10 Things We Will Remember About Olivia Newton-John

By ETCanada.com Staff. 8 Aug 2022 6:52 PM

Before her passing at only 73, Olivia Newton-John built an astounding career as a singer, an actress, and a philanthropist. Her accomplishments spanned five decades, a feat many dream of but few achieve. Her legacy is so much more than just her iconic turn as Sandy in perhaps the most popular movie musical of all time, “Grease.”

In honour of her life, let’s take a look back at some of the many things we will remember about the late, great Olivia Newton-John.

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Olivia's First Feature, "Toomorrow" (1970)

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Screen capture. Paramount Pictures. CBS via Getty Images

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Olivia's Country Roots
Photo by Jim Smeal/Shutterstock
Olivia Newton-John started her career as a country artist and stayed true to her roots throughout her life. Pictured: Olivia attending the 50th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville in 2016.
Olivia's First Feature, "Toomorrow" (1970)
Photo by ITV/Shutterstock
While "Grease" would make her a star, the actress' film debut was in
1970's "Toomorrow."

The film follows dying aliens who kidnap the group Toomorrow whose "vibrations" are needed for their race to survive. It tanked and almost led Newton-John to not sign on for "Grease." Thankfully, she did!
Eurovision Performance
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Olivia-Newton John, while famous for being an Aussie, is also half-English and sang on behalf of the United Kingdom in the famous Eurovision Song Contest in 1974.

Performing "Long Live Love", Olivia placed fourth in the contest with ABBA taking first place that year with "Waterloo".
A Four-Time Grammy Winner
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Nominated for 12 Grammys over the course of her career, Newton-John took home a total of 4 trophies during her lifetime.

Her wins included Best Female Country Vocal Performance (1974) for "Let Me Be There", "Record Of The Year" and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (1975) for "I Honestly Love You" and Video of the Year (1983) for "Physical."
Olivia Takes Vegas!
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
In 2014, Olivia Newton-John began a Las Vegas residency at the Flamingo Hotel.

In this photo, she poses in the "Hell's Chariot" Ford Mercury convertible from "Grease" with performers dressed as "The Pink Ladies" and "Chippendales" cast members as the "T-Birds".
Olympic Star
Jed Jacobsohn/Allsport/Getty
The famed Australian was the perfect choice to perform at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

John Farnham and Newton-John graced the stage at the the Olympic Stadium in Homebush Bay, Sydney, Australia.
'Xanadu!'
Universal/courtesy Everett Collection
Though the movie "Xanadu" bombed at the box office, it gave Olivia a chance to star alongside Gene Kelly in his last film role.

Today, the movie is considered a cult classic. The soundtrack for the movie even launched a number 1 song, "Magic."
A Cancer Survivor And Fighter
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The star battled cancer for three decades and became a tireless activist in the fight against the disease.

She launched the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne and raised hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of her life.
Let's Get Physical!
Everett Collection/CPImages
Did you know that Olivia Newton-John's now iconic hit "Physical" was banned from several radio stations when it first came out?

That didn't stop its success though. It was Olivia's biggest smash of her career, staying at No. 1 for 10 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
You're The One That I Want
Screen capture. Paramount Pictures. CBS via Getty Images
It's no surprise that we'll always remember Olivia Newton-John for her role as Sandy in "Grease."

With powerhouse performances throughout but perhaps most especially in the song, "Hopelessly Devoted To You," there was never any doubt that this movie would make Olivia a star.

It remains one of the most beloved musicals and movies of all time thanks in large part to Olivia's pitch-perfect performance.

10 Things We Will Remember About Olivia Newton-John

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