Singer and actress Olivia Newton-John passed away today at the age of 73. No cause of death has been released but John was first diagnosed with breast cancer 30 years ago and had a recurrence in 2017.
The British born John began to display her musical talents in Australia as a teenager. In 1971, she came to prominence in North America with her cover of Bob Dylan's "If Not For You" using the arrangement deployed on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass. Her first number one hit came in 1974 with "I Honestly Love You". She followed this hits such as "Have You Never Been Mellow" and "Please Mr. Please" as well as an uncredited vocal on John Denver's "Fly Away".
Between 1978 and 1982, John was arguably the most successful female artist in the world as she was launched into the stratosphere with her appearance in Grease spawning the number one hit "You're The One That I Want", a duet with John Travolta. The Grease soundtrack would feature "Hoplessly Devoted to You" and "Summer Nights", another duet with Travolta.
In 1980, John starred with Gene Kelly in Xanadu. While Xanadu flopped, its soundtrack did not as she scored hits with "Magic" as well as "Xanadu" and "Suddenly" with ELO and Cliff Richard, respectively. John's other notable hits from the early 1980's include "Physical", "Make a Move On Me", "Heart Attack" and "Twist of Fate".
John's recordings became less frequent with motherhood and her troubles with breast cancer though she regularly toured and occasionally acted. But if you were a sentient being in the late 1970's and early 1980's you knew who Olivia Newton-John was surely as you knew who the President of the United States. For those of us who were alive in those years, her passing is a kick in the gut.
With that being said while she is now gone, the magic will always stay. R.I.P.
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