About The Artist
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE (born 26 September 1948) is an English-born, Australian-raised singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles (including two platinum) and 14 of her albums (including two platinum and four double platinum) have been certified gold by the RIAA. Her music has been successful in multiple formats including pop, country and adult contemporary. She co-starred with John Travolta in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Grease which became one of the most successful films and movie soundtracks in Hollywood history.
Newton-John has been a long-time activist for environmental and animal rights issues. Since surviving breast cancer in 1992, she has been an advocate for health awareness becoming involved with various charities, health products and fundraising efforts. Her business interests have included launching several product lines for Koala Blue and co-owning the Gaia Retreat & Spa in Australia.
Newton-John has married twice and currently lives with her second husband, John Easterling, in Jupiter Inlet Colony, Florida. She is the mother of one daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, with her first husband, actor Matt Lattanzi.
Olivia Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England, to a Welsh father, Brinley ("Bryn") Newton-John, and a German mother, Irene Born (the eldest child of the Nobel prize-winning atomic physicist Max Born). Newton-John is the youngest of three children, following brother Hugh, a doctor, and sister Rona, an actress once married to Grease co-star Jeff Conaway. Newton-John's father was an MI5 officer on the Enigma project at Bletchley Park and was the officer who took Rudolph Hess into custody during World War II. Newton-John's family emigrated to Melbourne, Australia in 1954 where her father worked as a Professor of German and Master of Ormond College at the University of Melbourne.
At 14, Newton-John formed a short-lived all-girl band, Sol Four, with three classmates often performing in a coffee shop owned by her brother-in-law. She soon became a regular on local Australian radio and television shows including HSV-7's The Happy Show where she performed as Lovely Livvy. She also appeared on the Go Show where she met future duet partner, Pat Carroll, and future record producer, John Farrar. (Carroll and Farrar eventually married.) She entered and won a talent contest on the television program, Sing, Sing, Sing, hosted by 1960's Australian icon Johnny O'Keefe performing the songs "Anyone Who Had A Heart" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses". Newton-John was initially reluctant to use her prize, a trip to England, but travelled there nearly a year later encouraged by her mother to broaden her horizons.
Newton-John recorded her first single, Till You Say You'll Be Mine b/w Forever, in England for Decca Records in 1966. Newton-John was homesick in England for her then-boyfriend, Ian Turpie, with whom she co-starred in an Australian telefilm, Funny Things Happen Down Under. Her mother cancelled trips back to Australia that Newton-John would repeatedly book. Newton-John's outlook changed when Pat Carroll also moved to England. The two formed a duo called "Pat and Olivia" and toured nightclubs in Europe. (In one incident, they were booked at Paul Raymond's Revue in Soho, London. Dressed primly in frilly, high-collared dresses, they were unaware that this was a strip club until they began to perform onstage.) After Carroll's visa expired forcing her to return to Australia, Newton-John remained in England to pursue solo work until 1975. She became engaged to, but never married, guitarist Bruce Welch who was a member of The Shadows along with John Farrar.
Newton-John was recruited for the group Toomorrow – the brainchild of American producer Don Kirshner who also created the Monkees. In 1970, the group recorded an eponymous album and starred in a "science fiction musical" film also named after the group. The project bombed and the group quickly disbanded.
Newton-John released her first solo album, If Not For You (No. 158 Pop), in 1971. The title track, written by Bob Dylan and previously recorded by Beatle George Harrison for his 1970 album, All Things Must Pass, was her first international hit (No. 25 Pop, No. 1 AC). Her follow-up single, "Banks of the Ohio", was a Top 10 hit in England and Australia. She was voted Best British Female Vocalist two years in a row by the magazine Record Mirror. She made frequent appearances on Cliff Richard's weekly show It's Cliff Richard[ and starred with him in the telefilm The Case. In 1974, Newton-John represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song, "Long Live Love", which was chosen for her by the British public. Newton-John placed fourth at the contest held in Brighton behind ABBA's winning "Waterloo". (Newton-John eventually admitted that she disliked the song.) All six song candidates for the contest were recorded by Newton-John and included on her Long Live Love album, her first for the EMI Records label.
