Olivia Newton-John, singer, actress and philanthropist, died Monday, Aug. 8 at the age of 73 after a long struggle with breast cancer. Newton-John is survived by her husband, John Easterling, who announced the sad news via her official Facebook page, and her daughter, Chloe Lattanzi.
“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,” Easterling posted Monday afternoon. “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 Fund (ONJFoundationFund.org).”
Beloved by film fans for her performance as Sandy in the 1978 musical Grease, Newton-John initially rose to stardom as a singer, winning two Grammy Awards for her 1974 country single “I Honestly Love You” and scoring the top single of 1982 with her pop hit “Physical.”
A tireless advocate for breast cancer awareness and treatment since her own first diagnosis in 1992, the entertainer was the founder of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in her hometown of Melbourne, Australia.
Known for her blond beauty and a sweet, girl-next-door demeanor that hearkened back to a more innocent time, Newton-John was born in Oxford, England, in 1948. When she was 5 years old, she relocated with her parents and two older siblings to Melbourne, where her WWII codebreaker father, Brinley Newton-John, served as the headmaster of Ormond College. (Olivia’s grandfather on her mother Irene’s side was also a professor: Max Born, winner of the 1954 Nobel Prize in Physics.) At the age of 11, Olivia weathered her parents’ difficult divorce, which she would later describe in her song “Changes.”
She began to pursue singing, becoming a regular fixture on local Aussie TV beginning in 1964. At 16, she won a talent contest on the show Sing Sing Sing, receiving the prize of a trip to England. At that point, as she recalled in a 1975 People magazine article, “I had to decide on finishing school or going after stardom. I quit school.”
