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Singer and actress, Olivia Newton-John, has passed away at the age of 73. Many people know her from the 1978 musical movie “Grease,” where she starred alongside John Travolta, Stockard Channing, Didi Conn, and Jeff Conaway (her ex-brother-in-law). Her husband, John Easterling, shared her death on her verified Instagram account.
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.
She was born on Sept. 26, 1948, in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. When she was 5 years old her family relocated to Australia where her father worked as the dean of a college in Melbourne. Newton-John won a singing talent contest when she was a teenager. After which she and her mother moved back to England, according to IMDb.
The singer has over 25 songs that made it to the Top $0 list. More than half of them made it to the Top 10 in the United States. She moved to the U.S. in 1975.
Newton-John had many hit singles on top of making appearances on TV series with Cliff Richard. In 1970, she had a part in the movie “Toomorrow.” For a brief period, the singer was engaged to a man named Bruce Welch.
On Dec. 15, 1984, she married Matt Lattanzi. He and Newton-John had one child, Chloe, before they divorced in 1995. On June 30, 2008, she married Easterling.
Some of her well-known songs include “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “I Honestly Love You,” “Heart Attack,” “If Not for You,” “If You Love Me, Let Me Know,” ” Have You Never Been Mellow,” “You’re The One That I Want,” “Summer Nights,” “Magic,” “Xanadu,” “Physical,” and “Twist of Fate.”
In 1992, Newton-John underwent breast cancer surgery. Afterward, she returned to South Wales, Australia to recuperate. During that time period, her father passed away from liver cancer and she declared bankruptcy.
Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer a second time in 2013. It then metastasized to the singer’s sacrum reaching stage IV.
While living with metastatic breast cancer, she became a spokesperson for the eponymous “The Liv” — a heart-shaped, self-examination device for women to aid in the detection of breast lumps.
To raise funds for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Wellness Centre Appeal, the Australian government issued a semipostal postage stamp, on June 26, 2012.
In September of 2018, she revealed that she was undergoing treatment for cancer at the base of her spine. This was her third cancer diagnosis.
She is survived by her husband, daughter, other family members, and close friends. Newton-John will be greatly missed by many. May she rest in peace.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
CNN: Olivia Newton-John, singer and actress, dead at 73
IMDb: Olivia Newton-John
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Scott Whitley‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of rocor’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
