Olivia Newton-John Tribute - 10 News First (August 9, 2022)
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00:00Good evening. Australia and the world is remembering a true icon tonight, Dame Olivia Newton-John,
00:06who has died aged 73. From the moment Greece became the word, she became a global superstar.
00:13Her music was loved by millions, her movies enjoyed by generations. But her legacy outside
00:19entertainment might be even greater. Her 30-year battle with cancer sparked life-changing work
00:24for others facing the disease. Angela Bishop begins our coverage tonight of one of the
00:29great Australians.
00:43When Olivia Newton-John's dear friend John Farrar wrote those words, he couldn't have
00:48known how much they would one day mean to millions of fans mourning her loss. It was
00:53her husband, John Easterling, who revealed Olivia had passed away peacefully at her California
00:59ranch this morning, describing her as a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years, sharing
01:05her journey with breast cancer. Dame Olivia Newton-John was born in England, but came
01:11to Melbourne when she was six, later sharing a classroom with Daryl Braithwaite. But her
01:16singing voice shone more than her schoolwork, and soon she was winning competitions and
01:20heading back overseas. First, she was a country singer. Her hit, Let Me Be There, broke her
01:26in the States, and she beat Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn to be named Country Music's
01:31Female Vocalist of the Year. She dashed back to the UK to represent them in the 1974 Eurovision
01:46Song Contest, where she was beaten by ABBA. But it was a song co-written by
01:56another Aussie, Peter Allen, that would see her hit the top of the charts. She won two
02:11of her four Grammys for that song, and her place as one of Australian music's trailblazers
02:17was cemented. But then came this.
02:41Her starring role as Sandy in Grease sent her career stratospheric, and forged a lifelong
02:56friendship with her co-star John Travolta, who today farewelled his friend, saying,
03:01Her next film became a cult classic, before she released the song that would become her
03:21biggest hit, topping the US charts for ten weeks. Her dream of becoming a mother came
03:36true in 1986, when she and then-husband Matt Latanzi had baby Chloe. But it was while getting
03:42ready for a tour in 1992 that she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. The diagnosis
04:09changed her life, and Olivia vowed to use her fame as a platform to help others. In 2008,
04:16she embarked on an incredible mission, rounding up some famous friends to walk 228km along the
04:23Great Wall of China to raise money to build a cancer and wellness centre. Her new husband,
04:29John Easterling, by her side. Every morning before setting off, all involved would hold
04:39hands and sing her hit song, Magic, to inspire their mission. And in 2012, that mission was
04:48accomplished, and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre opened in Melbourne. In 2020,
04:55she came to Australia to support daughter Chloe, as she competed in Dancing with the Stars.
05:00Oh my goodness, I'm so proud. I'm so proud, and my heart is beating so fast,
05:05and I'm trying not to cry. And then last year, the pair recorded a special single.
05:21Her final concert performance was at last year's Firefight fundraiser,
05:25where she and close friend, John Farnham, shone.
05:40Help me understand how you're not angry. I would think so many people would be angry and frustrated
05:45and sad and say, you know, why me? No, why me has never been a part of it. But I never
05:52felt victimised. I never felt, why not? Maybe deep down, I knew there was a reason or a purpose
05:59for it. Or maybe I needed to create one to make it okay for myself. Because again,
06:04it's a decision, how am I going to deal with it? You choose. You choose.
06:08Olivia Newton-John was 73.
06:11I love you.
06:18Angela Bishop for 10 News First.