Olivia Newton-John, Star of 'Grease', Dies at 73

Olivia Newton-John, Star of 'Grease¹', Dies at 73

World famous music and movie star Olivia Newton-John has died at her home in southern California.

Her husband John Easterling appealed to the public in a message on Instagram and Facebook. "We ask that everyone please respect the family's privacy² during this very difficult time," he wrote.

The highly awarded Newton-John sold more than 100 million record albums during her career. From 1973-83, she was among the world's most popular entertainers. She had 14 top 10 singles in the United States alone and won four Grammys.

Newton-John is perhaps most remembered for her performance in 1978's wildly popular musical movie Grease. She stars as high school student Sandy, love interest of Danny, played by John Travolta. One song the two share in the film, You're the One that I Want, sold more than 15 million copies.

"I [was] worried that at 29 I was too old to play a high school girl," Newton-John told The Telegraph in 2017. "Everything about making the film was fun, but if I had to pick a favorite moment, it was the transformation³ from what I call Sandy 1 to Sandy 2. I got to play a different character and wear different clothes, and when I put on that tight black outfit⁴ to sing You're the One That I Want, I got a very different reaction from the guys on the set."

Physical, Newton-John's biggest single, came out in 1981. The energetic, sexy dance song was hugely popular, holding the number one position on Billboard's hit list for 10 weeks straight. Later, the music industry magazine named Physical the song of the year. A video linked to the song won a Grammy, as well.

In later years of her career, Newton-John became more likely to make the news because of her private life. In 1992, she faced loss and sickness. Her father died and she was diagnosed⁶ with breast cancer.

Three years later, she and actor Matt Lattanzi with whom she shared a daughter, ended their marriage.

And, a years-long relationship with cameraman Patrick McDermott ended mysteriously, when he went missing during a 2005 fishing trip in California.

"He was lost at sea, and nobody really knows what happened," Newton-John told Australia's 60 Minutes in 2016. "It's human to wonder. But you know, those are the things in life you have to accept and let go," she said.

Newton-John also wrote a book, Gaia: One Woman's Journey, about her battle with cancer and the loss of her father.

Newton-John married John Easterling in 2008. She became involved in several causes, serving as a goodwill⁷ ambassador⁸ for the United Nations Environment Program and as a national spokeswoman for the Children's Health Environmental Coalition⁹. She also founded the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Center in Melbourne, Australia.

Newton-John was born in Britain to Irene Born and Brin Newton-John. Her mother's father was Nobel Prize-winning physicist¹⁰ Max Born.

The Newton-Johns moved to Australia when Olivia was 5, but she returned to England in her teens and lived with her mother after her parents separated. She had early dreams of becoming an animal doctor. After winning singing competitions in high school, she decided¹¹ on a career in music, instead.

Words in This Story

moment - n. a very short period of time

transformation - n. a complete or major change

character - n. a person who appears in a movie, book, film...

diagnose⁵ - v. to recognize a disease

搜索

复制

1 grease   

n.动物脂，油脂，润滑脂；v.抹油，润滑

参考例句：

• He puts grease on his hair to make It'shiny.他往头发上擦油，使之发亮。
• You have a grease spot on your shirt.你的衬衣上有块油斑。

2 privacy   

n.私人权利，个人自由，隐私权

参考例句：

• In such matters,privacy is impossible.在这类事情中，保密是不可能的。
• She wept in the privacy of her own room.她在自己房内暗暗落泪。

3 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

4 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

5 diagnose   

vt.诊断，判断

参考例句：

• It provides a new method for early diagnose of breast cancer.为临床早期诊断乳腺癌提供一个新的检查手段。
• What more will you want to know to diagnose this problem?要弄清这个问题，你还需要知道些什么？

6 diagnosed   

诊断( diagnose的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Some foetal malformations cannot be diagnosed until late in pregnancy. 有些胎儿的畸形部位得等到妊娠后期才能诊断出来。
• He diagnosed the trouble that caused the engine to knock. 他找出了引擎咔咔响的毛病所在。

7 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

8 ambassador   

n.大使，特使，（派驻国际组织的）代表

参考例句：

• He took up office as an ambassador for ten years continuously.他连任十年大使。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

10 physicist   

n.物理学家，研究物理学的人

参考例句：

• He is a physicist of the first rank.他是一流的物理学家。
• The successful physicist never puts on airs.这位卓有成就的物理学家从不摆架子。

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。