Olivia Newton-John has died, aged 73. In a statement on her official Facebook page, her husband John Easterling wrote that she had “passed away peacefully at her ranch in Southern California … surrounded by family and friends”.Born in the UK in 1948, her family emigrated to Australia in 1954, where she began her career in music as a teenager.
In 1965, she won a TV talent contest, the prize from which was a trip to the UK. It was there that she properly began her pop career, releasing her debut single, ‘Till You Say You’ll Be Mine’, for Decca in 1966.After two short-lived collaborative projects – the duo Pat And Olivia, with Pat Carroll, and the group Toomorrow, with whom she starred in the musical film of the same name – she released her debut solo album, ‘Olivia Newton-John’, in 1971.
She also went on to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, coming fourth with the song ‘Long Live Love’ at the edition of the competition won by Abba with ‘Waterloo’.Initially achieving success in the UK and Australia, she also found fame in the US.
Although her country-pop sound proved controversial in some quarters, with some people in the country music industry angry about a foreigner achieving sales and awards success in the genre.
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