Olivia Newton-John
Biography Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John’s appeal seems to be timeless. With a career spanning more than five decades she is still a vibrant, creative individual adored by fans around the globe. Born in Cambridge, England in 1948, the youngest child of Professor Brin Newton-John and Irene, daughter of Nobel Prize winning physicist, Max Born, Olivia moved to Melbourne, Australia with her family when she was five. Her first big break was winning a talent contest on the popular TV show, “Sing, Sing, Sing,” which earned Olivia a trip to London. By the age of fifteen she had formed an all-girl group called Sol 4 and, in 1963, Olivia was appearing on local daytime TV shows and weekly pop music programs in Australia. When she eventually took her prize-winning trip to London, she teamed up with her friend from Melbourne, Pat Carroll (now Pat Farrar), to create a double act, “Pat & Olivia,” and the duo toured army bases and clubs throughout the UK and Europe. Olivia cut her first single for Decca Records in 1966, a version of Jackie DeShannon’s “Till You Say You’ll Be Mine,” and in 1971, she recorded a cover of Bob Dylan’s “If Not For You,” co-produced by Bruce Welch and fellow Aussie and friend, John Farrar, whom she continues to collaborate with today.
Olivia’s U.S. album debut, “Let Me Be There,” produced her first top ten single of the same name, with Olivia being honored by the Academy Of Country Music as “Most Promising Female Vocalist” and a Grammy Award as “Best Country Vocalist.” This proved to be only the beginning of a very exciting career. With more than 100 million albums sold, Olivia’s successes include four Grammy Awards, numerous Country Music, American Music and Peoples Choice Awards, ten #1 hits including “Physical,” (which topped the charts for ten consecutive weeks making it the #1 single of the ‘80s), and over 15 top 10 singles. In November 2015, Billboard Magazine listed “Physical” at #8 on their “Top 100 Songs Of All Time” list and in 2010 listed it as “The Sexiest Song of All Time.” In addition, in 2015 Olivia was ranked #20 on Billboard’s “Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists” and most recently was ranked #7 on Billboard’s “Greatest Of All Time Hot 100 Women Artists.”
In 1978, her co-starring role with John Travolta in “Grease” catapulted Olivia into super-stardom and earned her a Golden Globe nomination as “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical of Comedy.” This film’s best-selling soundtrack featured the duets “You’re The One That I Want” and “Summer Nights,” with Travolta, as well as her mega-hit, “Hopelessly Devoted To You.” To date “Grease” remains the most successful movie musical in history. Her other feature film credits include “Funny Things Happen Down Under,” “Toomorrow,” “Xanadu,” “Two Of A Kind,” “It’s My Party,” “Sordid Lives,” “Score: A Hockey Musical,” and “A Few Best Men.”
In 2008, Olivia married “Amazon John” Easterling and, together they are spreading the word about the importance of preserving the Rainforest and the health values found in the botanicals of the Amazon. They currently serve on the Board of the ACEER Organization (Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research) to help the indigenous people of the Amazon gain ownership and title to their land. In September 2009, they also joined forces with Prince Charles’ The Prince’s Rainforest Project to further stress the global importance of preserving the Rainforest.
In 2010, Olivia appeared as herself in two episodes of the hit series, “Glee,” adding another Top 100 hit to her credits with a new version of “Physical” sung with Jane Lynch. In October 2010 Olivia starred in the breast cancer docudrama “1 A Minute” and, the Canadian film “Score: A Hockey Musical.” Her 2012 film, “A Few Best Men,” garnered her some of the best reviews of her film career. The soundtrack to the film features dance remixes of classic hits such as “Sugar Sugar” and “Daydream Believer” recorded by Olivia and remixed by some of the hottest club remixers in the world. In addition the CD reunited Olivia with her longtime producer and songwriter, John Farrar, on the single, “Weightless.”
In addition to starring in films and on television and writing books and music, Olivia continued to spend time in the recording studio. Her healing CD, “Grace and Gratitude: Renewed” (2010), debuted at #2 on the Billboard Magazine New Age chart. Billboard celebrated Olivia’s new music by saying, “Newton-John is soulfully committed to every word she sings, and fans will be taken by the plush arrangements, melodic warmth, and of course, the artist’s regal vocals.”
Olivia released her second book, LivWise: Easy Recipes For A Healthy, Happy Life (Murdoch Books) in Australia in 2011. (Her first book, A Pig Tale, an environmentally-themed story written for children, was released in 1993.) In LivWise, Olivia explains her belief in the importance of eating a healthy diet in order to maintain wellness and balance and, Olivia’s proceeds from the sale of the book benefit the ONJCWRC. In 2012, she reunited with John Travolta to release “This Christmas,” a holiday CD collection that was also a fundraiser for both the ONJCWRC and The Jett Travolta Foundation. That year Olivia was also named one of Australia’s “National Living Treasures” by the National Trust of Australia, and in 2013 she was bestowed her own stamp as part of the “Australia Post Legends” stamp series.
In April 2014, Olivia began her residency at the Flamingo Las Vegas with “Summer Nights,” a musical journey through her career in movies and music. To coincide with the show, she released “Hotel Sessions” an EP collection of songs recorded in hotel rooms in Melbourne over a ten-year period with her nephew Brett Goldsmith. The CD is dedicated to her late sister Rona Newton-John, who was always supportive of Olivia and Brett working together. Due to the popularity of the Las Vegas show, a 2-CD set, “Summer Nights – Live in Las Vegas” was released. The show, originally scheduled for one year turned into a hit, three-year concert residency that received acclaim from both critics and fans. Olivia was thrilled that a portion of every ticket sold to her Flamingo shows benefited the Wellness Programs at the ONJCWRC. ... Visit: olivianewton-john.com
