The film remains a much-loved staple of the small screen and the singalong circuit its soundtrack is one of the top 10 biggest sellers of all time.īorn in Cambridge, England, in 1948, Newton-John and her family emigrated to Melbourne, Australia, when she was six. Newton-John’s performance was nominated for a Golden Globe and she performed Hopelessly Devoted to You at the 1979 Oscars. Grease was the biggest box-office hit of the year, and its soundtrack album spent 12 consecutive weeks at No 1 in the US. The role was also altered to accommodate her Australian accent. Offered the lead role of Sandy, sweet summer squeeze of cool cat John Travolta, after meeting the producer at a dinner party, the then 29-year-old Newton-John had to be persuaded to take the part, worried she was too old to play a high-school senior. Her prominence as an activist for research and better treatment will likely remain as key an element of her legacy as her showbiz career, which included four Grammy wins and the sale of more than 100m records.īut it was Grease, the perky 1978 adaptation of the Broadway musical for which she will be most fondly remembered. Earn Gift Cards Earn rewards points for completing the activities we give you. Track your mood, sleep, stress, and pain to learn more about yourself and notice potential patterns. Newton-John’s daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, paid tribute to her mother with a selection of images on Instagram, including pictures of Lattanzi as a baby.Īfter her first cancer diagnosis, Newton-John became a prominent campaigner, setting up the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Research Centre in Melbourne. Commonwealth Pain patients have been invited to NeuroFlowa digital health application for tracking, assessing, and managing overall wellness. Yours from the moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!” We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Travolta posted a heartfelt message on social media, writing: “My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Tributes to Newton-John began appearing shortly after her family’s statement. Hopelessly devoted … Olivia Newton-John as Sandy and John Travolta as Danny in 1978 smash hit Grease.