Olivia's new double act (2) album
With a new album of duets, a sell-out US tour under her belt and a cancer centre named in her honour, Olivia Newton-John finds her 50s full-on
Since the Sydney Olympics Olivia Newton-John has held a dream to put together an album of duets with the best of Aussie talent. The album, called 2, is released this month and Olivia couldn’t be happier.
“I’ve always wanted to make a record with Australian artists. I’ve been telling people for years that we have all this incredible talent tucked away Down Under. Now I get a chance to show them,” she says.
The album features Olivia singing alongside Darren Hayes, Tina Arena, Jimmy Little, David Campbell, Human Nature, Billy Thorpe and Keith Urban.
She also pays tribute to Johnny O’Keefe and Peter Allen, who had a tremendous influence on her life. Olivia will be resurrecting recordings of these two legends and adding her own vocals to them.
“I thought it would be fantastic to sing with two people who had such an impact on my life,” she says. “It was on Johnny O’Keefe’s show Sing Sing Sing that I won a trip to England. He was fantastic to me and that was really my launch internationally. Then Peter Allen’s I Honestly Love You was a huge hit for me.”
“We found a live recording of my favourite song of Peter’s, Tenterfield Saddler, and that’s the one we chose,” she says.
Another special track is co-written with Keith Urban, a fellow expat who is storming the country charts in the USA
“We both really wanted to write about how we felt about Australia. We got together and wrote the track almost immediately. We called it Sunburned Country and I think It’s a terrific song,” she says.
Olivia has been finishing the album in one of her busiest years. She has just completed a month playing to packed houses all over the US.
“I’m having the most fun I’ve ever had performing. I’m really relaxed now. I used to be so nervous I couldn’t enjoy myself but now I love being out there,” says Olivia, winding down after the tour’s last show in Las Vegas, surrounded by family including daughter Chloe and niece Tottie Goldsmith and her young daughter, who’ve been staying at Olivia’s Malibu house.
One of the biggest crowd pleasers has been the new samba version of her 1981 mega-hit Physical which Olivia has recorded for the album.
Olivia says she would love to see daughter Chloe with her in Grease 3.
“At this age I feel a bit silly dancing around to that tune, so I asked my band to come up with a different version,” Olivia explains.
Not that she minded dancing recently with her old friend John Travolta for the Hollywood launch of the Grease DVD. “We see each other often but we haven’t sung together since the ’80s,” says Olivia adding that they’re looking forward to making Grease 3.
“John and I are definitely into the idea as long as they come up with the right script.”
Olivia says she’d love to see daughter Chloe in the movie, too. “Wouldn’t that be something?” she asks.
Chloe, who accompanied Olivia on tour, has matured into a tall and stunning 16-year-old. “I always make sure that we spend a lot of time together,” says Olivia. “She is a very bright, spiritual young woman with very strong ideas of what she wants to do.”
The two will spend more time in Australia as Chloe has her own recording deal.
“She has a very different voice from me, and is working on fabulous music,” Olivia says.
So where does she consider home to be now?
“You’re confused?” Olivia laughs. “I was in Australia for six months because my mum wasn’t well, then Chloe got a recording contract so we started working on that. Since then it’s been fip flop between Australia and the US.”
“I love being in Australia but I’ve lived in LA since the ’70s. I have a home in Malibu, I have dogs and cats and a boyfriend,” she says.
Boyfriend Patrick McDermott will also be spending time with Olivia in Australia. Her romance with the 46-year-old director of photography is still blooming after six years. “When I met Patrick it wasn’t a conscious thing to go out with a younger man,” says Olivia, 54. “But he is quite mature and I guess I’m still a little immature for my age, so it’s a perfect meeting.”
Olivia also has another project very dear to her heart in Australia-the opening of a cancer centre at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne.
As she is a breast cancer survivor the hospital felt it would be a fitting tribute to name the centre in honour of the performer.
“I thought, how could I put my name to a hospital wing it seemed too overwhelming”, Olivia recalls. “Chloe convinced me to do it. She said if putting my name to something will help people, then I should do it.”
“I helped raised the extra funding they needed and there will be two floors of research,” says Olivia proudly.
“After what I went through, I’ve always wanted to build a cancer house for women a quiet place where they could meet or get healing through massage and meditation. The Austin Hospital has an old building that will be converted into a healing centre, so it’s a dream come true for me.”
And to Olivia her 50s feel like the prime time of her life.
“It really is a great age,” she says. “There’s a freedom in your 50s that you don’t even feel in your 40s. It’s a comfortable age and a great time in my life.”
Story by Katherine Tulich
Photo caption:
DOWN-UNDER DUETS Olivia has surrounded herself with Aussie stars of song for 2, including Human Nature’s (left to right) Andrew Tierney, Phil Burton, Michael Tierney and Toby Allen, soloist David Campbell, and Tina Arena (right).
More form Olivia’s A Night With Olivia TV special.