Actress and singer Olivia Newton-John, known for her role in “Grease”, dies at 73

(CNN) — Olivia Newton-John, the Australian singer whose voice and beauty made her one of the biggest pop stars of the 1970s and who wowed generations of viewers in the hit movie “Grease,” died Monday, according to a statement from her husband. She was 73 years old.

“Olivia has been a symbol of triumph and hope for more than 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continue with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to the plant medicine and cancer research. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her memory to @onjfoundation,” her husband, John Easterling, wrote in a statement on the singer’s verified Instagram account.

The singer revealed in September 2018 that she was being treated for cancer at the base of her spine. It was her third cancer diagnosis, following bouts with breast cancer in the early 1990s and in 2017.

His rise to fame

Thanks to a string of country and soft rock hits, Newton-John was already a popular singer by the late 1970s. But his co-starring role opposite John Travolta in 1978’s “Grease,” arguably the most popular musical movie of all time, elevated her to a new level of stardom.

Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in 1978 in ‘Grease’.

Although she had little acting experience (turning 29 during filming), Newton-John gave an indelible performance as Sandy, a sweet-natured Australian transfer student who has an affair with Danny, Travolta’s alpha boy, at a school. Southern California high school in the 1950s.

Their on-screen chemistry as mismatched lovebirds who undergo final act makeovers to win each other’s hearts (she trades in their frilly dresses for heels, leather, spandex and a cigarette) anchored the film and inspired legions of fans. to see it repeatedly.