Olivia Newton-John’s life in pictures | CNN (2025)

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Olivia Newton-John waves goodbye in the 1978 movie "Grease."

Entertainment

Updated 9:55 PM EDT, Mon August 8, 2022

Olivia Newton-John, one of the biggest pop stars of the '70s who charmed generations of viewers in the movie musical "Grease," died on Monday, August 8, according to a statement from her husband. She was 73.

The singer revealed in 2018 that she was treating cancer at the base of her spine. It was her third cancer diagnosis, following bouts with breast cancer in the early '90s and in 2017.

Thanks to a string of country and soft-rock hits, Newton-John was already a popular singer by the late 1970s. But her co-starring role opposite John Travolta in 1978's "Grease" lifted her to a new level of stardom.

Over her lengthy career, Newton-John won four Grammy Awards and sold more than 100 million albums. She also appeared in several more big-budget movies, including the musical fantasy "Xanadu" with Hollywood legend Gene Kelly in his final screen role.

Olivia Newton-John’s life in pictures | CNN (2)

A young Newton-John is seen in front here with her father, Brin; her brother, Hugh; her mother, Irene; and her sister, Rona. Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England, in 1948. She moved with her family to Australia when she was 5.

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Newton-John and singing partner Pat Carroll pose for a photo in London in 1966. Newton-John recorded her first single in England in 1966 and scored a few international hits, but she remained largely unknown to US audiences until 1973, when "Let Be There" became a top-10 hit on both the adult contemporary and the country charts.

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After "Let Be There," a series of No. 1 easy-listening hits followed, including "I Honestly Love You," "Have You Never Been Mellow" and "Please Mr. Please."

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Newton-John is held by police officers in Brighton, England, where she was rehearsing for the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.

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Newton-John films her first music video for her 1975 single "Follow Me."

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Newton-John performs in Detroit in 1975.

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Newton-John stars in the 1978 musical "Grease" with John Travolta. "Grease," 1978's top-grossing movie, became a cultural phenomenon.

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Although Newton-John had little acting experience when she starred in "Grease," she gave an indelible performance as Sandy, a sweet-natured Australian transfer student who romances Travolta's alpha greaser Danny at a Southern California high school in the 1950s.

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Newton-John is interviewed on the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of "Grease."

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Newton-John appears in London to announce a series of concerts in 1978.

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Newton-John appears with Andy Gibb in the 1980 film "Xanadu." The musical fantasy bombed at the box office, but its soundtrack sold well and spawned "Magic," a No. 1 hit.

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In 1981, Newton-John displayed a new sexier persona with her song "Physical." The song, which was banned by several radio stations for its suggestive lyrics, became her biggest hit.

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Newton-John stars with Travolta again in 1983's "Two of a Kind."

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Newton-John holds her daughter, Chloe, as she arrives at a Sydney airport with her first husband, Matt Lattanzi, in 1987.

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Newton-John is interviewed by Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show" in 1990.

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Newton-John promotes her album "Indigo: Women Of Song" at a store in Sydney in 2004.

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Newton-John appears as a judge on the TV competition "American Idol" in 2007.

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Newton-John performs at a Pride event in New York in 2011.

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Newton-John is held by Nick Adams, Tony Sheldon and Will Swenson while attending the Broadway musical "Priscilla, Queen of The Desert" in 2011.

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Newton-John celebrates at a charity walk in Melbourne in 2013. The event raised money for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre.

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Newton-John receives a ceremonial key to the Las Vegas Strip in 2014. She was launching a residency show that month.

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Newton-John poses with her second husband, John Easterling; her daughter, Chloe Lattanzi; and Chloe's fiance, James Driskill, in 2015. They were attending an event celebrating the 35th anniversary of "Xanadu."

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Newton-John appears on an episode of "Dancing With the Stars" in 2015.

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Newton-John shaves the head of Greg Chase, director of guest experience at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino, during a fundraiser in Las Vegas in 2015.

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Newton-John performs at a festival in Viña del Mar, Chile, in 2017.

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Newton-John and Travolta attend a 40th anniversary screening of "Grease" in 2018.

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Newton-John performs with John Farnham at a fundraiser in Sydney in 2020.

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People in Ptuj, Slovenia, watch "Grease" at a drive-in movie theater in 2020.