Olivia Newton-John, The Beloved ‘Grease’ Actress And Singer, Died At The Age Of 73

Olivia Newton-John, the beloved actress and singer best known for her role as Sandy Olsson in Grease and for a long string of hits, the most notable of which was 1981’s “Physical,” died on Monday (Aug. 8). She was 73 years old.

“Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends,” her official Facebook page said. We respectfully request that everyone respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”

“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” the post continued. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine live on through the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, which is dedicated to studying plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund (ONJFoundationFund.org) in her memory.”
Newton-John was a well-known recording artist in the 1970s and 1980s. She was also a nimble artist, transitioning from early country music hits like “Let Me Be There” to mainstream pop hits like “Have You Never Been Mellow” to sexier, edgier material like “Make a Move on Me.”

She was also one of the first artists to achieve notable success in video. For her 1982 collection “Olivia Physical,” she won a Grammy for the music video of the year. Following Michael Nesmith’s “Michael Nesmith in Elephant Parts,” she was only the second artist to win a Grammy for video.
Newton-John had five Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit, including “Physical,” which was only the second song in Hot 100 history (after Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life”) to spend 10 weeks at the top.
In 1975, she became only the second female solo artist in history to have two consecutive No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. She topped the charts with both If You Love Me, Let Me Know (1974) and Have You Never Been Mellow (1975). (1975). Carole King was the only other female solo artist to accomplish this feat at the time. Tapestry (1971) and Music (1972) were the No. 1 hits for the former Brill Building songwriter turned solo superstar (1972).
Newton-John also co-starred with John Travolta in the 1978 smash hit Grease, which was the highest-grossing film of the year. The film’s soundtrack topped the Billboard 200 for 12 weeks and earned a Grammy nomination for album of the year.
Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England, on September 26, 1948, but raised in Melbourne, Australia. She won a talent contest trip to England when she was 16 years old. Pat Carroll and she performed as Pat & Olivia. She also appeared in the British film Toomorrow as a member of the band Toomorrow.

Newton-John also set records at the American Music Awards, in addition to her four Grammys. She was the first woman to win four times as a favorite female pop vocalist. That was the record until Whitney Houston surpassed it in 1993. Taylor Swift broke the tie with her fourth award in the category in 2019. Swift has since won twice more, breaking the previous record.
Few recall that Newton-pop John’s recording career had cooled slightly in 1976 and 1977. Grease, which was released in 1978, catapulted her to new heights of celebrity. “You’re the One That I Want,” an exhilarating collaboration with Travolta that peaked at No. 1; “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” a sublime solo ballad that peaked at No. 3; and “Summer Nights,” another collaboration with Travolta (joined this time by the Grease cast), which peaked at No. 5.