Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John, AO, OBEis an English-Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five number-one and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles, and two number-one Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singlesand fourteen of her albumshave been certified gold by the RIAA. She has sold an estimated 100 million records, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time. She starred in Grease, which featured one of...
ProfessionMovie Actress
Date of Birth26 September 1948
CityCambridge, England
I'm an 18-years thriver, I call myself, not a survivor, because I feel like I'm in thriving my life even better than I ever have, and I want to encourage other women that are going through this journey that here I am.
I keep a diary when I have time to. I always know that I'm either having a great time or I'm very busy when there are three weeks of nothing in my diary. But I like to look back because in ten years to the day I can know where I was and what I was doing, and that's a nice feeling.
A few years ago I appeared on GLEE and, Jane Lynch and I did a remake of the song that was very popular - someone told me it was in the Top 100 when it was released. First, walking on the set of GLEE the day we filmed it was surreal as they had recreated the entire original set from the music video. It was bizarre - but fun.
Being a breast cancer survivor, as I like to call myself - it will be twenty years next year - I did it to make it possible for women to do regular self breast examinations. It's really important - and, it makes common sense: you know your body better than the doctor does who only sees you once a year, you know?
Professionally, when I did the Olympic games and sang for my country in Australia. It was a big moment, Sydney in 2000. It was just a brilliant moment in my life.
In June 1992, I discovered a lump in my breast. A subsequent mammogram, ultrasound and a needle biopsy proved negative. But my instinct said it still didn't feel right, so I had a lumpectomy. I then got the news that it was cancer.
My father was a headmaster in England and then the dean of a college in Australia. We moved there when I was about five, so my education was in Australia, and I always felt I was Australian even though my passport was British.
I still can't believe I danced with Gene Kelly. How lucky am I that I've been in movies where I've danced with two of the greatest dancers of all time - with Gene Kelly and John Travolta.
It feels really good to give back. I'm opening the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness Centre in Australia.
I'm so happy with 'Grease' and 'Xanadu,' particularly because of the music in both films.
I'm a very light sleeper. I get about six hours a night.
My father had the most amazing operatic voice, so I have a soft spot for that.
I've been through cancer, divorce, loss and bereavement, but they are things most humans go through.
Genetically, I'm like my mum, and she looked great right up until her death in 1989.