Printable Biography of Olivia Newton John

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Born in Cambridge, England in 1948, the youngest child of Professor Brin Newton-John and Irene, daughter of Nobel prize winning physicist Max Born, Olivia Newton-John moved to Melbourne, Australia with her family when she was five. By the age of 15, she had formed an all girl group called Sol Four. Later that year she won a talent contest, which earned her a trip to London.

By 1963, Olivia was appearing on both a local daytime TV show and a weekly pop music program in Australia. The following year she headed to London where she joined her friend Pat Carrol. Together they toured Europe, played nightclubs and American Service bases. She cut a one-off single for Decca Records in 1966, a version of Jackie DeShannon's Till You Say You'll Be Mine. She went on to meet Bruce Welch of The Shadows who co-produced her 1977 cover of Bob Dylan's If Not For You with her Australian friend producer/songwriter John Farrar with whom she continues to collaborate.

Her 1973 U.S. album debut, Let Me Be There, on MCA Records, produced her first top ten single in the title track with Olivia being honored by The Academy of Country Music as Most Promising Female Vocalist and a Grammy for Best Country Vocalist. This proved to be only the beginning of a very exciting career.

Her countless successes include three more Grammys, numerous CMA, AMA, and People's Choice Awards, five #1 hits, and 15 top ten singles. Her film career took off in 1978 opposite John Travolta in Grease. The film catapulted Olivia into superstardom and lead to the production of the most successful movie musical soundtrack in history. The soundtrack featured such enduring duets with Travolta as You're The One That I Want and Summer Lovin', as well as Olivia's smash hit, Hopelessly Devoted To You. In 1998 the film was re-released worldwide in celebration of its 20th anniversary to even more acclaim, a true testament to its timeless quality.

Olivia's public appeal has proved to be equally timeless. Her career has spanned more than three decades and she is still a vibrant, creative individual that is adored by fans across the world. Throughout her career, Olivia has had many extraordinary experiences. She danced with Gene Kelly in Xanadu, hosted the popular internationally syndicated Wild Life cable television show, was bestowed an O.B.E. (Order of The British Empire) accolade by Queen Elizabeth in 1979, and served as Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Environment Program. Indeed, she has held many humanitarian causes close to her heart, particularly after the birth of her only daughter Chloe in 1986.

In 1991 she co-founded the Children's Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC) after the tragic death of Chloe's best friend, Colette Chuda, of a rare form of childhood cancer. Olivia continues to be the foundation’s national spokesperson. Olivia's charmed life has not been without its own share of upset. In the 90s, Olivia successfully overcame her own battle with breast cancer and found herself a single working mother. She used her experiences to gain greater self-awareness and became a positive inspiration to millions of people battling cancer. Olivia continues to give back to the community generously and has been acknowledged many times by charitable organizations for her contributions. Most recently, she was named Woman of the Year by the American Red Cross.

With the release of her last album, Back With A Heart, Olivia garnered an Emmy for her songwriting and she has happily returned to work as a performer. In 1999 she toured extensively in the United States for the first time in 17 years and completed a highly successful three-month tour in Australia. She is truly enjoying this time in her life and is having the most fun she has ever had performing. She has plans for an eventual box set to commemorate 30 years of recording.