Olivia Newton-John facts: Grease singer's age, husband, daughter, and career revealed

9 August 2022, 10:19

Olivia Newton-John was one of the world's most successful female solo artists of her generation.

Olivia sold over 100 million records worldwide, starred in one of the greatest musical films of all time and was a general national treasure to the UK and Australia.

• Olivia Newton-John's 10 best songs ever, ranked

Here are all the big facts about the legendary singer:

1. Where and when was Olivia Newton-John born?

   Olivia Newton-John was born on September 26, 1948. She celebrated her 73rd birthday in 2021.

   Olivia was born in Cambridge, England, to Welshman Brinley 'Bryn' Newton-John (1914–1992) and Irene Helene (1914–2003).

   Her Jewish maternal grandfather, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Max Born, fled with his family to England from Germany before World War II to escape the Nazis.

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   Her maternal grandmother was of paternal Jewish ancestry, and she is a third cousin of comedian Ben Elton.

   Her father was an MI5 officer on the Enigma project at Bletchley Park, who took Rudolf Hess into custody during World War II. After the war, he became Headmaster at Cambridgeshire High School for Boys.

   In 1954, when Olivia was six, the Newton-Johns emigrated to Melbourne, Australia, where her father worked as a professor of German at the University of Melbourne.

2. How many children did Olivia Newton-John have?

   

   Olivia Newton-John was the mother of one daughter, Chloe Rose Lattanzi, with her first husband, actor Matt Lattanzi.

   Lattanzi is also an actor and singer. In 2008, she appeared on the MTV reality competition Rock the Cradle, finishing in third place. In 2017, she had a role in the B-movie Sharknado 5.

   In 2021, Olivia and Chloe released a duet together.

3. Who is Olivia Newton-John's husband?

   

   Olivia Newton-John married her long-time boyfriend, actor Matt Lattanzi, in December 1984. They met four years earlier while filming Xanadu.

   Their daughter, Chloe Rose, was born in January 1986. The couple divorced in 1995.

   In June 2008, she secretly married John Easterling, founder and president of natural remedy firm, Amazon Herb Company. They had first met 15 years earlier, but they only became romantically involved in 2007.

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   Olivia was previously in a relationship with Patrick McDermott, an American cameraman of Korean descent.

   However, he disappeared in 2005 while on a fishing trip. The then 48-year-old mysteriously vanished, with personal items, including his wallet, left aboard. Various publications and TV shows have claimed that he is still alive in recent years.

4. When and how did Olivia Newton-John die?

   Olivia Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, and received her diagnosis the same weekend her father died.

   She later recovered, and has since become an advocate for breast cancer research and other health issues. Proceeds from several of her albums have benefited breast cancer research.

   In May 2017, it was announced that her breast cancer had returned and metastasized to her lower back. In March 2018, she gave an update on her condition, saying she felt "really good".

   In 2021, she gave another positive update, saying she feels "really wonderful".

   On August 8, 2022, Olivia sadly passed away at the age of 73 from cancer.

   In a statement posted to her social media channels, Newton-John's husband John Easterling praised her as "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."

5. Did Olivia Newton-John take part in Eurovision?

   

   Eurovision 1974 - United Kingdom - Olivia Newton John - Long Live Love

   In 1974, Olivia Newton-John represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Long Live Love'.

   The song was chosen by the British public out of six possible entries, though she later admitted that she disliked the song.

   She finished fourth at the contest held in Brighton, behind ABBA's winning Swedish entry, 'Waterloo'.

6. Did Olivia Newton-John have any siblings?

   She is the youngest of three children, following brother Hugh, a doctor, and sister Rona.

   Rona was also an actress who was married to Olivia's Grease co-star Jeff Conaway from 1980 until their divorce in 1985. She passed away in 2013 aged 72 from brain cancer.