DON’T STOP, OLIVIA – By Des Kelly

Photo Source: Biography

She has everything that it takes to be the Super-Star that she truly is. Born in Cambridge England, on the 26th of September 1948, this typical “English-beauty-rose” migrated with her family to Australia in 1953. She was just five years old and immediately made Australia her home. Right from the very start, this young lady typified a natural beauty that, together with the musical talent she possessed from a very early age, made her stand out as a potential “show-biz Star” in the making.

Olivia Newton John, the Star, began to “shine” in old Melbourne Town, a beautiful City that unfortunately, was always classified as 2nd to Sydney, Australia, in the “show-biz-scene”, of that particular era, anyway. She attended

School in Melbourne, becoming very popular among her schoolmates.This was simply because she could already sing those popular old hits, heard, at the time, on Radio, and, already, was a most caring “friend” in typical Aussie style. To put it in a nutshell, Olivia Newton John was, even then, so many years ago, a “good to be around” gal.

Then, in the 60’s, Olivia did, as many other show business personalities still do, went abroad,(she actually returned to her birthplace, England), to further her career, met, and played “Sandy” to John Travolta’s “Danny”, in the award-winning film “Grease”, showing everyone that she could also dance & act, with the best of them. Olivia was now a Singer/Songwriter, having written songs like “Don’t stop believin”, & “Landslide” among others, & also co-writing many songs with Cliff Richard & Barry Gibb, both, presently “Knights of the Crown”& referred to as “Sir Richard and Sir Barry. This being the case, I would have thought that this Aussie lass should have held the title of “Lady Olivia” cos she fitted the bill, perfectly. In addition, in America, Olivia became an Actress, playing her roles as one, admirably. John Travolta, for one, would tell you that the big screen literally “lit-up”whenever Olivia appeared on it. She sang, she danced and she “acted” so naturally, it was a pleasure to millions of movie-goers around the World.

As life moves on, like everyone else, whether in show-biz or not, Olivia had her “ups & downs” both in her personal life and her professional one. She was diagnosed with breast cancer, had what was termed a “partial- mastectomy”, recovered, “parted ways” with husband Matt Lattanzi, “lost” another partner, in Patrick McDermott, when he failed to return from a “fishing-trip” in California, was told by her medical Specialist that her cancer had returned, etc., these “downs” that would certainly have “downed” a much stronger person, but NOT Olivia Newton John. She picked herself up, now had a beautiful daughter, Chloe Rose, started her own businesses, “Koala-Blue” & “Wellness Products”(for women), still took part in many various enterprises to prove to the World that cancer CAN be beaten, carried on with her life of making music, and MOST importantly, as far as this writer is concerned, was featured over twenty times on the “Country Music Charts” in America, her very first hit on these Charts “Let me be there”, scoring her a grammy-award as the best Country “hit” in the mid 70’s. She was also featured on the “Pop-Charts” once!, in comparison to twenty two more times, on the Country-Charts, proof that she was indeed an Aussie Country Singer that we should all be very proud of.

Finally, Olivia Newton John met this guy by the name of John Easterling. It was a very long “engagement”, as they met 15 years prior to becoming romantically involved in 2007. She was featured on a superb documentary on Channel 7’s Sunday-Night, still as beautiful as ever, but looking frail, still fighting this dreaded disease, something that comes and goes like a thief in the night.

One thing is certain. Olivia Newton John will NEVER give up the fight. She, and her caring husband now live on their beautiful ranch in California and, on behalf of every Lankan/Aussie, plus every Australian, in fact, I would like to wish Olivia all the very best with what I would term a “permanant-remission” of this cancer that has been plaguing her for many years now. Typical of this brave-“sweetheart of show-biz” is a statement she recently made on another t.v.show “today”. “I think you can live with cancer like you live with other things—if you look after yourself”. Spoken like a true fighter. Look after her, John, and God bless both of you.