(Fwrd Axis) — Olivia Newton-John, best known for her role on Grease!, has died at the age of 73 after a long battle with breast cancer, her family confirmed Monday.
The singer, actress, and philanthropist was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2018, her third bout with the disease after two previous battles in the early ’90s and in 2017.
Newton-John had a string of hits in country and soft-rock but it was her role in Grease! alongside John Travolta in 1978 made her a household name. She starred as Sandy, a sweet-natured Australian transfer student, whose character was involved with Travolta’s character, Danny, at a Southern California high school in the 1950s.
Newton-John sang three of the movie’s biggest hits: the duets “You’re The One That I Want” and “Summer Nights” with Travolta, and “Hopelessly Devoted To You.”
Newton-John moved with her family to Melbourne, Australia, when she was five. She recorded her first single in England in 1966 and had international hits, but did not make it in America until the 70s. “Let Me Be There” became a top-10 hit on both the adult contemporary and the country charts in 1973.
Overall, Newton-John won four Grammy Awards and sold more than 100 million albums.
