A conversation with entertainer Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John was one of the biggest recording stars of the ’70s and ’80s. She also starred in the most successful musical film of all time, “Grease,” which was released in 1978.
In the mid ’80s, however, the entertainer faded from public view in order to raise her daughter, Chloe, 4.
Last year, Newton-John released her 17th album, “Warm and Tender,” but the record failed to sell the millions her albums had in the past. In the meantime, Newton-John, who is now 43, earned solid credentials as a dedicated environmentalist, most recently supporting the California initiative Big Green, which was defeated.
Born in England, Newton-John moved to Australia with her family when she was 5. Her father, a one-time opera singer, taught German at a college in Melbourne. In fact, she hails from an intellectual family. Her grandfather was Nobel Prize-winning physicist Max Born.
In the ’60s, Newton-John moved to London and began her recording career, which produced her first hit single, “If Not For You,” in 1971. Two years later, her first album, “Let Me Be There,” led the Country Music Association to name her top female vocalist of 1973. The following year, her No. 1 hit single “I Honestly Love You” won two Grammys.
Newton-John lives on the beach at Malibu with her husband of six years, actor Matt Lattanzi.
On Dec. 17, the actress stars in the NBC-TV movie “A Mom For Christmas.”
Q: How did you get Involved in environmental issues?
A: Having a child made me aware of the future she’d inherit. I didn’t want Chloe to inherit a world where just breathing the air could kill you!
Q: Were you shocked that Californians voted down Proposition 128, the environmental initiative that you supported?
A: Shocked and disappointed. I mean, who votes FOR pesticides and pollution? But that’s what Californians did when they voted against the Big Green initiative on the ballot. I was very disappointed, but I’m not giving up. I think people are frightened because of the economy, and they thought Prop 128 would cost too much. But how can you put a price on your children’s lungs?
Q: As a staunch environmentalist, were you embarrassed when your neighbors alleged that renovation of your Malibu home was damaging the beach?
A: I don’t want to give that thing the time of day. The next-door neighbors thought they could get some cheap publicity out of me because I’m in the public eye. The whole thing is going to fade away, and that’s all I’m going to say about it.
Q: You’re an established singer - what new singers do you enjoy?
A: Maria Carey has a fantastic voice. And I love Michael Bolton. There are many fabulous new singers, but those two really impress me.
Q: What happened to your 1989 album, “Warm and Tender”?
A: It wasn’t a big hit, but it found a market. It was a really nice, soothing album for parents who just want to put their kids to sleep or listen to some romantic music.
Q: Why haven’t you made a movie since 1983?
A: I’ve been concentrating on being a mother. Now that my daughter is in preschool, I have more time for my career. I’d like to do another feature, but good scripts for women are few and far between…….
Q: Your father taught German. Did you learn to speak the language at home?
A: No, but my mother spoke it because she is German. When my parents didn’t want us to hear them, they’d speak in German. It’s a shame they never taught us to speak the language.
Q: You moved to London from Australia at the height of the swinging ’60s, when the city was the pop culture capital of the world. What was that like?
A: I was very young. It was an exciting time. Everybody was running around in miniskirts and high boots. Carnaby Street was THE place to be. I shared an apartment with three other girls in an area of London called Shepherd’s Bush. The whole experience would make a great musical!
Q: How is your husband’s acting career coming along?
A: He did a few movies in the past year, and he’s looking for more. At this point in time, he’s more career-oriented than I am. But both of us are people whose family comes first. He shares the responsibility of raising our daughter equally. When I’m working, he takes care of her, and when he’s working, I do.
Q: Does your daughter like to sing?
A: She says she wants to be an actress, but she also wants to be a circus girl and a nurse so she can give people shots. She loves to sing - all the time. I don’t know yet if she has a good voice. Yesterday she asked me what rhymes with orange. I said the closest thing is porridge. I love to sing lullabies when I put her to bed.
By Frank Sanello, 1990 Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
More from A Mom For Christmas movie.