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Olivia Newton-John, the Australian singer, actress, author, philanthropist and more, passed away on Monday, according to a statement from her husband. She was 73.
"Dame Olivia Newton-John passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time. Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer." her husband, John Easterling, said in a statement on the singer's verified Instagram.
ONJ had revealed a third cancer diagnosis in 2018 at the base of her spine, following bouts with breast cancer in the early '90s and in 2017. Beginning in her native Australia with a handful of country and soft-rock hits, Newton-John was rising in popularity, but it was on-screen as Sandy, opposite John Travolta as Danny in 1978's "Grease," one of most popular movie musicals of all time, that rocketed her to a new level of stardom. She would be named an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1979 as a result of that overall success.
Olivia Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England in 1948, the youngest of three children of Brinley and Irene (Born) Newton-John. Her mother was the daughter of the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Max Born and the family would move to Melbourne, Australia, after she was five. As a young girl, she won a talent contest on TV show, "Sing, Sing, Sing," and as a teen, formed an all-girl group.
Her first single (“’Til You Say You’ll Be Mine,” on Decca Records) was recorded in England in 1966 but US audiences first took real notice with 1973's "Let Me Be There", which became a top-10 hit on both the adult contemporary and country charts. Hits like "I Honestly Love You," "Have You Never Been Mellow" and "Please Mr. Please" would follow.
After "Grease", she took her sexier persona to even higher heights with 1981's "Physical," which became her biggest hit, spending 10 weeks topping the Billboard Hot 100. Over her long career, Newton-John won four GRAMMY Awards and sold more than 100 million albums.
But Newton-John had also lived with a breast cancer diagnosis since 1992, becoming a prominent advocate for cancer research and starting a foundation in her name to support it. There was also a mysterious situation with her husband disappearing without a trace as well, but none of that could jar her sunny disposition and outwardly positive personality.
As well as her husband, she is survived by daughter, Chloe Rose Lattanzi; sister, Sarah Newton-John; and brother, Toby.
| John C ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com |
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