Don't Stop Believin'

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Read more: Olivia looks ethereal in previously unseen images from 1975 concert released following her death

Mum wouldn’t be around as much during the days, either, as she had to support us on her own for the first time in her life. In those days, women didn’t fare very well in divorce settlements, and watching my mother struggle financially taught me how strong women rally to take care of themselves and their children. Mum had never worked outside the home, but she was funny, witty, and intelligent. She had other valuable skills, too. She wrote beautiful poems and would regularly write letters to the editor of our newspaper about local issues. In addition to starring in films and on television and writing books and music, Olivia continued to spend time in the recording studio. Her healing CD, “Grace and Gratitude: Renewed” (2010), debuted at #2 on the Billboard Magazine New Age chart. Billboard celebrated Olivia’s new music by saying, “Newton-John is soulfully committed to every word she sings, and fans will be taken by the plush arrangements, melodic warmth, and of course, the artist’s regal vocals.” Just two years before her passing, she spoke candidly about her outlook on life at the G'Day USA benefit in Beverly Hills alongside former co-star Travolta. I guess this will be the fun part,’ I told the technician as he poked a small, needle-like pen through flesh to mark my hips. KATIE HIND: How Bobby Brazier's dance for his 'superhero' mum Jade Goody moved judge Shirley Ballas to tears on Strictly

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These lovely people had sometimes waited an entire year just to say hello and I wouldn’t let them down. Somehow, I held it all together while I smiled and took a few pictures. It was the least I could do for this kind of loyalty. I was obsessed with Olivia Newton-John as a little girl. As a little girl, I knew all of her songs by heart, and I had watched all of her movies over and over. I do admit that as I grew up, my obsession faded. However, when I saw Olivia's autobiography, Don't Stop Believin', on the shelf at my local library, I decided to give it a read. While it was enjoyable, it just came across as kind of preachy. Olivia also relates her love of, and esteem for animals and the places they live in the countryside. The fact that she loved animals, in and of itself, was not surprising to me. What did was the breadth of animals she loved, from horses and dogs, the koala bears and kookaburras of her homeland and even a bit about magpies! I found these parts of her story very heartening. Hollywood has mourned one of its brightest stars with tributes pouring in from all across the globe. One of the star's first high-profile friends to pay tribute was John - his affection for her still clear to see. Newton-John campaigned for innovative cancer research and treatment methods after her initial cancer diagnosis in 1992. She helped to establish the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre at Austin Hospital near Melbourne, Victoria, in 2012. Proceeds from her book Livwise: Easy Recipes for a Healthy, Happy Life (2011) helped to fund the centre. Money raised from sales of several of her albums as well as of her personal items also went to cancer research. She founded the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund charity in 2020 to sponsor research into plant-based treatments for cancer.

Soon my mother felt like I was spending way too much time singing and not enough time studying, so she put an end to it—or so she thought. My sister Rona, now the mother of three young children, was married to a man named Brian Goldsmith, who owned a local coffee shop. Brian had a folk singer in his restaurant on the weekend, Hans Gorg, and I was allowed to go watch him perform, with Rona keeping a close eye on me. I remember sitting at the edge of the stage and singing harmonies.Newton-John said during a 2020 interview she believed it actually conveyed a strong female character that was relevant in today's society. I didn’t tell my family or anyone else at the time, except for John, of course. There was too much going on with the loss of my sister. We all know we are going to die... I think we spend our lives denying it. It's extremely personal. I find it hard to put into words, I feel we are all part of one thing, I have had experiences with spirits or spirit life and felt the spirit world and have heard things, that I believe there is something that happens.' In addition to her music and screen successes, Olivia was perhaps best known for her strength, courage, and grace. After her own personal journeys with cancer, she became an inspiration for millions around the world. A tireless advocate for countless charities, her true passion was founding the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in her hometown of Melbourne, Australia. Olivia radiated joy, hope, and compassion—and was determined to be a force for good in the world. I went to bed and asked God to save her and if he did, I would say the Lord's Prayer every night for the rest of my life and so I have.'

Newton-John repeatedly defended the film in her recent interviews, saying people shouldn't be taking it 'too seriously'. And let me just say that reading of Olivia’s early European tours, as well as the story of her move to America and what happened there, especially in the early days were powerful testaments of the grit and determination that even the super-talented must go through to make it in this very hard business. Her debut single, Till You Say You'll be Mine, flopped, as did a singing duo with fellow Australian, Pat Carroll.My mum, Irene Helene Born, was the daughter of Nobel Prize–winning Max Born, a German physicist and mathematician who was one of the founders of quantum mechanics. Albert Einstein was a close friend, and when my mother was a young girl, Einstein spent many evenings in her family house playing the violin while my grandfather played piano. My mother would later translate a book of letters between Albert Einstein and Max Born called The Born–Einstein Letters. My German grandfather was the first person to sign an antinuclear proliferation treaty because he was strongly opposed to war. He was also a good friend of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist credited with being the father of the atomic bomb, but my grandfather refused to collaborate with him on anything that was destructive or would hurt people. In 1933, my Jewish grandfather fled from Germany with his wife, Hedwig, to escape Hitler’s regime. He was not only a brilliant mind but also a humanitarian who helped Jews escape Germany. I’m extremely proud of my peace-loving grandfather. I admit to buying this book because I've always been a fan of Olivia Newton-John. Memoirs don't usually appeal to me, as I think most of them as being fictional accounts of someone's life anyway (who can remember such things of decades past? And most of it never reveals the nitty gritty reality of the person.) Yet, I wanted to read about her journey with cancer. I want to thank you all for all of your support over the years and I wish you all the best and send you love and light. Girls Aloud 'WILL perform Glastonbury in honour of late bandmate Sarah Harding and take to the stage for the festival's ICONIC legends slot' To her credit, she stayed in the marriage and tried to make it work for the good of the entire family. Forgiveness was another thing she would teach me, the makeup baby, who would be her last child.