It may seem unfathomable to some people that Olivia Newton-John has been in show business for 50 years. But it’s true—in 2016, the indelible Grammy-winner hit the half-century mark as a performer. The good news? By the looks of it, Olivia shows no signs of slowing down.
More than 30 years after the release of her No. 1 single, “Physical”—and nearly 40 years after she wowed audiences in the film version of “Grease,” Olivia continues to turn heads with her creative outings but it’s her recent philanthropic outings over the last decade that have truly stood out. Come December, her much-celebrated Las Vegas residency at the Flamingo bows but fans have been jazzed about something else: The recent release of “LIV ON,” a heartfelt collaboration with Nashville’s Beth Nielsen Chapman and Amy Sky, a popular Toronto-born singer-songwriter-actress.
The project began when the three began sharing openly about their own experiences with loss and grief. Olivia’s sister, Rona, died due to complications of brain cancer in 2013. Beth, like Olivia, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 and triumphed thereafter, is also a breast cancer survivor. And Amy’s work as a spokesperson and advocate for mental health—or “mental hygiene” as she calls it—certainly stands out. For each performer, collaborating on the topic of grief seemed like the perfect next step in their creative and personal evolutions.
This wouldn’t be the first time Olivia embarked on a creative venture with the hopes of raising the level of awareness about important health issues. Back in 1992—after four Grammys, several film roles, an Emmy, a People’s Choice Award and hits like “A Little More Love,” Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “Make a Move on Me,” “Magic,” and “Xanadu”—Olivia embarked upon a very public path while defeating breast cancer. First came “Gaia: One Woman’s Journey,” in 1994. Other outings, such as 1998’s “Back With a Heart,” 2000’s “One Woman’s Journey,” 2005’s “Stronger Than Before,” and 2006’s “Grace and Gratitude,” all touched upon the themes of empowerment, self-esteem, healing, and love.
“Liv On” follows similar suit, with songs like “My Heart Goes Out to You,” “Immortality,” and “I Will Take Care of You.” Provocative, deep and soulful, the outing does a stellar job at exploring the subject of healing from loss. Here, in an excerpt from my interview with celebrated performer for Canada South Magazine, Olivia opens up about creativity, career longevity, and the importance of giving back.
Greg Archer: Your new CD, ‘LIV ON,’ is soul-stirring. How did it all evolve?
Olivia Newton-John: “It really started with conversations between Beth and Amy, an amazing singer-songwriter from Canada. We produced the ‘Grace and Gratitude’ album together [in 2006] and we’ve been great friends. But I had written a song for my sister, Rona, and asked Amy if she would help me finish it as a way of me expressing my grief. We both started talking about grief—she recently lost her mother– and then Beth, who lost her husband … I thought, what an amazing collaboration to make this CD on loss and grief, and learning to move through it. Very often, people are not understanding when people go through grief. They want you to get over it. Actually, it’s a process. It’s different for everybody.”
Wonderful. You know, we’re not often taught about grief. Especially in America. It’s not addressed as much as it could be.
“People just need to understand more about it. I’ll give you an example. A fan came to my show, a really sweet woman, and she had lost her son a week before. And I was a little surprised she came to my show but she said, ‘I came to your show because your songs help me and they make me feel good and they help me be healthy.’ She said, ‘You know, I went back to work about a week after my son had been killed and people at work told me to get over it.’ And that … took my breath away. How could anybody be that cold and uncompassionate, especially to somebody who had lost a child?
“There seems to be a lack of understanding on what kind of process grief is. When you lose someone or even something like divorce—that’s like a death—or losing your health, or a job, a pet. You can go through terrible grief from these things and people don’t understand that that can effect your whole body. You need to support each other, to say, ‘You know, it’s going to be okay’ … and have a cry. Knowing that people understand, and that you can talk about, is so important.”
So true. Well let’s talk about your Vegas residency. You are performing there through the rest of the year. What have you been loving most about that?
“It’s been surprising to me that I’ve really enjoyed Las Vegas. I opened here in 1970. And it was a much different place. It wasn’t as built up. But there’s so much more to Vegas than just the strip. It’s a very strong community, and I’ve enjoyed it. Just to be working in the same room every night, and have the same sound, it’s helped me really refine my show.
