Born 78 Years Ago Today in England, the Pop Icon and ‘Grease’ Star With the Highest-Ranking Single of the 1980s

On this day (September 26) in 1948, Olivia Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England. While most likely recognize her from her role as girl-next-door Sandy Olsson in the 1978 musical film Grease, she also ranks among the best-selling artists of all time with more than 100 million records sold. Her signature hits include 1974’s “I Honestly Love You” and 1981’s “Physical” — the highest-ranking Hot 100 single of the decade.

On August 8, 2022, Olivia Newton-John died at her Santa Ynez, California home at age 73 after a three-decade recurring battle with breast cancer. Today, we’re honoring her legacy on what would have been her 78th birthday.

About Olivia Newton-John

The youngest child of a university professor and granddaughter of a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Olivia Newton-John moved to Melbourne, Australia with her family at age five.

At age 14, she and three classmates formed an all-girl group called Sol Four. After the group disbanded, Newton-John entered an Australian TV talent contest. She won the grand prize — a trip to London, England.

Back in her birth country, Newton-John formed the duo Pat and Olivia with fellow Australian singer Pat Carroll, who had also moved to London. Together, they toured army bases and clubs throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.

Unfortunately, Carroll’s visa expired, forcing her to return to Australia. However, Newton-John pushed forward on her own. Her first single for Uni Records, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “If Not for You,” reached the UK top 10 in the spring of 1971.

It was also an unexpected hit in the United States, reaching the top of the adult contemporary charts and peaking at number 25 on the pop charts.

Making a Splash Across the Pond

After two years of success in the UK, Olivia Newton-John finally broke through to U.S. audience with the country-influenced single “Let Me Be There”, the title track to her third studio album.

The song peaked at number six on the Billboard pop chart and number seven on the country chart. It also won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocalist.

Newton-John’s American success continued with “If You Love Me (Let Me Know)”; “I Honestly Love You”; “Have You Never Been Mellow”; and “Please Mr. Please”. All of those songs peaked in the top 10 of both the country and pop charts.

How She Eventually Won Over Country Music

Despite scoring three number-one country albums throughout her five-decade career, Nashville didn’t immediately embrace Olivia Newton-John — far from it.

After she took home Female Vocalist of the Year honors from the Country Music Association in 1974, several performers formed the short-lived Association of Country Entertainers in protest of what they saw as a foreign pop star invading their territory.

Eventually, however, other country artists began embracing Newton-John. That included Stella Parton — younger sister of Dolly — who released “Ode to Olivia” in 1975.

[RELATED: The Story Behind the One Song Olivia Newton-John Wrote With Keith Urban]

They don’t treat us this way / When we sing in your country, Stella sang. Who said a country girl / Had to be from Tennessee.

Featured image by Ron Eisenberg/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images