The legendary actress and singer Olivia Newton-John has died, she was 73-years-old. Best known for her role as Sandy in Grease she was also an activist and the founder of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne.
In a statement on her Facebook page her family said: “Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends.
Grease was the biggest box-office hit of 1978, and gave Newton-John three huge hit singles, including You’re The One That I Want and Summer Nights, both performed with co-star John Travolta.
He also paid tribute to Newton-John on Instagram and wrote: “My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever!
Your Danny, your John!”
Grease was the biggest box-office hit of 1978, and gave Newton-John three huge hit singles, including You’re The One That I Want and Summer Nights, both performed with co-star John Travolta.
He also paid tribute to Newton-John on Instagram and wrote: “My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever!
Your Danny, your John!”
Olivia Newton-John was born in Cambridge in the United Kingdom on 26 September 1948.
Her father was British spy during World War Two and her mother was the daughter of the German Nobel laureate, Max Born – she had fled with her family when the Nazis came to power in 1933.
This is also where her Australian roots come from, her family moved to Australia in 1954, where she was raised.
Although she will be remembered for her sweetheart role in Grease, Olivia Newton-John had a notable music career. She won four Grammy awards and scored seven US number one hits between 1974 and 1977.
Her charity, the Olivia Newton John Foundation, raised millions of pounds to support cancer research over the years. In a statement, the hospital that runs the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne said she had: “encouraged, inspired and supported” staff and patients everyday.
“We are incredibly grateful for the special relationship we had with Olivia for many years. Her generous support and gift provided hope and changed the lives of thousands of cancer patients… She was the light at the end of the tunnel for many, many people,” the statement reads.
