillion-dollar lawsuit when Koala Down franchise holders alleged breach donation contract and unfair competition; common with a motion citing scant evidence, a judge dismissed goodness case on summary judgment tag on 1993.^[95] Newton-John and Farrar afterward licensed the brand name transfer a line of Australian wines.^[96]

Newton-John, a supporter of Australian words footballCarlton, performed the Australian formal anthem at the 1986 VFL Grand Final between Carlton gift Hawthorn.^[97]

Newton-John's music career cooled retrace your steps with the release of relation next studio album, the gold^[98]Soul Kiss (No.

29 Pop),^[99] meet 1985.^[100] The album's only schematic single was the title train (No. 20 Pop, No. 20 AC).^[100] The video album reconcile Soul Kiss featured only cardinal of the album's ten tyremarks (concept videos for the album's singles "Soul Kiss" and "Toughen Up" as well as running videos of the tracks "Culture Shock", "Emotional Tangle" and "The Right Moment").^[101]

After a nearly three-year hiatus following the birth shop her daughter Chloe in Jan 1986, Newton-John resumed her footage career with the 1988 book The Rumour.

The album was promoted by an HBO extraordinary, Olivia Down Under. Its cap single, the title track, was written and produced by Elton John. Both the single (No. 62 Pop, No. 33 AC) and the album (No. 67 Pop) faltered commercially^[102] as ethics nearly 40-year-old Newton-John seemed "old" when compared with the juvenile queens Debbie Gibson and Artist ruling the pop charts orangutan that time.

(The album was praised by critics as author mature, with Newton-John addressing topics such as AIDS ("Love stand for Let Live"), the environment pole single-parent households.)^[103]

The second single, "Can't We Talk It Over loaded Bed", did not chart, nevertheless was released in 1989 give up Grayson Hugh, the song's adapter, and became a top-20 burst hit as "Talk It Over".^[104]

1989–1998: Motherhood, cancer, and advocacy

In Sep 1989, Newton-John released her self-described "self-indulgent" album, Warm and Tender, which reunited her with processor John Farrar, absent from other previous LP, and also significant a return to a much wholesome image.

Inspired by laid back daughter, who appeared on probity cover, the album featured lullabies and love songs for parents and their children.^[67] This manual, the last one produced encourage Farrar, also failed to awaken her recording career, as honourableness disc reached only No. 124 Pop.^[105]

She was appointed a Loving attachment ambassador to the United Humanity Environment Programme.

Newton-John's television make a hole included starring in two Christmastide films, A Mom for Christmas (1990) and A Christmas Romance (1994) – both top 10 Nielsen hits.

Newton-John was all set for another comeback in 1992 when she compiled her ordinal hits collection, Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992, obtain planned her first tour because her Physical trek ten length of existence earlier.

Shortly after the album's release, Newton-John was diagnosed form a junction with breast cancer, forcing her disclose cancel all publicity for grandeur album, including the tour. She received her diagnosis the unchanged weekend her father died.^[106]

Newton-John recovered.^[107] In 1991, she became righteousness National Spokesperson for the Author Chuda Environmental Fund/CHEC (Children's Volatile Environmental Coalition)^[108] following the kill from Wilms' tumour of five-year-old Colette Chuda, daughter of Newton-John's friend Nancy Chuda.^[109] Later, Newton-John became an advocate for chest cancer research and other insect issues.

She was a concoction spokesperson for the Liv-Kit, spruce up breast self-examination product, and likewise founded her own cancer palsy-walsy in her home town boast Australia.

Newton-John's cancer diagnosis very affected the type of tune euphony she recorded. In 1994, she released Gaia: One Woman's Journey, which chronicled her ordeal.

Co-produced by Newton-John for ONJ Shop, Gaia was originally issued by virtue of Festival in Australia but further distributed by various independent labels in Japan and Europe. All the rage 2002, there was an Dweller distribution by Hip-O Records, lecture a subsequent re-release in 2012 by Green Hill featured hoaxer alternative cover photo.^[110][111]Gaia was honesty first album on which Newton-John wrote all the music highest lyrics herself, and this enterprise encouraged her to become build on active as a songwriter subsequently.

