Many companions and fans expressed their sadness. “Too young to leave this world,” wrote Barbra Streisand (80) on Instagram for a joint photo from the 1970s. He loved “Grease” and her music, said “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn (56) on Twitter. She was his first big crush. The news of her death makes her so sad, wrote Oscar winner Marlee Matlin (56) on Twitter.
Colleagues such as Mia Farrow, Antonio Banderas, George Takei and Brian Wilson also paid tribute to the deceased. Singer Melissa Etheridge (61) mourned the loss of a “wonderful woman” and a “special talent”. Newton-John was one of the first to give encouragement following Etheridge’s own cancer diagnosis became known, the singer wrote on Twitter.
Newton-John had battled cancer for decades. “Olivia has been a symbol of victory and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” her husband John Easterling posted on the British-Australian artist and breast cancer activist’s social media channels. The singer and actress died “peacefully” on Monday morning at her Southern California ranch. She was surrounded by friends and family, it said on Instagram.
For her own treatment, she relied on conventional medicine and cannabis products. Her husband is a plant expert who grows cannabis and prepares tinctures for her, said the American by choice in 2019 in an interview with the German Press Agency. “I take this every day and it got me off strong painkillers.” Her pioneering work with herbal healing methods is now to be continued with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation, Easterling said in his post on Monday.
It’s been over 40 years since Newton-John made waves with her saucy performance in the hit movie musical Grease. In 1978, as Sandy with curly blond hair, she turned John Travolta’s head in the role of the rebellious Danny – with a wispy curl and sideburns. Newton-John was a star years before she sang songs like “You’re The One That I Want” in “Grease” with a ponytail, pettycoat and Travolta duet.
Born in Cambridge, England, the granddaughter of the German Nobel Prize winner in physics, Max Born, and the daughter of a college president who emigrated to Australia, founded a girls’ band as a schoolgirl. A talent competition brought the 15-year-old back to Great Britain. In 1966 she recorded her first record there.
The folk blonde became known primarily in the USA with her cuddly songs. 1974’s “Let Me Be There” was her first US hit. Songs like “On The Banks Of Ohio”, “If You Love Me Let Me Know”, “I Honestly Love You” and “Have You Never Been Mellow” made her a pop queen there.
After “Grease” she was back in front of the camera in 1980 for the fantasy musical “Xanadu” on roller skates to disco sounds with the hits “Xanadu”, “Magic” and “Suddenly”. A year later, the four-time Grammy winner released her most successful album, Physical.
Her daughter from her marriage to dancer Matt Lattanzi was just six years old when Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. She canceled tours and temporarily moved to Australia from her adopted home of California. The marriage broke up in 1995. In 2008 she married Easterling. From their ranch in Santa Barbara, California, the couple championed the medicinal use of cannabis.
