Magical milestones
- New Zealand Woman’s Weekly
Dame Olivia NewtonJohn was not only a talented performer but had a gift for reinventing herself. She went from country star to a pop princess and film icon, then a fierce humanitarian and health campaigner. Here’s a look at her many achievements.
1948
Olivia Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England. Her dad Bryn was a former
MI5 officer and her mum
Irene was the daughter of Nobel Prize-winning German physicist Max Born. The family emigrated to Melbourne in 1954.
1965
After singing on variety TV shows, where she was known as “Lovely Livvy”, Olivia won a talent show, where the prize was a trip to the UK. There she recorded a song but it failed to chart.
1966
Olivia travelled around Europe with an Australian friend, Pat Carroll, performing as a duo. Pat’s visa ran out and she returned to Australia, but Olivia stayed on, working on her solo career.
1971
Olivia released her first solo album, If Not For You, and had hits with the title track and its follow-up Banks of the Ohio. In 1973, her single Let Me Be There was a hit on the pop and country music charts, and won her a Grammy for Best Country Female.
1974
Representing the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, Olivia came fourth behind winners ABBA. Later that year, her single I Honestly Love You became a worldwide smash, including going to number one in the US and winning her two more Grammys. After a run of hits, such as Please Mr Please, her career stalled in 1977.
1978
Grease hit the big screen and quickly became one of the most successful movies of all time.
1980
Her next movie, musical fantasy Xanadu, was a boxoffice flop but later became a cult classic. Olivia began a romance with dancer Matt Lattanzi after meeting on set.
1981
Olivia released her album Physical. The provocative lyrics prompted some radio stations to ban it. Olivia countered this by filming a spoof exercisethemed video that turned it into an aerobics anthem and popularised headbands as a fashion accessory.
1984
Olivia married Matt. After a series of miscarriages, their daughter Chloe was born in 1986. Subsequent albums failed to achieve the success of her earlier ones and she began to focus more on humanitarian causes close to her heart, such as animal rights.
1992
Olivia was primed for a comeback with the release of a greatest hits compilation album when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, aged 44. Her dad died the same weekend she got the news. She recovered after treatment, becoming an advocate for breast cancer research.
1995
Olivia’s marriage to Matt ended. A year later, she met cameraman Patrick McDermott, and they dated
on and off for nine years. A year after breaking up, Patrick disappeared while on a fishing trip.
2008
Olivia married American businessman John Easterling, who runs a herb company, in a secret
Incan ceremony in Peru. In the same year, she opened the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Research Centre in Melbourne. As well as providing treatment for cancer patients, it funds research into treatments and cures for the disease.
2017
Olivia revealed that her cancer had returned. She campaigned for the legalisation of medicinal cannabis to ease pain and set up the Olivia Newton-John Foundation to research holistic therapies for cancer. In 2020, she was made a Dame for her services to the entertainment industry and cancer campaigning.
2022
John announced that his wife, Olivia Newton-John, died peacefully on August 8. She was 73.
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