Dame Olivia Newton-John AC, DBE (September 26, 1948 β August 8, 2022) was an English-born, Australian-raised singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles (including two platinum) and 14 of her albums (including two platinum and four double platinum) have been certified gold by the RIAA. She has sold an estimated over 100 million albums worldwide.
In 1978, she co-starred with John Travolta in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, Grease, which became one of the most successful films and movie soundtracks in Hollywood history. It features two major hitΒ duetsΒ with co-starΒ John Travolta: "You're the One That I Want"βwhich is one of theΒ best-selling singles of all timeβand "Summer Nights".
She became the second woman (afterΒ Linda RonstadtΒ in 1977) to have two singles β "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Summer Nights" β in theΒ BillboardΒ top 5 simultaneously. Her performance earned her aΒ People's Choice AwardΒ for Favorite Film Actress. She was nominated for aΒ Golden GlobeΒ as Best Actress in a Musical and performed the Oscar-nominated "Hopelessly Devoted to You" at the 1979Β Academy Awards.
In 1980, she starred withΒ Gene KellyΒ andΒ Michael BeckΒ in the musical fantasy film Xanadu. Although it was a critical failure,Β its soundtrackΒ was certified double platinum and scored five top 20 singles on theΒ BillboardΒ Hot 100. She charted with "Magic", "Suddenly" withΒ Cliff Richard, and the title song "Xanadu" with theΒ Electric Light Orchestra.
"Magic" was Newton-John's biggest pop hit to that pointΒ and still ranks as the biggest AC hit of her career. The film has since become a cult classic and the basis for aΒ Broadway showΒ that ran for more than 500 performances beginning in 2007 and was nominated for fourΒ Tony AwardsΒ including Best Musical.
She helped pioneer the music video industry by recording aΒ video album for Physical, featuring videos of all the album's tracks and three of her older hits. The video album earned her a fourth Grammy and was aired as an ABC prime-time special,Β Let's Get Physical,Β becoming a top-10Β NielsenΒ hit.
She teamed up with Travolta again in 1983 for the critically and commercially unsuccessful movieΒ Two of a Kind, redeemed by its platinum soundtrack featuring "Twist of Fate",Β and a new duet with Travolta, "Take a Chance"Iowa.Β
In 2002, she was inducted into Australia'sΒ ARIA Hall of Fame and, inΒ 2015, she was inducted into theΒ Music Victoria Hall of Fame. In recognition for "her work as an entertainer and philanthropist", she was bestowed Australia's highest honor, theΒ Companion of the Order of Australia, in June 2019.
In 2008, she raised funds to help build the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre inΒ Melbourne, Australia. She led a three-week, 228Β km walk along theΒ Great Wall of China, joined by various celebrities andΒ cancer survivors throughout her trek. The walk symbolised the steps cancer patients must take on their road to recovery.
She was a a long-time activist for environmental and animal rights issues. She battled breast cancer three times and was an advocate for breast cancer research and health awareness. Her business ventures included launching several product lines for Koala Blue and co-owning the Gaia Retreat & Spa in Australia.
English
EspaΓ±ol
Russian