British Singer Olivia Newton-John likes country sounds - Courier Journal Louisville

British Singer Olivia Newton-John likes country sounds

By Leah Larkin

Olivia Newton-John may be celebrated as a singer of both country and pop music. But as the 25-year old, British-born star perches on the end of a hotel room bed, barefoot, legs tucked under Indian-fashion, locks of brownish blonde hair trailing out from under a denim cap, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, it seems as if she’d be more at home in a college dorm than on stage behind a microphone. There’s even a childlike quality about her when she talks. Her wispy voice matches her thin, fragile figure. Her blue-grey eyes open wide as she answers questions. Frequently she casts a quizzical glance at visitors.

“Appalachia? I’ve never heard of it,” she says innocently in answer to a question about country music. And then she tells you that she doesn’t think of herself as a country singer. “I sing easy listening, middle of the road music. I sing new songs, old songs and country songs.” But it’s with country music that she’s won acclaim in this country. “Let Me Be There” earned her a Grammy award in the “best country female vocal performance” category this year.

Miss Newton-John admits that people in this country do tend to think of her as a country singer, even though she’s as different from the Nashville, beehive, bouffant skirt, raspy voiced, country type singer as Julie Andrews. “They all seem pleased about it. They think of me as the new look country singer,” she explains.

Olivia Newton-John was born in England. When she was 5, her family moved to Australia where her father was master of a college. Even as a child she liked to sing. When she was a teenager, she and three friends started a singing group. Later she entered a singing contest and won a trip to London. She stayed on and sang with another Australian girl as a duo. Her partner left, and since 1971 Miss Newton-John has been singing on her own.

“I started out as a folk singer,” she says, singing gentle, folksy things. But no one else was singing that sort of music (country). It suited me. I just sort of fell into it. I had a hit record with ‘Country Roads’ in England.”

Today, however, her country-type songs aren’t as popular in Europe as they are here. “In England, I did ‘Let Me Be There.’ It did nothing. Then I did ‘If You Love Me.’ Nothing.” But a song called “Long Live Love” has become a big hit in England, she said, although it hasn’t even been released in this country. To satisfy the different tastes of the different markets, she records certain albums for U.S. audiences and others for release in Europe.

Olivia Newton-John has been on tour in the U.S. for the past several months. She’s recorded TV specials, performed in Las Vegas, done concerts. Now she’s doing state fairs. She performed at the Kentucky State Fair last night. Tonight she’ll be in Memphis.

Then she has two days off. She hopes to visit Nashville. “I’d like to go there and meet all the disc jockeys who have played my records,” she says. “Nashville has been fantastic to me. They gave me an award. They play my records. I’d like to get there and thank them.” Country music appeals to Miss Newton- John because the “melodies are pretty, the songs are nice to sing, the words are great.” She resents those who accuse her of putting on a Nashville accent. “I don’t put on an American accent or a Nashville accent. When people sing, they pronounce words in a different way,” she says.

This is the second U.S. tour for Olivia Newton-John who lives in London. She has nothing except praise for this country. “I like the facilities here. Every hotel room has a fridge and a color TV. There’s everything you could ever want in a hotel. There are great airports.”

According to Niss Newton-John’s manager, one thing about the hotels she does not like is air conditioning. He said it bothers her throat. She always turns it off. Even in Louisville when it’s near 90 and humid.

Miss Newton-John regrets that she can’t spend more time in the places she visits. “That’s the terrible thing about touring. I’ve been all around America and seen nothing.” While she talks, the singer’s ring-covered fingers fiddle with a heart-shaped pendant draped around her neck. “Charlie Rich gave it to me,” she says. They performed together for two weeks in Las Vegas. It was a birthday present with her birthstone an opal, in the center of the heart.

Why does she have two last names? She laughs and then matter-of- factly says, “That’s my name. Those were the names of my grandfather and grandmother or great-grandfather and great-grandmother. I can’t remember. But they go back a few generations.”

If she had time, Olivia Newton-John said she’d like to play tennis and ride horses. After her performance last night she hoped to find time to go to the rodeo at the fair. “I went to one before and I loved it. And I want to see ‘Roy Rogers,” she said. But most of all, it’s singing she loves. “I love music. You can express yourself. It’s nice to be able to sing a song, then to sing again and do better, then to do something different. I just love it. I’ve always loved it.”