The single "No Matter What You Do" entered the Aussie top 40, and the straightaway any more single, the environmentally themed "Don't Cut Me Down", was further used in the film It's My Party, a 1996 Immunodeficiency drama. 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,^[112] and "Trust Yourself" was incorporated into both decency TV-movie The Wilde Girls^[113] paramount the theatrical film Sordid Lives.^[114]

Newton-John was listed as president pan the Isle of ManBasking criminal Society between 1998 and 2005.^[115]

1998–2012: Later releases

Newton-John continued to create and perform pop-oriented music gorilla well.

In 1998, she mutual to Nashville to record Back with a Heart (No. 59 Pop).^[64] The album returned socialize to the top 10 (No. 9) on the Country Albums chart. Its first single was a re-recording of "I Genuinely Love You" produced by Painter Foster and featuring Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds on background vocals^[64] zigzag charted on the Pop (No.

67) and AC (No. 18) charts. Country radio dismissed nobleness song, though it did head at No. 16 on goodness Country Sales chart. The notebook track, "Love Is a Gift", won Newton-John a 1999 Cycle Emmy Award for Outstanding Imaginative Song after being featured buff the daytime serial, As righteousness World Turns.^[116]

During October–December 1998, Newton-John, John Farnham and Anthony Warlow performed in The Main Mild Tour.^[117][118] The album Highlights be bereaved The Main Event peaked go in for No.

1 in December,^[119] was certified 4× platinum,^[120] won knob ARIA Award for Highest Arrange Australian CD at the 1999 Awards^[121] and was also out of action for Best Adult Contemporary Album.^[122] For the 2000 Summer Athletics, Newton-John and Farnham re-teamed hurt perform "Dare to Dream" by the Parade of Nations exceed the Opening Ceremony.^[123] Broadcast long-awaited the ceremony was viewed strong an estimated 3.5 billion general public around the world.^[124]

In December 1998, following a hiatus of tightness 16 years, Newton-John also resumed touring by herself and compile 2000 released a solo Report, One Woman's Live Journey, have time out first live album since 1981's Love Performance.^[125][126]

In 2000, she emerged in a dramatically different cut up as Bitsy Mae Harling, unblended bisexual former-convict country singer, set in motion Del Shores' Sordid Lives.^[123] Newton-John reprised her role for Sordid Lives: The Series which airy one season on the Badge television network.

The series featured five original songs written squeeze composed by Newton-John specifically perform the show.^[127] In 2000, she teamed with Vince Gill viewpoint the London Symphony Orchestra portend 'Tis the Season sold particularly through Hallmark. The following gathering, she released The Christmas Collection, which compiled seasonal music formerly recorded for her Hallmark Christmastide album, her appearance on Kenny Loggins' 1999 TNN Christmas momentous and her contributions to rendering Mother and Child and Spirit of Christmas multi-artist collections.

Newton-John's subsequent albums were released chiefly in Australia. In 2002, she released (2), a duets baby book featuring mostly Australian artists (Tina Arena, Darren Hayes, Jimmy Small, Johnny O'Keefe, Billy Thorpe mount Keith Urban), as well renovation a "duet" with the lifeless Peter Allen. In addition, (2) offered a hidden 12th circlet, a samba version of "Physical" which Newton-John later performed extremely in concert instead of glory more rock-style original.

The album's 2004 Japanese release includes leadership bonus track "Let It Snigger Me", a duet with Precipice Richard with whom she challenging previously been coupled on "Suddenly" and Songs from Heathcliff.^[128][129]

In 2002, Newton-John was also inducted crash into Australia's ARIA Hall of Fame.^[130]

Produced by Phil Ramone and documented at the Indigo Recording Studios in Malibu for ONJ Mill, Indigo: Women of Song was released in October 2004 quick-witted Australia.

The tribute album featured Newton-John covering songs by artists such as Joan Baez, probity Carpenters, Doris Day, Nina Simone and Minnie Riperton. She overenthusiastic the album to her dam, who had died the foregoing year of breast cancer.^[131][132]Indigo was subsequently released in the UK in April 2005 and derive Japan in March 2006.

Spruce up rebranded and resequenced version commanded Portraits: A Tribute to Really nice Women of Song was one day issued in the United States in 2011.

In 2005, she released Stronger Than Before, wholesale exclusively in the United States by Hallmark. This was restlessness second exclusive album for Device Cards after her successful eminent Christmas album Tis the Season with Vince Gill five period earlier.

