DEATH OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN. The family of Olivia Newton-John announced her death on the evening of Monday August 8, 2022. The Anglo-Australian singer and actress had experienced a huge alongside John Travolta in the film Grease.
The essential
- The death of Olivia Newton-John was announced by her family on Monday August 8 through a press release.
- Aged 73, Olivia Newton-John had enjoyed success as a singer but remains associated with the success of the film and musical Grease, released in 1978.
- The Anglo-Australian actress, who has lived in the United States for almost 50 years, had been battling cancer since 1992.
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09:40 – Decorated by Queen Elisabeth II
Following the success of Grease in 1978, Olivia Newton-John was decorated by Queen Elizabeth II, being awarded the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1979.
09:28 – Olivia Newton-John had participated in Eurovision
Before Grease, Olivia Newton-John had already made a career in song, releasing several successful titles in the mid-1970s. In 1974, she even represented her native country, Great Britain, in the competition of theEurovision. The Anglo-Australian will rank fourth in a competition dominated that year by a still unknown Swedish group, Abba!
09:20 – 6 million admissions in France for Grease in 1978
The film Grease had dedicated the duo John Travolta Olivia Newton-John. In France alone, the film had attracted 6 million spectators at the cinema, more than West Side Story, another legendary musical film released in 1961. It was even the third most seen film in 1978 at the cinema in France behind Midnight Express and La Cage aux Folles.
09:11 – A 30-year fight against cancer, a foundation in his name
“Olivia has been a symbol of triumph and hope for 30 years by sharing her experience of breast cancer,” her husband John Easterling wrote after the announcement of Olivia Newton-John’s death. John Easterling clarified that a fund in the name of Olivia Newton-John had been created. It must contribute to financing research on cancer and the contribution of medicinal plants.
08:57 – Where did Olivia Newton-John die?
According to the press release published Sunday evening by the family of Olivia Newton-John, it was on her ranch that Olivia Newton-John died on Monday August 8. The actress reportedly “passed away peacefully at her ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by her family and friends,” according to the statement released by her husband.
08:45 – John Travolta’s poignant tribute to the “other star” of Grease
The duo entered the history of cinema and musical comedy: John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John played the two heroes of Grease, a film released in 1978. The American actor was quick to react to the announcement of the death of his partner. “My dear Olivia, you have made our lives better. Your influence has been incredible. I love you so much. We will see you again on the road and we will all be together again. Yours, from the first moment I view, and forever, your Danny, your John”.
08:44 – How was Olivia Newton-John’s death announced?
It was through a press release sent by the family of Olivia Newton-John that we learned of the death of the singer and actress. The information was transmitted at the end of the evening, French time, on Monday August 8, 2022.
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Olivia Newton-John passed away on August 8, 2022. Her death was announced by her family through a press release, stating that the actress passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones. Olivia Newton-John suffered from breast cancer diagnosed in 1992, a cancer which had reached stage 4 in recent years. The actress had publicized her illness, testifying on several TV sets, notably in Australia where she grew up.
It was therefore in 1992 that breast cancer was diagnosed in the heroine actress of Grease. Olivia Newton-John will choose to talk about her disease on many occasions, highlighting in particular the therapeutic treatment based on cannabis, helping to lift the taboo on this practice which she considered capable of soothing her pain and allowing her to sleep better. Olivia Newton-John had undergone a mastectomy, followed chemotherapy before announcing a relapse in 2013. In 2017, she announced that she was also suffering from a cancerous tumor in the sacrum. Testifying in 2019 on the Australian program 60 Minutes, Olivia Newton-John explained her vision of the disease. “I think the mind plays a big role in the healing process. When you’re diagnosed with cancer or some terrifying disease, you’re suddenly given a deadline. If you believe in numbers, you’ll make them become reality. If someone says to you: you have six months to live, it is very possible that it is the case, because you believe it”.
Olivia Newton-John’s career remains marked by the incredible global success of the musical Grease, released in 1978 at the cinema. Alongside John Travolta, the Anglo-Australian actress plays Sandy, a young Australian high school girl on vacation in the United States who meets Danny Zucco, leader of a small band the T-Birds. Sandy finally remaining in the United States, the two lovebirds find themselves in high school. Then begins a number of seduction and game between the two bands of boys and girls. If the film became cult and marked the end of the 1970s, it was also with its soundtrack. Singer, Olivia Newton-John notably performs the hits You’re the One That I Want and Summer Nights. She will find John Travolta in 1982 in the film Two of a Kind but the success will not be there this time, unlike the still acclaimed soundtrack.
Born September 26, 1948 in Cambridge (England), Olivia Newton-John grew up in Melbourne, Australia. At 15, she created her first group, the SOL FOUR. She participates in many TV shows. Back in England, she released her first single, “Till You Say You’ll Be Mine”, in 1966. Her first album, “Olivia Newton John”, was released in 1971. The title “I Honestly Love You” propelled her n #1 in the United States. She represented the United Kingdom at Eurovision 1974 and ranked 4th in the competition. In 1975, Olivia Newton-John moved to the United States. She established herself on the country and western scene and won a Grammy Award.
She lands the first female role in the musical film “Grease”(1978), in which she co-starred with John Travolta. Olivia Newton-John then gained international notoriety. 1978 is also the year of the release of the album “Totally Hot”, which is a worldwide success. In 1980, she turns in the musical romance “Xanadu”. In 1981, she released the album “Physical”, which earned her a star on the Walk of Fame. In 1982, she reunited with John Travolta on the set of “Two of a Kind”.
After filming in various television films, Olivia Newton-John launched her line of women’s ready-to-wear, which she sold some time later. On the private side, the actress had a daughter, Chloe Rose, with comedian Matt Lattanzi to whom she was married from 1984 to 1995. She became engaged to Patrick Mc Dermott, a cameraman who disappeared at sea in June 2005 and was found a few years later in Mexico, claiming to want “to be left alone”.
Affected by breast cancer in 1992, the actress and singer is very committed to the fight against this disease. In 2000, she toured in “Sordid Lives”. In 2005, she released an album dedicated to all women struck by breast cancer, “Stronger than Before”. Two years later, she participated in the inauguration of the Olympic Games in Sydney. In 2010, the singer made an appearance in the series “Glee”, interpreting her own role. Olivia Newton-John reunited with John Travolta in 2012, as part of the recording of a charity album, “This Christmas”. The two actors had also posed in 2018 for the 40th anniversary of the release of the musical.