Country Music Roundup
Olivia Newton-John, although still a very young woman, is already a showbusiness veteran of long standing. She has been involved in music, striving for perfection in her career since her very early teens. Yet she has always managed to retain her gentle manner.
Born in Cambridge, England and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Olivia first became interested in singing and dancing early in school. With three other girlfriends, she formed the group, the Sol Four, but had to disband the group when it began to interfere with school work. However, Olivia was firmly set in her desires to be a performer, and although she came from a highly-academic family ther grandfather was Nobel prize winner, German physicist Max Born, and her father was heedmaster of Ormond College in Melbourne), she decided to pursue her music career full time rather than going on college.
As a result of winning her first talent contest at 16, she was sent to England. For the next two years she performed as part of a duo with another Australian girl, Pat Carroll, appearing in cabarets and on numerous shows on BBC television. Then when Pat’s visa expired and she had to return to Australia, Olivia stayed on in England alone. Olivia’s very first single (Bob Dylan’s tune, “If Not For You”), recorded in England, made her an instant international success.
Her next single, “Banks of the Ohio”, won her the English Silver Disc and the Australian Gold Disc at the same time she was charming audiences throughout Europe while touring with the Cliff Richard Show. She became a regular guest on the BBC-TV series, “It’s Cliff Richard”, an and continued to reap in music awards. In 1971 and 1972, she was voted as the Best British Girl Singer by the readers of pop weekly newspaper Record Mirror.
Olivia’s world-wide prominence continued to grow in 1973. She won her first Grammy as Best Country Vocalist for the song, “Let Me Be There”. Since then, her list of awards has multiplied each year, with two more Grammys in 1974, a total of eight American Music Awards since 1974, and multiple honours from Record World, Billboard, World, Billboard, Cashbox, the Academy of Country Music, The Country Music Association, AGVA, ASCAP (the American Society of Com posers, Authors, and Publishers), the People’s Choice, just to mention a few.
However, Olivia has managed to keep a steady balance in her life, in addition to her hard work and the accolades which she has received. She has now settled in Malibu, California where she can relax with her cats, dogs and horses, because next to her love for music is her interest and love of animals. As a child, she once thought of becoming a veterinarian because of her devotion to animals, and one of her greatest priorities today, is her involvement with animal care and preservation of endangered species.
Last year was a hectic one for Olivia. She completed a critically acclaimed acclaimed SRO tour of the eastern and mid-western areas of the United States, which was highlighted by her concert performance at the prestigious Metropolitan Opera House.
While still basking in the warmth of her New York fans, Olivia conquered the hearts of the European television audiences. During her stay in Europe, she taped her own BBC specials in London, and made guest appearances in France and Germany. When she returned home to Los Angeles she was signed to star in the film version of the long-running Broadway hit music, “Grease”, opposite John Travolta. The title track saw this duo currently high in the British popular music charts, having reached the No. 1 spot in mid June.
Olivia’s future plans include time for more original songwriting, now that she has become an official member of the prestigious ASCAP.
There may be more movie roles, very definitely more albums in the offing, and another television special as a follow-up to her highly-rated TV special on ABC with possible tours of the Far East and Australia, and if there is any time left over, perhaps some well-deserved quiet relaxation, at home surrounded by lots of friends.