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Overview (4) |
Mini Bio (1) |
Family (3) |
Trade Mark (1) |
Trivia (68) |
Personal Quotes (7) |
Salary (1)
Overview (4)
| Born | in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK |
| Died | in Santa Ynez, California, USA (breast cancer) |
| Nicknames |
Livvy The Goddess Lovely Livvy Olivia Neutron-Bomb ONJ Olivia Olivia Newton |
| Height | 5' 6" (1.68 m) |
Mini Bio (1)
Actress/singer Olivia Newton-John was born on September 26, 1948, in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. She lived there until she was five years old, and her family relocated to Australia when her father was offered a job as the dean of a college in Melbourne. When she was a teen she returned to live in England with her mother, after winning a singing talent contest. She had many hit singles and appeared on TV series with Cliff Richard as well as in the film Toomorrow (1970). For a while she was engaged to Bruce Welch, a member of The Shadows, who backed Richard.
Olivia took the advice of a friend, and in the mid-'70s left Britain to take up residence in America to help further her singing career.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Li Richards
Family (3)
| Spouse |
Amazon John Easterling (30 June 2008 -
8 August 2022) (her death)
Matt Lattanzi (15 December 1984 - 1995) (divorced) (1 child) |
| Children | Chloe Lattanzi |
| Relatives |
Rona Newton-John (sibling)
Newton-John, Hugh (sibling) Tottie Goldsmith (niece or nephew) |
Trade Mark (1)
Blonde hair and large blue eyes
Trivia (68)
She resided in Cambridge, England, when she was a young girl. Soon after dropping out of Melbourne's University High School when she was in her mid-teens, she returned to reside in London, England. She had taken the suggestion of her favorite teacher to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. She later moved to Los Angeles, California in the mid-1970s, where she resided until her death.
Sister of actress Rona Newton-John and Dr. Hugh Newton-John, a medical doctor and specialist in infectious diseases who invented the first portable iron lung. Her ex-brother-in-law was Jeff Conaway, who co-starred in Grease (1978). First cousin of Fellini Satyricon (1969) actor Max Born.
Underwent surgery for breast cancer in 1992, and treated for a recurrence of the same disease in 2013.
She grew up in both England and Australia. In 1954 (at age 5), her family moved to Australia but she returned to live in England more than a decade later after winning a talent contest.
In 1975, she moved to the United States where she had already become well-established as a pop and country singer.
Best known as a singer, she had over 25 "Top 40" singles, more than half of which went "Top 10" on the US Billboard charts, including five #1 hits -- "I Honestly Love You" (1974), "Have You Never Been Mellow" (1975), "You're the One That I Want" (1978), "Magic" (1980) and "Physical" (1981), a whopping success that remained #1 for 10 weeks.
Well-known songs include "If Not for You", "If You Love Me, Let Me Know", "Let Me Be There", "I Honestly Love You", "Heart Attack", "Have You Never Been Mellow", "Summer Nights", "You're The One That I Want", "Hopelessly Devoted to You", "Magic", "Xanadu", "Physical" and "Twist of Fate".
Her biggest hit was "Physical" which sold over two million copies and spent 10 consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 (beginning 21 November 1981).
In 1988, she visited Australia to make a television special titled Olivia Down Under (1988) to coincide with the Bicentennial. She and Cliff Richard performed and Prince Charles and Princess Diana were also present.
Received a special mention in the series episode The Goodies: Saturday Night Grease (1980).
Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. [1998]
While recording her first hit "If Not For You", Olivia's dog was in the studio with her and at one point knocked over a microphone stand. The noise is still evident in the song today (during the instrumental bridge near the song's ending).
Aunt of actress Tottie Goldsmith.
Has one daughter: Chloe Lattanzi (born 1986).
Her song "Physical" was banned by a radio station in Provo, Utah for its "suggestive" lyrics. She still had a concert in the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah, filmed for video.
Ranked #95 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll
She received awards for her charity work and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) from Queen Elizabeth II. Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 16th Annual ARIA Awards (15 October 2002).
