Olivia Newton-John dead at 73

Singer and actor Olivia Newton-John died Monday morning at her home in Southern California. She was 73.

A statement posted to Newton-John’s official Facebook page and attributed to her husband, John Easterling, did not provide an official cause of death but cited her 30-year public battle with breast cancer.

Born in England and raised in Melbourne, Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. She announced in May 2017, however, that the disease had spread to her lower back after 25 years in remission, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The following year, Newton-John was forced to cancel a two-date tour just three weeks after announcing it, the entertainment news site reported.

Olivia Newton-John remembered for her iconic role as Sandy in ‘Grease’

The Grammy-winning songstress crossed multiple genre lines throughout her decades-long career, knocking out hits on pop, country, adult contemporary and pop charts. While “Physical” earned Newton-John the most airplay, “Grease” fans are more likely to remember the likes of “Hopelessly Devoted” and “You’re the One That I Want,” which she performed as Sandy for the film version of the wildly successful play.

Newton-John, whose sales topped 100 million albums, had 14 top 10 singles in the United States between 1973 and 1983, an incredibly prolific decade of her career during which she also won four Grammys, starred opposite John Travolta in “Grease” and appeared in “Xanadu” with Gene Kelly, The Associated Press reported.

Travolta posted a touching social media tribute to his former onscreen flame, which he signed “Your Danny.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChAtHO1psCS/

Since her initial diagnosis at 44, Newton-John had become an advocate for cancer research and awareness, as well as for environmental causes, The Washington Post reported, adding, “She sang for presidents and a pope, the sick and the disabled, and touted music as a form of spiritual therapy, raising millions of dollars to fund the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center at Melbourne’s Austin Hospital. Her latest albums featured inspirational music about love, friendship and overcoming trauma.”

Survivors include her husband; daughter Chloe, with whom she collaborated on the dance song “You Have to Believe”; sister Sarah; brother Toby; and nieces and nephews Tottie, Fiona, Brett, Emerson, Charlie, Zac, Jeremy, Randall, Pierz, Jude, Layla, Kira, Tasha, Brin and Valerie, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Photo of OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN

Portrait of Olivia Newton-John taken on 18th December 1971.

Olivia Newton-John

Photo of Grease Premier

Photo of Olivia Newton

Olivia Newton John & Michael Jackson at the Dreamgirls opening night after party inside. Taken in Los Angeles at the Shubert theater in Century City on March 20, 1983.

Cate Blanchett and Olivia Newton John during Penfolds Black Tie Dinner Honoring Australians in Entertainment at Regent Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, California, United States.

Tony Bennett and Olivia Newton-John during Tony Bennett Exhibition – Private View – April 5, 2005 at Cattoo Gallery in London, Great Britain.

Singer Olivia Newton-John attends the National Tree Day 10th Anniversary Launch at Sydney Park on July 07, 2005 in Sydney, Australia.

Mel Gibson and Olivia Newton-John

Singer Olivia Newton-John performs onstage at the Nokia Theater Times Square on October 11, 2005 in New York City.

Keith Urban and Olivia Newton-John during The 39th Annual CMA Awards – Capital Records Post Party – Red Carpet and Inside at Nikki Beach in New York City, New York, United States.

Singer/actress Olivia Newton-John attends the Opening Night Gala during the 35th Toronto International Film Festival at Metro Square on September 9, 2010 in Toronto, Canada.

Olivia Newton-John answers questions at SiriusXM’s Town Hall with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John hosted by Didi Conn at the SiriusXM studios on December 12, 2012 in New York City.

Olivia Newton-John (L) and daughter actress/singer Chloe Lattanzi attend ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 21 at CBS Televison City on October 19, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

Olivia Newton-John (L) and John Travolta attend the "Grease" 40th anniversary screening at Samuel Goldwyn Theater on August 15, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California.