Olivia Newton-John dies: “Grease” star and successful “physical” singer were 73 years old

Olivia Newton-John, bestselling writer and multiple Grammy Award winner for “Physical” and lead singer of “I Honestly Love You,” starred in the beloved musical film. Fat then Xanadu, He said he died today on his ranch in Southern California. Official Facebook page. He was 73 years old.

The cause of death was not disclosed, but Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. She subsequently recovered, but the cancer returned in 2013 and metastasized to her lower back four years later.

Olivia Newton-John’s career in photography and music videos

Born in Britain, raised in Australia, Newton-John began her career as a country singer, but quickly transitioned to pop with the late 1973 hit “Let Me Be There”. It was the first of 15 singles in the US Top 10, including five number ones: “I Honestly Love You”, “You’ve Never Been Soft”, “Please Sir Please”, “You’re The One I Want” – (With John Travolta, Dan Fat), “Magic” (from the 1980 film Xanadu) and his biggest hit, “Physical”. The latter topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks and was the biggest single of 1981. He also ignited a fitness craze with his music video featuring Newton-John in an era-defining ensemble that included body and sash for the head. Between tough models and fat bums trying to lose a few tens of extra pounds. Look under.

Newton-John has won four Grammy Awards out of a dozen nominations during her career: “Let Me Be There” in 1974 for best female country performance; “I Honestly Love You” won the record of the year and best female pop vocal performance the following year; And “Heart Attack” won video of the year. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

She is best known to viewers as “Sandra Dee” -Sandy Fat, The 1978 hit that remains one of the highest-grossing film musicals of all time. Co-starring with Travolta in the Broadway adaptation, Newton-John sang the ballad of the film “Hopeless Devoted to You” and also duet with Travolta and Company on “Summer Nights”. Both singles also reached the US Top 10. The film’s soundtrack spent 12 consecutive weeks at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 8 million copies in the United States alone. He also scored a number one hit with Frankie Valli’s title song.

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Fat It was a sensation when it came out in June 1978. With several scenes shot at Venice High and Marshall High in Los Angeles, it combines 1950s nostalgia with the nascent disco movement and transforms Newton-John and Travolta into movie stars. . They played the opposite lovers who became the king and queen of Riddell High School, and Newton-John’s Sandy Dumbrowski makes an extreme transformation from a shrewd, ponytailed girl at school into a leather-clad stunner. .

Fat Added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2020.

The film also helped launch Newton-John’s stellar music career. Along with “Physical” and “Magic”, he also had post-Fat The 10 best club hits “A Little More Love”, “Make a Move on Me”, “Heart Attack”, “Twist of Fate” and the title track of the next movie, “Xanadu”. She also had five top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

Olivia Newton-John’s daughter and peers remember the actress, singer and humanitarian: “Heartbroken doesn’t even begin to cover it”

Released by Universal in August 1980, Xanadu Set in a disco ballad in the late 1970s, Newton-John plays Kira, a mysterious woman who falls in love with an independent LA artist (Michael Beck). It stars Gene Kelly, but the film was not a commercial success (skateboarding fashion was largely in decline upon its release), but its soundtrack reached number 4 on the Billboard 200 and became double disc. of platinum. He also has Electric Light Orchestra and Tubes.

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Many of Newton-John’s solo albums were popular in the 1970s and early 1980s as well. If you want me, let me know Topping the Billboard 200 in October 1974, Have You Never Been Mellow followed just five months later. Two others made the Top 10 in the United States: It’s warm (1978) and physicist (1981).

Born on September 26, 1948 in Cambridge, England, Newton-John moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia as a child. They started out in music as a teen pop group before winning an Australian talent show. He produced his first single, “Till You Say You Be Mine” in 1966 and toured British clubs like Pat and Olivia duet with Pat Carroll. He subsequently returned to Down Under to pursue his musical career.

Newton-John leaves her husband, John Easterling; a daughter, Chloe Latanz; her sister, Sarah Newton-John; her brother, Toby Newton-John; and many grandchildren and grandchildren. Instead of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made in memory of him. ONJfoundation.org.