 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 Newton-John moved to Melbourne, Australia with her family when she was
five. By the age of fifteen, she had formed an all-girl group called Sol Four.
Later that year she won a talent contest on the popular tv show, “Sing, Sing,
Sing,” hosted by Johnny O’Keefe, which earned her a trip to London. By 1963,
Olivia Newton-John was appearing on local daytime TV shows and weekly pop music programs in
Australia. It was on the “Go Show,” where she met her lifelong friends, Pat
Carroll and John Farrar. The following year she headed to London, where she was
joined by her friend Pat (who later married John Farrar). They toured Europe as
a double act, playing nightclubs and American service bases until Pat’s visa ran
out and forced her to return to Australia. Olivia cut her first single for Decca
Records in 1966, a version of Jackie DeShannon’s "Till You Say You’ll Be Mine."
In 1971, Bruce Welch of The Shadows co-produced her cover of Bob Dylan’s "If Not
For You," with her Australian friend, producer/songwriter, John Farrar, who she
continues to collaborate with today.
Her 1973 U.S. album debut, "Let Me Be There," on MCA Records
produced her first top ten single of the same name, with Olivia Newton-John 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. Her countless successes include three more Grammys, numerous
Country Music Awards, American Music Awards and Peoples Choice Awards, five #1
hits including “Physical,” which topped the charts for ten consecutive weeks,
and 15 top 10 singles. In 1978, her co-starring role with John Travolta in
“Grease” catapulted Olivia Newton-John into super-stardom. This film led to the production
of the most successful movie musical soundtrack in history, featuring the duets
"You’re The One That I Want" and "Summer Nights," with Travolta, as well as her
mega-hit, "Hopelessly Devoted To You." The film was re-released worldwide in
1998 in celebration of it’s 20th anniversary to even more acclaim, a true
testament to it’s timeless quality. Her other film credits include "Xanadu,"
"Two Of A Kind," "It’s My Party,” and recently the independent feature, “Sordid
Lives.” She followed that success, by co-starring with her daughter, Chloe, in
the Showtime movie, “The Wilde Girls.” Clearly following in her mother’s
footsteps, Chloe has performed on stage with Olivia Newton-John during her last two tours.
Her charmed life has not been without it’s share of upset. In
the 90’s, Olivia Newton-John successfully overcame her own battle with breast cancer, which
inspired her self-penned and produced album, “GAIA,” her most personal album
reflecting upon her experiences with cancer. She used these experiences to gain
greater self-awareness and became a positive inspiration to millions of people
battling cancer. As a breast cancer survivor, Olivia Newton-John has become increasingly
well known and respected for talking openly about her battle with breast cancer
and for promoting public awareness of the importance of early detection. Her
personal victory against cancer led her to announce her partnership with the
Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre and the creation of the “Olivia Newton-John
Cancer Centre” (ONJCC) on the Austin Campus in her hometown, Melbourne,
Australia. The ONJCC will provide a comprehensive range of services and
facilities for cancer treatment, education, training and research. Olivia
Newton-John continues to give back to the community generously
and has been acknowledged many times by charitable and environmental
organizations for her ongoing efforts, among them: the American Red Cross, the
Environmental Media Association, the Women’s Guild of Cedar’s Sinai Medical
Center, the Rainforest Alliance and Concept Cure.
In 2000/2001, Olivia Newton-John released her only live album, "One Woman’s
Live Journey," followed by “Magic - The Very Best of Olivia Newton-John,” which
celebrated thirty years of recording. And if that wasn’t enough, she also
released her first holiday album, “The Christmas Collection.” In 2002, Olivia
Newton-John
was inducted into the prestigious Australian Music Hall Of Fame at the 16th
Annual Aria Awards. Her passion for Australia was proven once again when Olivia
Newton-John
recently reunited with friend and business partner Pat Farrar to launch their
distinctly Australian wines under the iconic homegrown brand Koala Blue, to
proudly bring the “taste of Australia” to the rest of the world. Her current cd,
simply titled, “2,” was recorded in 2002 in Australia and features a host of
talented Ozzies along with a couple of her american friends (honorary Ozzies!)
and is quickly garnering international acclaim. With her current international
tour, ongoing projects and philanthropic endeavors, Olivia Newton-John’s worldwide
popularity is as strong as ever!
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