Be nice and shut up
Translation:
Olivia Newton-John was 15 when she began her long journey to fame in Australia. Only now, eight years later, has she reached her goal.
Sacha Distel thinks she’s divine, Cliff Richard takes her dancing. She no longer counts the number of men who are in love with her.
It wasn’t always this way.
It all began when she sang George Harrison’s song “What is Life.” The song became a huge hit.
She is 1.33 meters tall and slim, has wonderfully soft, dark blonde hair and a gentle, straight voice. She prefers to wear jeans. Very tight.
She speaks German quite well. Her mother comes from Pyrmont in Lower Saxony. The beautiful Livvy — as her friends call her — has come a long way.
It began on the other side of the world, in Australia.
Olivia was just 15 when she won a pop music competition in Sydney. The prize was a trip to England.
After her return, she played small roles on television for two years. But that wasn’t enough for her.
At 17, she travelled to England with two small suitcases.
For a year, she pursued her dream of a big career, but no one was interested in the young, lanky girl.
With a friend, she toured English suburban cabarets as Pat & Olivia. It was a difficult time.
The managers they treated her according to the motto: Be beautiful and keep your mouth shut — you look better than you sing. Neither of them had any interest in her, albeit still unpolished, expressive voice.
Then came Messrs. Saltzman and Kirchner. One produced Bond films, the other Monkees records. With the group they invented, Toomorrow, and with Olivia as lead singer, they wanted to create a super TV series in England a la Monkees. But the show didn’t take off.
When the project fell through at the end of 1970, Peter Gormley came along with his good nose (he discovered and managed Cliff Richard) and snatched up the unemployed beauty. He produced the records “If Not For You,” “Love Song,” “Love Without You,” and “What Is Life” with her.
And suddenly Olivia was competing with the rockers in the charts with love songs.
Olivia Newton-John is 23 (birthday: September 26), single, loves touring, always in good voice, and always in the mood. She still has a lot to achieve.
For example, she made a bet with Sacha Distel that their 10-week engagement at London’s Prince of Wales Theatre would be sold out. Let’s see if Olivia is right.
By Jorg Flemming