My Worst Year
Compared to the agony of watching cancer claim her best friend's daughter, her business woes seem trivial
ΟLIVIA Newton-John has sneaked
home to Australia with her daughter Chloe, 5, for a family reunion - and to put the pain of the hardest year of her life behind her.
The singer has not only endured the collapse of her Koala Blue sports-fashion empire-and the subsequent bitterness of disgruntled franchisees, but worse, the death of her best friend's child from cancer.
As a tribute to five-year-old Colette Tudor who was also Chloe's closest friend - Olivia is helping the little girl's mother, Nancy, set up an environmental foundation to raise money for research into childhood cancer.
Colette's death has devastated the star. All in all, it has been a very difficult year, but you grow from these things,
Olivia, 42, told Woman's Day.
It's hard to say what I've been doing for the past 12 months not that much, really, because I wanted to be there for my friend Nancy, to give her any support I could.
Colette was a wonderful little girl. She fought cancer so hard. She appeared on the cover of my last album, Warm and Tender, with Chloe and me the one giving me a kiss. That was before she became ill.
It is the most terrible thing to watch a child suffer that way. Colette was so brave and strong.
Of Koala Blue's woes, Olivia can say nothing until the matter has been dealt with by the courts.
We're trying to sort out certain things, which I'm sure you know about,
she says with a wry laugh.
I can't go into it for legal reasons, but I'm bearing up pretty well. What's difficult is not being able to tell my side of the story. Right now is not the time.
Officially, the singer and environmental crusader is visiting Australia in her capacity as host of the Pepsi Celebrity Festival, which kicks off in Sydney this week.
But she couldn't resist the opportunity for a get-together with her parents and close friends first, and arrived secretly a short time ago.
I decided to sneak in!
she laughs. I haven't seen my father for about eight months, since he visited me in Los Angeles, or my mother since the beginning of the year. They're so excited about seeing Chloe again.
This is Olivia's first visit home
since she performed at the Newcastle Earthquake Relief Concert in early 1990.
Unfortunately, her husband, actor Matt Lattanzi, 32, is remaining in the US because of career commitments.
Olivia will lead a contingent of more than 30 American celebrities, who will join with local stars for the first annual Pepsi Celebrity Festival, to be staged in Sydney from September 19 to 25.
The action will then move to Auckland, New Zealand, until September 29.
The stars will participate in gala dinners, parties, free rock and jazz concerts tennis matches, golf tournaments, softball and volleyball matches and yachting regattas to which the public is invited and, in many cases, will be encouraged to join in.
It will be 11 days of non-stop partying!
enthuses organiser Bruce Portner, who has staged similar events for Pepsi - everywhere from Canada to Costa Rica over the past seven years.
Among those joining Olivia will be top model (and ex-love of rock star Rod Stewart) Kelly Emberg, LA Law star Michele Greene, Dynasty princess
Catherine Oxenberg (accompanied by her new baby daughter India), teen rock idols Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, Dallas beauties Audrey Landers and Charlene Tilton, actors Leslie Nielsen (Naked Gun 21/2), Drew Barrymore (ET). Tracy Nelson (The Father Dowling Mysteries, and Gunnar and Matthew's big sister), Ken Wahl (Wiseguy), Cotter Smith (Equal Justice) and Robert Patrick (Terminator 2).
From the music industry: Ray Parker jun (Ghostbusters), Stephen Stills (Crosby, Stills and Nash), Meat Loaf, Eddie Money, Vince Neil (Motley Crue), John McVie and Mick Fleetwood (from Fleetwood Mac), Rita Coolidge, Stephen Bishop and bands Snap, 2 In a Room and Hall and Oates.
Along with Kate Ceberano and Noiseworks, the local contingent will include Grace Knight, the Choir Boys and Beat Fish.
Amid the traumas of the past year, Olivia has been putting together a greatest hits
album, and is considering a return to films in the wake of the Grease revival.
She is delighted that a new generation has discovered her rock 'n' roll movie, in which she starred with John Travolta in the late '70s. I'd love to make movies again,
she says wistfully. I've got a new agent and we're talking about projects.
Olivia still hankers after Australia, but admits it's unlikely she will move back permanently.
There is so much going on in the States and my husband's career is there,
she says. Besides, Chloe is just about to start school.
Olivia says if she got the right offer she would leap at the chance to work in Australia but will be too busy on this visit to investigate possibilities.
I'm coming pretty much for the Pepsi Festival and to see my family,
she says. And, of course, when you're travelling with a child Chloe's age, you can't do very much else!
Story: Jennifer Gilbert
Photo captions: Above: Colette, wearing a wig to hide the effects of chemotherapy, with Olivia and Matt.
Right: Olivia, daughter Chloe and Colette on the album cover.
Editor's note - There does not appear to be any information of a Pepsi Celebrity Festival
touring Australia in 1991, perhaps it was cancelled (?)