Something remarkable, too: This year marks your 50th anniversary entertaining.
[Laughs] “Yes. Unbelievable.”
How does that feel?
“Oh, I’m very grateful for it. I say it every night, but I really mean it—I am grateful that I am still standing on stage and people are coming to see me. That’s pretty amazing after 50 years of performing. The fact that I’m still learning—every night I learn something new. You never stop growing. I am going to start adding some of the new material into the show. It’s wonderful.”
So, what do you love most about performing?
“It’s all I know how to do. [Laughs] Well, singing for me, is … from my heart. It’s my way of expressing myself. As a performer, if I feel I can reach people, that’s wonderful. I’ve been very lucky with the songs I have been given over the years. John Farrar has written some amazing songs for me and the lyrics have been palpable. I’ve also written songs for myself —my environment songs—and they’ve been able to communicate with the audience.”
You also have a strong philanthropic side. The Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia, certainly has been a major achievement over the last decade. What meaning do you find in offering people access to different kinds of medical support and treatments ... and what do love most about giving back?
“I’ve been given so much in my life. I am in a position where I can give back and that feels even better. It creates something of value. The hospital—that’s been a passion for me because I’ve been through breast cancer myself so I understood what was needed in patient care and what was necessary for people to recover, which is not just attacking the cancer cells in the body but the mind and the spirit of the person going through it. In time, we will be able to transform the kind of treatment going on now to a more natural therapy for the body.”
There’s also a strong mind-body element.
Well, I want to help make people realize that their mind is just as important or their healing as the stuff that is being done to the body. With my husband that’s been wonderful, because he’s been working with herbs that he’s brought from the amazon rain forest for 30 years or so. That’s been a wonderful support for me and for the wellness center. We’re trying to make it more than just a cancer center ... with different therapies and also a place that can be loved by the patients. A portion of every one of the tickets for my show goes to the wellness center at the hospital. We have to keep it going because it has to get public funding. So, it’s been very worthwhile.”
Where in the world do you get all the stamina?
“From the herbs my husband receives. [Laughs]. And also … just being able to do what I do. You know, I get back ‘energy’ from everybody. I get a boost from it.”
Let’s have some fun. Say the first thing that comes to your mind. How about the song, ‘Sam.’
“Oh, it makes me think of John Farrar, and his wife Pat who used to sing with me. And their son, Sam, who was named after the song. It’s one of my favorite songs ever.”
John Travolta.
“Amazing friend. Incredible actor. And of course, we have a legacy together with ‘Grease.’ We’ll always be close because of that. I have a great respect for him as an actor and I learned a lot from him making the movie.”
‘Sordid Lives.’
[Laughs] “Fun! Hilarious. I love playing that role [of Bitsy Mae Harling] in the film. Del Shores is really a dear friend of mine. It also makes me think of my sister. Because if it hadn’t been for Rona, I wouldn’t have met Del, and I wouldn’t have seen the play, and just jokingly said, ‘If you ever want somebody to play the guitar player, think of me.’ And he did. That was really a step out from what people expect from me and I like to surprise people.”
Where do you feel most at home?
“Oh wow. Hard question. Well, Australia is my ‘heart’ home and anywhere I am with my husband, my daughter Chloe, and my family, I am at home.”
What is something people may not know about you?
“Well, we’ll probably keep that that way, then?” [Laughs]
Some of the best advice you’ve been given about life?
“Oh Gosh … live in the moment, I guess. Find joy in the moment. And you can’t think too much about the future or the past, because you have no control over that. Be here now. I think I pretty much do that.”
What’s one of the most interesting things you have learned about yourself lately?
“Oh gosh …”
I know, it’s like therapy, isn’t it?
“It is like therapy, I know. I have to pay you after this. [Laughs]. Well, I am forever learning how grateful I am with my life. Every day.”
And, in the song ‘Magic,’ you sing … ‘Have to believe we are magic.’ How about in real life? Do you believe in magic?
“Of course. [Laughs] I experience it every day.”
Keep track of Olivia at olivianewton-john.com. Learn more about the Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Wellness Centre here. Discover the nuance of “LIV ON” here.