Tributes Flow After Actress, Singer And Gay Icon Olivia Newton-John Dies Aged 73
Image: Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John, the iconic Australian singer and actress, who cemented her status as a legend after her unforgettable role as Sandy in Grease, passed away Monday at the age of 73.
Newton-John amassed record sales of more than 100 million albums over the course of a 50 year recording career and ultimately notched over 40 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Newton-John also won four Grammy Awards.
Newton-John’s husband, John Easterling, posted the news on her official Instagram page, “Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”
“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation.”
Newton-John had battled cancer for a number of years, after first being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. The cancer returned in 2013 and again in 2017.
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‘Gay Fans Have Always Been Loyal’
Newton-John was a strong LGBTQI ally and told LogoTV, “The gay fans have always been very loyal, there are a really great audience and have always been there for me.”
With Grease and Xanadu, Newton-John remained a favorite of gay fans, and Newton-John herself was surprised by how her two most famous films were embraced by the community.
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“How lucky am I that I’ve been in two films that are still loved! I find it so much fun that it’s still going on. My publicist will tell me that both films are shown in gay bars, and I get such a kick out of that,” she told LogoTV in 2008.
In 1996, Newton-John appeared in the AIDS-themed film It’s My Party directed by Randal Kleiser who also directed her in Grease. In 2010 she starred in the gay cult television series Sordid Lives as Bitsy Mae Harling, alongside Leslie Jordan and Rue McClanahan.
Kleiser told the Hollywood Reporter, “I’m Heartbroken. She was one of a kind, and so very kind. For over four decades of our friendship she exuded nothing but love to everyone she met. Olivia was exactly the way you imagined her. I will miss her forever.”
‘The Little Boy Who Saw Acceptance In Your Twinkling Eyes’
Oh dear, sweet, magical, eternal Olivia. You gave so much to this world and to this little boy who saw acceptance in your twinkling eyes and glittering world. You made us all feel held by the sweetness of your voice and the capacity of your heart. I hope you are in Xanadu. pic.twitter.com/rCevXOR8rP
— Darren Hayes (@darrenhayes) August 8, 2022
Newton-John was very vocal in the campaign for marriage equality in Australia, and in 2012 said, “With respect to marriage equality I believe that no one has the right to judge and deny couples who love each other the ability to make a marriage commitment. Love is love.”
American actor and LGBTQI activist George Takei tweeted, “We have lost a great, iconic artist in Olivia Newton John, gone too soon from us at age 73. I trust she is now in the great Xanadu beyond. Know that we are forever hopelessly devoted to you, Olivia. Rest in song and mirth.”
Out gay Australian singer Darren Hayes tweeted, “Oh dear, sweet, magical, eternal Olivia. You gave so much to this world and to this little boy who saw acceptance in your twinkling eyes and glittering world. You made us all feel held by the sweetness of your voice and the capacity of your heart. I hope you are in Xanadu.”
Rest in peace, Olivia Newton-John. Thank you for sharing your talent and inspiring us all. 💘 pic.twitter.com/Iu9I5ppLC4
— RuPaul's Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) August 8, 2022
Newton-John also served as a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race in season 7. The show memorialised the singer in a tweet, saying, “Rest in peace, Olivia Newton-John. Thank you for sharing your talent and inspiring us all.”
Grease Made Olivia Newton-John An International Star
Newton-John was born on September 26, 1948, in Cambridge, England, and her family moved to Melbourne in 1954 when she was six.
She achieved her biggest early success as a country-pop artist and scored massive hits with If You Love Me Let Me Know, which went to number two on the US Country Chart and Let Me Be There.
Newton-John then scored a massive hit with I Honestly Love You, which became her first pop number one hit and scored her two Grammy Awards in 1975; for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance – Female.
However it was her iconic role as Sandy in the massively popular 1978 musical film Grease which forever cemented Newton-John as an icon. In a role originally offered to the Partridge Family’s Susan Day, Newton-John began the process of dismantling her squeaky-clean image.
Grease ultimately became the highest grossing musical film of the 20th century, grossing $395 million in its original release ($1.53 billion readjusted for 2022 dollars).
