Breast cancer claims Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John at the Intercontinental Hotel on January 17, 2012 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo: Newspix)

British-Australian singer and actress Olivia Newton-John, a favourite in Jamaica, died on August 8 in Los Angeles from breast cancer.

She was 73.

A post on her official Facebook page confirmed her death.

Born in 1948 in England, Newton-John moved to Australia with her family at age five. In 1971 her solo career kicked off, but it was not until her third album, Let Me Be There, that she enjoyed a commercial breakthrough; the title track won her a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

The next year Newton-John collected two more Grammys, this time Record of The Year and Best Post Vocal Performance, Female, for I Honestly Love You.

In 1978, Newton-John's acting career took off with Grease, a 1950s-inspired movie in which she starred with John Travolta.

Her most popular songs in Jamaica were Physical (number one on RJR and JBC Radio One charts in 1981), You're the One That I Want (with John Travolta), Please Mr Please, Have You Never Been Mellow, Let Me Be There, Hopelessly Devoted to You, and Xanadu.

Jamaican singer Sharon Myles covered Physical in 2013. It is featured on the various artistes compilation album, Best of Reggae Lounge: The 1980s.

Newton-John is survived by her daughter Chloe, her husband of 14 years John Easterling, as well as a sister and brother.

Olivia Newton-John (left) and John Travolta on the set of the 1977 film (Photo: Alan Pappe)

Now you can read the Jamaica Observer ePaper anytime, anywhere. The Jamaica Observer ePaper is available to you at home or at work, and is the same edition as the printed copy available at https://bit.ly/epaper-login

HOUSE RULES

  1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
  2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
  3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
  4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
  5. Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
  6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
  7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Polls

Which long-term investment option is more attractive to you at the moment?