Beloved singer-songwriter and actress Olivia Newton-John passed away at the age of 73.
On Monday afternoon (Aug. 8), Newton-John’s husband, John Easterling, shared the unfortunate news with fans via a Facebook post.
“Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time,” the statement began.
The four-time Grammy winner and star of the iconic movie musical Grease passed away on Monday morning, following a lengthy 30+ year battle with breast cancer.
The statement continued, “Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund (ONJFoundationFund.org).”
While a specific cause of death has not yet been revealed, a source close to TMZ reported “she lost her battle to metastatic breast cancer.”
Olivia Newton-John was born on September 26, 1948, in Cambridge, England. She later relocated to Melbourne, Australia with her family where she began appearing on various TV shows. After joining a duo and a group, she later embarked on a solo career with the release of her 1971 album, If Not For You.
Olivia Newton-John’s musical career included five No. 1 hits and ten Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
She also earned two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, including If You Love Me, Let Me Know (1974) and Have You Never Been Mellow (1975).
In the 1970s, Newton-John made a name for herself in the country music genre, charting several Top 10 singles on country radio and even earned the title of CMA Female Vocalist of the year in 1974. Some of her best-known country singles include “If You Love Me (Let Me Know),” “Have You Never Been Mellow,” and “Please Mr. Please.”
Several of Newton-John’s singles have gone on to earn Gold, Platinum, and 2x Platinum certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
The superstar has sold more than 100 million records and is one of the best-selling music artists in the second half of the 20th century to the present day.
Newton-John is survived by her husband John Easterling; daughter Chloe Lattanzi; sister Sarah Newton-John; brother Toby Newton-John; nieces and nephews Tottie, Fiona and Brett Goldsmith; Emerson, Charlie, Zac, Jeremy, Randall, and Pierz Newton-John; Jude Newton-Stock, Layla Lee; Kira and Tasha Edelstein; and Brin and Valerie Hall.