In the United States, Newton-John's career floundered after If Not For You. Subsequent singles including "Banks of the Ohio" (No. 94 Pop, No. 34 AC) and remakes of George Harrison's "What Is Life" (No. 34 AC) and John Denver's "'Take Me Home Country Roads" (No. 119 Pop) made minimal chart impact until the release of "Let Me Be There" in 1973. The song reached the American Top 10 on the Pop (No. 6), Country (No. 7), and AC (No. 3) charts and earned her a Grammy for Best Country Female and an Academy of Country Music award for Most Promising Female Vocalist. The song also propelled the album Let Me Be There to No. 1 on the Country Albums chart for two weeks as well as No. 54 Pop.
The Long Live Love album was released in the United States as If You Love Me, Let Me Know with the six Eurovision songs dropped for four different, more country-oriented tracks meant to capitalize on the success of "Let Me Be There". The title track was the first single, reaching No. 5 Pop, No. 2 Country (her best country placement ever), and No. 2 AC. The next single, "I Honestly Love You", became Newton-John's signature song. Written by Jeff Barry and Peter Allen, the ballad became her first No. 1 Pop (two weeks), second No. 1 AC (three weeks) and third Top 10 Country (No. 6) hit and earned Newton-John two more Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Pop Female. The success of both singles helped the album reach No. 1 on both the Pop (one week) and Country (eight weeks) Albums charts.
Newton-John's country success led to debate among purists who believed a foreigner singing country-flavored pop music did not belong in country music. In addition to her Grammy for "Let Me Be There," Newton-John was also named the Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year in 1974, defeating nominees Loretta Lynn, Canadian Anne Murray, Dolly Parton, and Tanya Tucker - all established country music artists. This outrage led to the formation of the short-lived Association of Country Entertainers (ACE). Newton-John was eventually supported by the country music community. Stella Parton, Dolly's sister, recorded "Ode To Olivia" and Newton-John recorded her 1976 album, Don't Stop Believin', in Nashville.
Encouraged by expatriate Australian singer Helen Reddy, Newton-John left England and moved to the United States. Newton-John topped the Pop (one week) and Country (six weeks) Albums charts with her next album, Have You Never Been Mellow. The album generated two singles – the title track (No. 1 Pop, No. 3 Country, No. 1 AC) and "Please Mr. Please" (No. 3 Pop, No. 5 Country, No. 1 AC). Newton-John's pop career cooled with the release of her next album, Clearly Love. Her streak of five consecutive gold Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 ended when the album's first single, "Something Better To Do", stopped at No. 13 (also No. 19 Country and No. 1 AC). Although her albums still achieved gold status, she did not return to the Top 10 on the Hot 100 or Billboard 200 charts again until 1978.
Magic
Come take my hand
You should know me
I`ve always been in your mind
You know that I will be kind
I`ll be guiding you
Building your dream
Has to start now
There`s no other road to take
You won`t make a mistake
I`ll be guiding you
(CHORUS)
You have to believe we are magic
Nothing can stand in our way
You have to believe we are magic
Don`t let your aim ever stray
And if all your hopes survive
Destiny will arrive
I`ll bring all your dreams
Alive for you
I`ll bring all your dreams
Alive for you
From where I stand
You are home free
The planets align so rare
There`s promise in the air
And I`m guiding you
Through every turn
I`ll be near you
I`ll come anytime you call
I`ll catch you when you fall
I`ll be guiding you
(CHORUS)
Have to believe we are magic
Nothing can stand in our way
Have to believe we are magic
Don`t let your aim ever stray
And if all your hopes survive
Destiny will arrive
I`ll bring all your dreams
Alive for you
I`ll bring all your dreams
Alive for you