In 1992, she returned to New South Wales, Australia, to recuperate after battling breast cancer.
She performed the background vocals on John Denver's song "Fly Away".
She represented Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest. [1974]
Was close friends with Karen Carpenter.
Ex-aunt-in-law of Steven Lee.
Great-aunt of Layla Lee-Curtis.
Loves cosmetics and always does her own make-up for photo sessions.
Never leaves home without her passport and lipstick.
The most treasured item in her wardrobe is a beautiful opal and diamond ring that her mother left her.
Underwent surgery for breast cancer, she declared bankruptcy, and her father died of liver cancer. [1992]
On June 30, 2005, Newton-John's then-partner, a cameraman named Patrick McDermott, went missing after going on an overnight fishing trip on a sport fishing vessel out of San Pedro, California. He was located four years later in April 2009 by Dateline NBC (1992) investigators. Missing since July 2005, he was found in a Mexican beach town, living under the name of Pat Kim and working on a yacht which ferries tourists in and out of a marina near Sayulita, Mexico.
She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1979 Queen's New Years Honours List for her services to the performing arts.
Her performance as Sandy Olsson in Grease (1978) is ranked #89 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
She was awarded the AO (Officer of the Order of Australia) in the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to the entertainment industry as a singer and actor, and to the community through organizations supporting breast cancer treatment, education, training and research, and the environment.
Fractured her coccyx while filming the dance sequence "Suddenly" in Xanadu (1980)
Appeared on People Weekly magazine's first official pop cover (24 February 1975).
Shortly after the success of Grease (1978), was considered for the lead role in a film version of "Evita" (one of many versions that were scrapped before seeing the light of day). She had recorded "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" on her album "Making a Good Thing Better" (1977).
The younger daughter of Brinley Newton-John and Irene (nee Born), Olivia's paternal grandparents, Oliver John and Daisy Newton, were Welsh. Her maternal grandfather was German Jewish physicist and mathematician Max Born (son of Gustav Jacob Born, an author and histologist). Her maternal grandmother, Hedwig Ehrenberg, was of German Jewish descent on her own father (jurist Victor Ehrenberg)'s side, and of German descent on her own mother (Elise Marie von Jhering)'s side. Elise's father, Olivia's great-great-grandfather, was legal historian Rudolf von Jhering. Via her maternal grandmother's father, Olivia is a third cousin of British comedian Ben Elton.
Ranked #92 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.
She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on August 5, 1981.
Now living with metastatic breast cancer, Newton-John has been a spokesperson for the eponymous "The Liv", a heart-shaped, self-examination device for women to aid in the detection of breast lumps.
Won the very first Grammy Award in the "Video of the Year" category for "Physical". [1982]
On 26 June 2012, the Australian government issued a semipostal postage stamp to help raise funds for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Wellness Centre Appeal. The stamp was valued at 60¢. It was sold in panes of ten stamps for $8, with $2 going to the appeal.
Pictured on a 60¢ Australian commemorative postage stamp in the "Living Legends" series, issued on 18 January 2013. Other performers honored in this issue were John Farnham, Paul Kelly, Ian 'Molly' Meldrum, Kylie Minogue, AC/DC, Cold Chisel, INXS, Men at Work and The Seekers.
Her first hit song, "I Honestly Love You", was featured in Jaws (1975).
She was considered for the role of Catherine Beddows in To the Devil a Daughter (1976), which eventually went to Nastassja Kinski.
Suffered three miscarriages during her marriage to Matt Lattanzi.
Newton-John insisted on a screen test for the role of Sandy Olsson in Grease (1978), concerned she didn't have the acting skills and also that she would look too old to be a high school student (she was age 29 at the time of filming, portraying a character who was supposed to be age 18). She made the screen test and got the role, which had originally been meant for actress Susan Dey (who played Laurie Partridge in The Partridge Family (1970), but turned down the role on her manager's advice). Dey is four years younger than Newton-John.
