Spotlight on Olivia
What kind of woman blazes a musical trail through the ’7Os, stars in one of the most popular movies of that decade, records the biggest hit of the 1980s and becomes a UN ambassador in the ’90s, while surviving breast cancer, a partial mastectomy and divorce?
Surely not someone who looks as vital and fabulous as Olivia Newton-John.
Olivia, who turns 50 on September 26, judging by appearances, is still taking generous swigs from a secret fountain of youth. Meanwhile the songstress-cum—actress is busy resurrecting her singing career and raising her 12 year old daughter, Chloe.
A love of country-style singing made Olivia a star in the ’7Os and she shifted 60 million records worldwide with hits like If You Love Me Let Me Know and Sam. The huge success of the 1978 musical Grease turned “our Livvy” into an international talent and the down-to—earth Aussie still keeps in touch with co-stars John Travolta and Didi Conn (who played Frenchy).
The 1980s brought an image overhaul, the movie Xanadu and marriage to her handsome co—star Matt Lattanzi (from whom she is now “amicably” divorced).
Livvy made leg warmers and leotards wardrobe essentials with her hit single of the ’80s, Physical, which became the biggest-selling single of the decade.
With the recent cinema re-release of Grease, Olivia isn’t about to live off the success of old ghosts. She is soon to release her first album in six years, a mix of country and pop called Back With a Heart.
She has served as a UN goodwill ambassador on the environment and was recently applauded at a Women in Hollywood luncheon, where she was presented with a humanitarian award for her work promoting breast cancer awareness.
Predictably, the well-loved and serenely beautiful star has found a positive twist to her fight with cancer. She is now in remission (“As far as I’m concerned, it’s not coming back,” she says) and claims that having breast cancer was the best thing that ever happened to her.
“It made me appreciate life more. I think I was afraid of a lot of things before and it took that away because I was faced with so many things that were really frightening. I mean, I used to be afraid of getting old and now I’m just grateful if I get old.”