New Delhi: Australian pop star Olivia Newton-John, who starred in movies including “Grease” and “Xanadu,” has passed away, family sources said. She was 73.
Olivia Newton passed away peacefully at her residence at Ranch in Southern California on Monday morning, surrounded by family and friends, her husband John Easterling said.
Her breathy voice and wholesome beauty made her one of the biggest pop stars of the ’70s and charmed generations of viewers in the blockbuster movie “Grease”.
“ We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time,” her husband, John Easterling, wrote in a statement on the singer’s verified Instagram account.
“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.”
The singer revealed in September 2018 that she was treating cancer at the base of her spine.
It was her third cancer diagnosis, following bouts with breast cancer in the early ’90s and in 2017.
Newton-John remained a potent commercial force into the ‘80s; she logged the biggest hit of her career, “Physical,” in 1981. Though her other major toplining musical feature “Xanadu” was a costly 1980 flop, its double-platinum soundtrack spawned three hit singles, including the No. 1 radio ubiquity “Magic.”
Originally slotted as a country vocalist, she quickly conquered the pop charts with a succession of well-scrubbed tunes. Though the hits dried up in the early ’90s, she remained a cherished performer into the new millennium, with a durable fan base sustained by the continuing popularity of “Grease” as a cable TV staple and sing-along theatrical screenings.
In recent years, she spoke about her seemingly upbeat attitude even as the cancer returned after she had been diagnoses as cancer-free.