On May 13, 2017, it was reported that she has canceled concerts due to sciatica complications and treatment for it in the middle of touring her new inspirational album "LIV ON". On May 30, it was reported that her back pain actually caused by breast cancer returning she already beat twice - in 1992 and 2013 - and now it metastasized to her sacrum reaching stage IV.
Her song "Physical" was referenced as a fictional business, "Let's Get Fiscal Financial Planning Services", in the episode The Simpsons: She of Little Faith (2001).
Granddaughter of German physicist and mathematician Max Born on her mother's side. Her grandfather was Jewish, and converted to Lutheranism as an adult. His wife Hedwig was of Jewish heritage on her own father's side and Lutheran on her own mother's, and was a descendant of religious reformer Martin Luther, founder of Lutheranism, the primary faith in Germany and Scandinavia.
Mentor, idol and good friends with Delta Goodrem.
Her father was a British intelligence officer during World War II where he worked at Bletchley Park on the Enigma Project. As he spoke Hochdeutsch (high or perfect German) he interrogated high ranking Nazi officers including Rudolf Hess. After the war, he was headmaster of King's College in Cambridge before taking the position of headmaster of Ormond College at the University of Melbourne.
Attended University High School in Melbourne, Australia.
At age 14, she started a singing group called Sol Four with three classmates often performing in a coffee shop owned by her brother-in-law.
Appeared on the television show Sing, Sing, Sing (1962) hosted by the Australian Elvis Presley, Johnny O'Keefe when she was age 15.
Appeared on the Australian children's television show "The Happy Show" when she was age 15 portraying Lovely Livvy.
Her first UK manager was Peter Gormley who represented Pat and Olivia; Cliff Richard; Frank Ifield; The Seekers; Hank B. Marvin, Bruce Welch and John Farrar (known as Marvin, Welch and Farrar). He also founded Festival Records who released Olivia's albums in Australia.
Fashion photographer Helmut Newton was a close associate of Olivia's father.
Athol Guy, bass player/singer for [linkj=nm1920437] suggested that Newton-John team up with her mate Pat Carroll and tour as a duo while residing in England.
Wrote the screenplay The Perfect Specimen with Nancy Chuda. Universal optioned the screenplay but subsequently canceled the project when John Hughes made She's Having a Baby (1988), which had a similar plot.
Recorded her first single for Decca Records "Till You Say You'll Be Mine/For Ever" (1966). One of the reviews said she should "stick with a career as an airline hostess".
Appeared on a television documentary in the 1970s with cheetah conservationist Laurie Marker where they brought domesticated cheetahs from the United States and reintroduced them into the wilds of Namibia.
She was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2020 Queen Elizabeth II's New Years Honours List for her services to charity, cancer research and entertainment.
Born at 6:00 AM (GMT).
Named after screen legend Olivia de Havilland.
In November 2019, Newton-John sold over 500 items, including the skintight black pants she wore in Grease (1978). The auction was hosted by Julien's Auction House in Beverly Hills, and part of the proceeds went to Olivia's Australian-based cancer treatment center.
In 2019, she and her Grease (1978) co-star John Travolta revived their "Sandy" and "Danny" roles for a Meet n' "Grease" singalong in West Palm Beach, Florida. At the time, Olivia appeared dressed up in a costume that paid homage to Sandy before her transformation into part of the "greaser" gang.
Personal Quotes (7)
There's a rumor going around that I'm Miss Goody-two-shoes from Australia. Well, that's a laugh. I'm really Miss Goody-two-shoes from England!
I do have high standards, but I don't expect anything from anyone that I don't expect from myself.
Family, nature and health all go together.
There's a balance in my life. There's reality, and there's the part that looks really glamorous, but we're all just people in the end.
To me, luxury is to be at home with my daughter, and the occasional massage doesn't hurt.
My cancer scare changed my life. I'm grateful for every new, healthy day I have. It has helped me prioritize my life.
[on why she chose to go public with her breast cancer diagnosis, and forestall any press leaks] I am making this announcement myself, to save enquiring minds ninety-five cents.
Salary (1)
| Grease (1978) | $125,000 |
