Dame Olivia Newton-John has died at the age of 73, her widower has confirmed.
The British-born singer died “peacefully” at her ranch in Southern California on Monday morning, surrounded by family and friends. Dame Olivia is best known for her starring role in the 1978 film Grease, in which she starred opposite John Travolta as Sandy.
Her performance saw her nominated for multiple awards including two Golden Globes, and various other film accolades. Writing on Instagram Travolta said that her “impact was incredible” and signed off his tribute to the actress as “your Danny”.
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“My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better,” he wrote.
“Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!”
She is also a multi-platinum selling singer, with two singles and two albums having earned the stamp from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Dame Olivia also represented the UK in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Long Live Love.
She finished fourth in the competition, held in Brighton, losing out to Abba, with their hit song Waterloo. In a statement posted to Instagram, her husband John Easterling wrote: “We ask that everyone please respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.
“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.”
Mr Easterling added that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Dame Olivia’s foundation. She is survived by her husband as well as her daughter Chloe Lattanzi.
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