Olivia Newton-John

British-Australian singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, and social activist who was a four-time Grammy Award winner. With global sales of more than 100 million records, Newton-John is one of the best-selling music artists from the second half of the 20th century to the present. Her films include the hit Grease which was re-released in 1998 for its 20-year anniversary.

When she was five, her family moved to Australia. She began as a singer at coffee houses in the mid-'60s, but won a prize trip to London and signed with a British recording label in 1971 under which she produced her first hit, "If Not For You." In 1973, she interpreted the cover of Véronique Sanson's song "Amoureuse". A year later, she represented the UK at the 1974 Eurovision song contest with "Long Live Love". She finished 4th (Abba winning). Her album Physical, released in 1981, showed a spirited development of her little-girl sound plus bravado.

In business, she became the co-owner of a Los Angeles boutique. In 1991 she was forced to declare bankruptcy after her clothing line failed.

She was married in December 1984 to 11-year-younger Matt Lattanzi. They had one child on 17 November 1986, Chloe, and lived on a ranch in Malibu. In 1994 he built a separate house next door for himself. They separated on 24 April 1995 with reasons that included an age difference of 11 years and the fact that they were very different types of people. She guarded her privacy fiercely while her husband was more sociable.

In July 1992 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and successfully treated with a modified radical mastectomy. Her preference was for a vegetarian diet. At 50, 60, 70, she was youthful looking with skin as clear and an appearance as wholesome as when she played in "Grease" but less obsessive and more relaxed.

Her album Gaia was released in Australia in 1995 and in the U.S. in 1996. By 1998 she was travelling with her steady, TV cameraman Patrick McDermott, 42.