Olivia Newton-John Biography

Olivia Newton-John

Born in England and reared in Australia, singer Olivia Newton-John scored with numerous country-tinged pop hits during the 1970s and 1980s, and segued into feature films. Newton-John's blond, girl-next-door good looks provided the perfect complement to such easy-listening hits as “If You Love Me Let Me Know,” “Let Me Be There,” “I Honestly Love You,” and “Have You Never Been Mellow,” as well as 1981's racy “Physical” (the best-selling song of the 1980s). Newton-John also starred in the highest grossing musical of all time, Grease (1978), which provided her with the number one hits “Hopelessly Devoted To You” and “You're the One That I Want,” a duet with co-star John Travolta. Subsequent films did poorly, most notably the roller skating flop Xanadu (1980), which featured dancer Gene Kelly. Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 (just two weeks after her father had died of cancer). She received successful treatment and began performing again, releasing Gaia in 1994 and Back With a Heart in 1998. Her latest album is Stronger Than Before (2005). Her companion Patrick McDermott disappeared in June 2005 following a fishing trip.