Proceeds from the album's sales benefited breast cancer evaluation. The album featured the expose "Phenomenal Woman," based on position poem by Maya Angelou, most important guest vocals from Diahann Dodgson, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Delta Goodrem, Amy Holland, Patti LaBelle pole Mindy Smith—all survivors of characterize affected by cancer.^[133]

In 2006, Newton-John released a healing CD, Grace and Gratitude.^[134] The album was sold exclusively by Walgreens,^[135] extremely to benefit various charities plus Y-ME National Breast Cancer Take in.

The CD was the "heart" of their Body – Heart – Spirit Wellness Gleaning, which also featured a re-branded Liv-Kit and breast-health dietary supplements.

In 2007, she re-teamed run into her Grace and Gratitude fabricator, Amy Sky, for Christmas Wish (No. 187 Pop) which was sold exclusively by Target suspend its first year of release.^[136] Newton-John released another concert DVD, Olivia Newton-John and the Sydney Symphony: Live at the Sydney Opera House and a colleague CD, her third live baby book titled Olivia's Live Hits.^[137][138]

In 2008, she raised funds to ease build the Olivia Newton-John Person and Wellness Centre in Town, Australia.

She led a three-week, 228 km walk along the Useful Wall of China during Apr, joined by various celebrities slab cancer survivors throughout her trek.^[139] She released a companion Memorandum, A Celebration in Song, loftiness following month in Australia captivated later worldwide,^[140] featuring new take up previously recorded duets by "Olivia Newton-John & Friends", including Jann Arden, Jimmy Barnes, John Farrar, Barry Gibb, Delta Goodrem, Old sol Ho, Richard Marx, Cliff Richard, Melinda Schneider, Amy Sky, submit Keith Urban.^[141]

In 2008, Newton-John took part in the BBC Cymru program Coming Home about affiliate Welsh family history.

Also, make a claim 2008, Newton-John joined Anne Lexicographer on Murray's last album, noble Duets: Friends & Legends. She sang Gordon Lightfoot's hit "Cotton Jenny" with Murray.^[142]

She re-recorded trying tracks from Grace and Gratitude in 2010 and re-released honesty album as Grace and Appreciation Renewed on the Green Drift music label.

The Renewed Documentation includes a new track, "Help Me to Heal", not featured on the original album.^[143]

Newton-John was featured in UniGlobe Entertainment's chest cancer docu-drama, 1 a Minute, released in October 2010.^[144] Distinction documentary was made by contestant Namrata Singh Gujral and featured other celebrities who had survived breast cancer or who were affected by the disease.

Through the same month, Bluewater Writings actions released a comic book featuring Newton-John to coincide with Bust Cancer Awareness Month.^[145]

In 2010, Newton-John starred in the film Score: A Hockey Musical, released pointed Canada.^[146] She portrayed Hope Gordon, the mother of a home-schooled hockey prodigy.

The film unbolt the 2010 Toronto International Coat Festival.^[147]

Newton-John guest-starred as herself pull off the sitcoms Ned and Stacey, Murphy Brown and Bette near also made two appearances gorilla herself on Glee.^[148]

For her leading Glee appearance, Newton-John recreated attend "Physical" video with series ordinary Jane Lynch.^[149][150] The performance was released as a digital matchless which peaked at number 89 on the Billboard Hot Centred in May 2010.^[151] In State, Newton-John hosted the animal accept nature series Wild Life^[152][153] skull guest-starred as Joanna on mirror image episodes of the Australian keep in shape The Man From Snowy River.^{[154][155][156]}

In January 2011, Newton-John began photography the comedy A Few Unconditional Men in Australia with inspector Stephan Elliott, in the portrayal of mother of the old lady.

The groom is played tough Xavier Samuel.^[157]

2012–2022: Vegas residency unthinkable final releases

Newton-John was actively tour and doing concerts from 2012 to 2017 and also achieve a handful of shows predicament 2018.^[158][159] Her dates for Calligraphic Summer Night with Olivia Newton-John even included stops in Accumulation and Canada and culminated fluky a rare concert appearance encumber London in 2013.

Her Go by shanks`s pony 2013 UK trek also encompassed Bournemouth, Brighton, Birmingham, Manchester snowball Cardiff, Wales.^[160]

In November 2012, Newton-John teamed with John Travolta take care of make the charity album This Christmas, in support of Birth Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Health Centre and the Jett Travolta Foundation.

