Olivia in the Netherlands - Weekend

Translation from Dutch:

The Star Who Remained Herself

It's quite nerve-racking to wait in a press room for the star, especially when that same star was a colleague in a different place under different circumstances.

So much has happened since then. In the sixties, Olivia Newton John and I were television colleagues in Melbourne, Australia, and everyone who worked at T.V. in Melbourne belonged to one big happy family. Olivia was always sweet, uncomplicated, but above all, very natural, and she always behaved normally.

After winning a talent competition, Olivia went to England and her career took off. She made one hit after another and became known and loved far beyond our borders.

Her hometown. It wasn't hard to keep up with her throughout the years. After the huge success of the film GREASE, she performed an extensive series of concerts throughout Europe. Amsterdam was one of the cities where she stayed, and as a result, she was a regular guest.

As WEEKEND's representative, I attended her press conference. It was a pleasant reunion for both of us. Olivia had remained the same uncomplicated girl I'd known so well as a teenager.

Never alone

Now, three years later, Olivia Newton John's star still shines brightly. Her popularity has soared to astronomical heights worldwide. She is immensely admired, not only as a singer but also as an actress with a unique sense of humour and a special charm.

She is wealthy, beautiful, talented, and kind: all factors that lead to success. But success also means a lot of money, and a lot of money means interference from many people. Olivia is no longer alone. She is surrounded by producers, managers, and all sorts of casual collaborators who protect her. I thought about all this while I waited for her.

During rehearsals for the big AVRO GALA NIGHT, which would be broadcast live that same evening from the AHOY hall in Rotterdam. Would it all be the same again? Would 'Livvy' still recognize me?

And would I even get a chance to say Hello, let alone have a conversation with her?

Suddenly she was there, and before I knew what was happening, Olivia was standing next to me. Hi Honnie! It's so good to see you again! Come to my dressing room, we can catch up. It's way too crowded in here.

From that moment on, I knew that Olivia Newton John would never change, no matter how big her triumphs might be: Olivia will always be Olivia.

Like two enthusiastic schoolgirls, we chatted in her dressing room about the past, about old friends, and of course, how our personal lives were going now.

Happy

I'm truly happy now, Olivia told me. Back in Melbourne, I never dreamed that any of this would be possible. And believe me, I never consciously sought it; it happened.

It all happened naturally. One thing led to another and I owe a lot to wise people around me who gave me good advice. Take John Farrar for example, my producer, lyricist and composer from the beginning. Do you know that Patti and he just had a baby? They live back in Australia now.

'Patti' Carroll, one of Olivia's best friends, was also a famous singer in Australia at the time. Together with Patti, she had the first big break.

They moved to England. There, they formed a singing duo and performed frequently on English television and in theater shows. Unfortunately, Patti couldn't renew her work permit and returned to Australia.

By then, both girls had fallen in love with members of the group, THE SHADOWS — Patti with John Farrar and Olivia with Bruce Welch. Olivia stayed in England, but her romance with Bruce fizzled out. Patti eventually married John, and the three of them remained good friends and working partners.

About love

How is your romantic life these days, 'Livvy'? Of course, we hear things now and then, but I'm sure a lot of the stories aren't always true.

Yes, that's true. I would much rather have the chance to tell people what really happened, but as an artist, you don't have control over that. So often, things are written about something that's not true at all. They keep linking me to the most unlikely men, but in reality, I've been living with MATT LATTANZI for two years now in my house in Malibu Beach, California. We met during the filming of the movie XANADU where Matt was one of the dancers. He's not that well known yet, but that won't last long because he is starring in a new film coming out next year.

Young Boyfriend

Proud and clearly in love, Olivia showed me pictures of her handsome American/Italian boyfriend. He's ten years younger than me, but we don't have a problem with that. We both keep ourselves in good shape. My house in Malibu is actually a small farm. We have some animals and of course our horses. When we're home, we ride them every day. We also love swimming and tennis. We have a wonderful life, Honnie!

Despite all the gossip about her romantic life, Olivia has only had four real boyfriends: Ian Turpie, an Australian singer with whom she used to host her own Teenage TV show, Bruce Welch, Lee Kramer, her personal manager for many years and now Matt Lattanzi.

Olivia is definitely not a party flirt. On the contrary, she's a homebody and prefers to spend her free time with her animals and good friends.

For the past two years, she's actually done this exclusively because she hasn't made a single film or new album, until a few months ago, when she started working intensively on her new LP, PHYSICAL.

I really enjoyed that downtime, because to tell you the truth, Honnie, I'm always nervous before a show starts, and tonight will be my first 'live' performance in almost three years!

Her performance that evening was a huge success.

Birthday party

After the show, the AVRO held a party for her. It was September 25th. Her thirty-third birthday! Amidst hundreds of guests in the dance hall of the Hilton Hotel in Rotterdam, she received a fantastic birthday cake. Everyone sang HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLIVIA, and she loved it.

But when we finally sat down in a quiet corner with a small group to enjoy the cake and raise a glass of champagne to Olivia and the Australian company, photographers and autograph hunters made it impossible for her. Fleur, her personal secretary, and Roger Davies, her new manager (both from Melbourne), tried in vain to intervene.

We're leaving here, Fleur said. Olivia was clearly used to such situations, because she automatically stood up, and with Fleur and Roger on either side, and she left.

Later, in her room, I asked if this sort of thing didn't make her very angry.

It's all part of it. People don't mean it, but in their excitement, they simply don't realize they're stopping you from eating a piece of your own birthday cake. I really don't blame them. Absolutely not. Oh, these things happen so often.

Roger called room service to get some food back in the room. Olivia is starving. She was too nervous to eat before the show, but now the tension is over. Maybe there's some cake left?

The intimate party in Olivia Newton John's room continued late into the night. It wasn't a real party, but more of a cozy get-together with old Australian friends.

Innovation

Before I left, I asked Olivia if there was anything special she'd like to do in the future. Just things for myself, really. I'd love to make another film, but something completely different from Grease and Xanadu. I'm very happy with what I've done so far.

I've been able to achieve and all the things that are still happening now, I consider a kind of bonus, it's for my own enjoyment now. I'm still trying to improve myself and I'm also experimenting more with different music styles now than before. I've found a certain peace that allows me to be creative, without too much pressure and tension behind it. This way I notice that I can enjoy my work even more.

'How do your fans like your new haircut by Armando?' (Armando 'Cosmo' Cosio is Olivia's personal hairdresser and always travels with her on tour).

'I don't really know, but I like it myself and that's the most important thing. Such a change is refreshing for me.

Olivia smiled that beautiful smile of hers. She's a fantastic person, and STAR or not STAR, a great friend.

Photo captions: Honnie introduced Timi Yuro to Olivia. From left to right: Armando (Olivia's hairstylist). Olivia, Timi, Fleur (Olivia's secretary), and Honnie.
Superstar Olivia Newton John received a large piece of cake on her birthday, which she celebrated in our country
Honnie meets Roger Davies, Olivia's personal manager. Both are from Melbourne, Australia, where they already knew each other.
Happy with her birthday cake — but after one bite, Olivia was forced to leave it behind. Photographers and autograph hunters made it impossible for her to fully enjoy it.
Olivia is committed to the conservation of dolphins

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