Dame Olivia Newton-Joh, AC, DBE, internationally renowned singer/actress has succumbed to cancer at the age of 73. She starred in the cult classic Xanadu (1980 ) as Terpsichore, the Muse of Dance and in Grease (1978) as Sandy, the innocent exchange student who falls for tough guy Danny Zuko. She also appeared in the science fiction musical Toomorrow (1970) as Olivia.
Olivia Newton-John was born September 26, 1948 in Cambridge, England, UK. She moved to Australia at the age of six and spent most of her life there. She died August 8, 2022 in Santa Ynez Valley, California, USA. She was a singer, an actress, an animal rights activist, an enviromentalist, and an advocate for cancer research. Her many gold and platinum albums made her one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century. Many of her songs can be heard on SciFi.Radio. Remember, our DJs are happy to take requests if you ask politely.
Her first movie was Funny Things Happened Down Under (1965).
Dame Olivia won four Grammy awards. In 1974 she represented the U.K. in the Eurovision Song Contest; she came in fourth place. She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on August 5, 1981.She was awarded the OBE (officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 1979. Queen Elizabeth II created her Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2020 New Year’s Honours List for her services to charity, cancer research and entertainment. She was a Companion of the Order of Australia.
The Washington Post reported “Ms. Newton-John was treated for breast cancer in 1992, and she announced 25 years later, in 2017, that it had returned and metastasized. (She subsequently revealed that she had been battling the disease in private since 2013.)”
Dame Olivia was married twice, first to actor Matt Lattanzi, from 1984 until their divorce in 1995, and then to John Easterling in 2008. She had one daughter, Chloe Lattanzi.
Our deepest condolences to Chloe Lattanzi, John Easterling, and her other friends and family. Rest in peace, Dame Olivia.
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Susan Macdonald is the author of the children’s book “R is for Renaissance Faire”, as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in “Alternative Truths”, “Swords and Sorceress #30”, Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, “Cat Tails” “Under Western Stars”, and “Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid”. Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio’s web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.