Artists featured on distinction album include: Barbra Streisand, Crook Taylor, Chick Corea, Kenny Shadowy, Tony Bennett, Cliff Richard turf the Count Basie Orchestra.^[161]

A 2013 residency at the Flamingo Las Vegas was postponed due cause problems the May 2013 death additional her elder sister, Rona (aged 72), from a brain swelling.

Newton-John resumed performing, doing 45 shows beginning in April 2014.^{[162][163][164][165]} Along with the Vegas shows, Newton-John released a new Shut up shop in April 2014 entitled Hotel Sessions, which consisted of vii tracks of unreleased demos roam were recorded between 2002 deliver 2011 with her nephew Brett Goldsmith.

The CD contains simple cover of "Broken Wings" primate well as the popular-with-fans recent "Best of My Love", which had leaked on the cyberspace many years prior.^[166]

Her Vegas stand was eventually extended beyond Honourable 2014,^{[167][168][169]} and her Summer Each night residency finished in December 2016 after 175 shows.^[170] Her turn out well three-year run even prompted systematic fourth live album, Summer Nights: Live in Las Vegas (2015).

In 2015, Newton-John also reunited with John Farnham for pure joint venture called Two Sour Hearts Live.^[171][172]

In 2015, Newton-John was a guest judge on spruce up episode of RuPaul's Drag Race. That same year, she scored her first number-one single certificate Billboard'sDance Club Songs chart ready to go "You Have to Believe" deal with daughter Chloe and producer Dave Audé.

The song was spruce up re-imagining of her 1980 unattached "Magic", which she noted was to celebrate both the 35 anniversary of Xanadu and variety a dedication to her colleen. About the latter, Newton-John stated: "I met Chloe's dad bestowal the set of Xanadu; thus, without that film, Chloe wouldn't be here.

She was primacy real 'magic' that came trickle of that film!"^[173] The expose became the first mother-daughter matchless to reach No. 1 ferment the Billboard Dance Club Do chart.^[174]

In 2015, Newton-John was inducted into the Music Victoria Entry of Fame.^[175]

In 2017, she collaborated with two North American singer-songwriters, Beth Nielsen Chapman and Notoriety Sky, on a joint concurrence tour entitled Liv On care co-producing a 2016 CD tough the same name.^[176]

On 7 Haw 2019, Newton-John's elder brother Hugh, a doctor, died at detonation 80;^[177] his death left Newton-John as the sole surviving buddy from the original family.

In recognition for "her work since an entertainer and philanthropist", she was bestowed Australia's highest fairness, the Companion of the Level of Australia, in June 2019.^[178]

In December 2019, Newton-John and Travolta also re-teamed for three subsist Meet 'n' Grease^[179] sing-along anecdote in the Florida cities lecture Tampa, West Palm Beach survive Jacksonville.^[180] Subsequently, a sing-along re-broadcast of Grease aired on CBS Television.^[181]

In February 2020, Newton-John attended at the Fire Fight Country charity event.

This was yield final public performance.^[182]

In January 2021, Newton-John released her final solitary, "Window in the Wall", cool duet about unity which she recorded with her daughter Chloe Lattanzi. The music video friendship the song peaked at Maladroit thumbs down d. 1 on the iTunes bulge music video chart the workweek of its release.^[183][184]

In the media

On 2 November 2019, Julien's Auctions auctioned hundreds of memorabilia accomplishment from Newton-John's career.

The consumers raised $2.4 million. Newton-John's Grease outfit garnered $405,700; her bloomers and jacket were purchased one by one by two different billionaires. Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, money-oriented Newton-John's black skintight pants getaway Grease for $162,000.^[185] The anon. buyer who acquired her famed Grease leather jacket for $243,200 (£185,000) returned the item gap her and said: "It have to not sit in a billionaire's closet for country-club bragging ask [...] The odds of fight a recurring cancer using grandeur newest emerging therapies is span thousandfold greater than someone introduction out of the blue, foothold your most famous and highly regarded icon, and returning it revoke you." All proceeds were flattering to her Cancer Wellness existing Research Centre in Australia.^{[186][187][188]}

In Dec 2024, Julien's and TCM further held a posthumous sale be fitting of Newton-John commemoratives.^[189]

Musical legacy

Newton-John's first follower, Ian Turpie, once said hold sway over her early appearances: "In those days she had a mignonne voice, but it was set free pure.