Newton-John scored three massive hits from the Grease soundtrack. Summer Nights and You’re The One that I Want (both with Travolta) and Hopelessly Devoted to You, which was nominated for an Academy Award for best original song
Olivia’s Grease and Two of a Kind co-star John Travolta remembered his friend in an Instagram post saying, “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!”
The friendship between Travolta and Newton-John remained close over the years and the duo recorded a Christmas album together in 2012.
Xanadu & Physical
Newton-John starred in the 1980 musical Xanadu which despite being panned by critics and ignored by audiences, spawned an immensely popular soundtrack. The album went double platinum and it’s lead single Magic shot to number one in the US.
Xanadu, the album’s title track (recorded with Electric Light Orchestra) also went to number one in the UK. Newton-John scored yet another top 20 hit from the album with Suddenly, a duet with Cliff Richard. The film itself has gone on to become a camp classic and also spawned a Broadway musical.
Newton-John said of the film, “I was embarrassed by it. I love the music, but the script wasn’t very good, it was not well received upon release, but people enjoyed it and it attained a different kind of status after that. …Now I think it’s a hoot, and I got to dance with Gene Kelly, how amazing is that?!”
However, it was Newton-John’s album Physical which helped the singer effectively ditch her good-girl persona. The lead single from the album, Physical went on to sell two million copies and spent 10 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Upon its release, Physical courted controversy due to its suggestive lyrics as well as a sexy music video in which Newton-John was shown in the shower and flirting with shirtless bodybuilders.
The video was perhaps most notable for its clearly gay content which included a then eyebrow-raising suggestive shot of two men holding hands, and another male couple with their arms around each other.
The resulting uproar over its sexual content found the song targeted by bans. The song remains Newton-John’s biggest hit and was her last appearance atop the charts.
Tributes Flow For An Australian Legend
Olivia Newton-John was a star. A bright, joyful glow in our lives. From the moment we saw her, she was a warm, enduring presence and her voice became a big part of the Australian soundtrack. Above all she was a wonderful, generous person. pic.twitter.com/0G0tc0tauI
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) August 9, 2022
Social media was flooded with tributes for the Newton-John. “Olivia Newton-John was a star. A bright, joyful glow in our lives. From the moment we saw her, she was a warm, enduring presence and her voice became a big part of the Australian soundtrack. Above all she was a wonderful, generous person,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese posted on Twitter.
Viola Davis tweeted, “Oh man!!! You were my childhood!! Your talent, poise, beauty!! Rest in glorious peace. God bless your family….and thank you for creating eternal memories.”
Dionne Warwick, who worked with Newton-John on Warwick’s 2006 album My Friends and Me, tweeted, “Another angelic voice has been added to the Heavenly Choir. Not only was Olivia a dear friend, but one of the nicest people I had the pleasure of recording and performing with. I will most definitely miss her. She now Rests in the Arms of the Heavenly Father.”
Richard Marx tweeted, “My heart is broken. Rest now, sweet friend. You were as kind and loving a person as there’s ever been. I’ll miss you every day.”
Dedicated To Environmental, Humanitarian And Animal-Rights Causes
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In a moving tribute to her mother, Newton-John’s daughter Chloe Lattanzi posted a series of photos on her Instagram account.
Melissa Etheridge, who also dealt with her own health scare after a cancer diagnosis in 2004, tweeted, “Journey well, dear friend. She was one of the first to reach out to me after my cancer diagnosis. What a beautiful woman and special talent. Hard to know what to say. She will be missed.”
Newton-John was also well-known for her dedication to environmental, humanitarian and animal-rights causes and she raised funds to help build the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in Heidelberg, Victoria.
A statement posted to their website, the centre said, “We are deeply saddened to learn that Dame Olivia Newton-John has passed away overnight.”
“Olivia touched the lives of many people across Australia and the world, but none more so than our cancer services staff and patients at the Olivia Newton-John Centre, who she encouraged, inspired and supported every day.”
“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 here at Austin Health. She was the light at the end of the tunnel for many, many people.”
