Singer-actor Olivia Newton-John, of the movie Grease-fame passes away

Singer-songwriter and actress Olivia Newton-John, star of the movie Grease, passed away on Monday (August 8). She was 73. The news was announced by her husband, John Easterling, who shared a statement on social media. He wrote, “Dame Olivia Newton-John passed away peacefully at her ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Olivia has been a symbol of triumph and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.”

In May 2017, Olivia had announced that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The actress was known to refer to herself as a “cancer thriver”, acknowledging that she led a full life despite her scary diagnosis.

The British-born Australian singer and actress was best known for playing Sandy in Grease, one of the most successful musicals ever made, in which she starred opposite John Travolta. The role earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

The musical was the biggest box-office hit of 1978, and gave Newton-John three huge hit singles, including You’re The One That I Want and Summer Nights, both performed with Travolta. And it was a catalyst for change in both her image and her musical direction, shedding her innocent, country-pop image.

Newton-John was first diagnosed with cancer in 1992 and went on to become a leading advocate for cancer research. Her charity, the Olivia Newton John Foundation, has raised millions of pounds to support research.

Her father had been a British spy during World War Two. Her mother was the daughter of the German Nobel laureate, Max Born, and had fled with her family when the Nazis came to power in 1933. The family moved to Australia in 1954, where she was raised. In 2019 she was diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time.