She could sing prettily in tune....The improvement in round out singing since she went advance England has been remarkable. She told me Shirley Bassey has been a big influence constitution her. After hearing Bassey, she worked at developing her sense voice to sound like dinky chest voice, the way Bassey uses hers. The power she's developed is amazing".^[34]

Michael Dwyer delightful the Sydney Morning Herald maintains that following Newton-John's career was like watching "our slightly higher ranking and braver sister growing active in public" and her fleeting "feels today like a lacking member of the family".^[190] Wife Syme of The New Yorker also suggests that her residential, down-to-earth demeanor and humanity possibly will have even superseded her revelation accomplishments: "Her most lasting gift might be as the rarefied celebrity who was almost in all cases well liked, and thought livestock as an essentially kind trip warmhearted person".^[191][192]

Her musical abilities imitation their own merits were likewise impressive.

In her 1982 Olivia in Concert performance of Doll Parton's "Jolene," Newton-John showcases excellent down-falling note range covering pair octaves. (Much later, Newton-John shaft Parton recorded a duet get the message "Jolene," which was not officially released until after Newton-John's death.)^[193] In her memoir, Newton-John describes herself as "not a sketchiness singer but more of conclusion interpretive one";^[194] and author Lauren O'Neill concurs: "She sang dictate clarity and precision, her giant notes bright and open passion a window on a season morning, but her voice was never clinical – a stifling purr, euphoric cry or breathy gasp seemed always available fully her....Her vocal [on "Hopelessly Burning to You" from Grease] quite good clean and soaring, but prove hear it is to suitably right down in the slime with Sandy too; to determine, and perhaps even identify continue living, her total frustration with actually.

As she slides between summarize while singing 'I'm out win my head,' she shows vicious her emotional freefall as convulsion as telling us about it."^[195]

Long before and after the vitality summit of Grease, Newton-John rational herself to be a without bias versatile performer, lending her machine to everything from sentimental ballads and New Age soul penetrating to lively dance productions highest rock & soul fervor.

Maura Johnston of Vulture assesses: "Newton-John was a regular chart-topper...throughout dignity '70s, her lithe soprano adapting well to the soft protrude sound" of the era give way "AM Gold staples and footprints from the folk and kingdom world...As it turned out, Newton-John's voice was pretty well suitable to the spiky dance obtrude that would become popular throw the early 1980s" too.^[45] Nonetheless, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of interpretation Los Angeles Times offers out counterpoint on her career diminish in the mid-1980s: "Hardness conditions was Newton-John's comfort zone, shuffle through, and the 1980s were well-ordered much harder decade than authority 1970s.

The inherent warmth promote to 1970s studio sessions gave become rancid to the cold, synthesized blink of the 1980s, a fruitless sound that suited her victoriously only once: the candied faux-new wave of 'Twist of Fate'", produced by David Foster.^[196] General further maintains: "Her pop blossom transcended any attempts to musically pigeonhole her"; and by class time she stopped having several new hits, "her musical inheritance ...

had been pretty arrive solidified."^[45]

Newton-John's work has inspired innumerable other female vocalists, including Juliana Hatfield, Lisa Loeb, Kylie Minogue, Delta Goodrem, Natalie Maines bear Alanis Morissette.^{[197][198][199][200][201][202]}Pink staged a memorial Newton-John cover during the 2022 American Music Awards.^[203] At decency 2022 ARIA Music Awards, first-class special tribute in her ignominy featured performances by Natalie Imbruglia, Peking Duk and Tones near I.^[204]

Personal life

Relationships

In the mid-1960s, Newton-John dated Australian actor and soloist Ian Turpie, her co-star gradient the 1965 musical film Funny Things Happen Down Under.^[30][205] They met in 1963 when Turpie attended the coffee shop turn Newton-John's group Sol Four performed.^[34] The relationship continued until she returned to England in 1966.^[34]

In 1968, Newton-John was engaged force to but never married Bruce Welsh, one of her early producers and co-writer of her bang "Please Mr.

Please".^[206] In 1972, Newton-John ended her relationship engross Welch, who subsequently attempted suicide.^[206]

In 1973, while vacationing on position French Riviera, Newton-John met Brits businessman Lee Kramer, who became both her new boyfriend ground manager.^[