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  Established in 1998, Nostalgia Central is your one stop reference guide through five decades of music, movies, television, pop culture and social history


 

Olivia Newton-John 


Shortly after Olivia's birth (in Cambridge, England, in 1948), her family moved from England to Australia, and settled in Melbourne. 

When she was a teenager, Olivia dropped out of high school and won a talent contest which sent her back to England. She joined the group Toomorrow, and appeared in a science fiction movie of the same name.

In 1971, Olivia released her first album, If Not For You. She went on to release several more British albums including, Olivia and Banks Of The Ohio. She had her first US hit single If Not For You, and followed this with the gold album Let Me Be There.

Although Olivia never considered herself a country singer she was voted Female Vocalist of The Year by both the American and British Country Music Association in 1974, and won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal (Female) for Let Me Be There

In 1975 she won a Country Music Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

Despite a highly-successful music career, she will probably be best remembered for the 1978 musical film Grease, with John Travolta. 

Grease was an international hit and it spawned three huge hit singles - Hopelessly Devoted To You, Summer Nights and You're The One That I Want - which spent a massive nine weeks at number one.

In 1979 she changed her musical style from pop to rock, with the successful album Totally Hot. In 1980, Olivia returned to the big screen with Xanadu (a commercial flop), and in 1983 she teamed up with John Travolta again in Two Of A Kind. More hits followed with the soundtrack: Twist Of Fate and Livin' In Desperate Times.

Olivia was awarded an OBE in 1979 for her contribution to entertainment. Olivia opened up her own shop called Koala Blue on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles in 1986 with her business partner Pat Farrar.