OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN An Exclusive Interview
by Kelly Oden
hether you know her as Sandy Olsson, the good girl gone (slightly) bad in the 1978 blockbuster musical Grease, as the Kira, the Greek muse on roller skates in the 1980 disco pop film Xanadu or as the head banded, legwarmer clad hot and sexy singer of the 1981 mega hit, “Physical,” one thing is for certain—you know Olivia Newton-John.
believer in the power of nature as a healing force. Originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, Newton-John has battled the disease through multiple recurrences. In part, she attributes her longevity in her journey with cancer to her use of plant-based medicine to fight the disease and to help curb the painful side effects of chemo, radiation and surgery.
In her career, Newton-John has earned the highest of honors, including a Country Music Association female vocalist of the year award, multiple Grammys, an Emmy and much more. In 2020, Queen Elizabeth II, appointed the Britishborn, Australia raised singer Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE), thus making her Dame Olivia Newton-John.
With these experiences in mind, Olivia NewtonJohn recently founded the Olivia Newton-John Foundation, which will fund cutting-edge research and treatment programs for plant-based medicine and its use in treating cancer.
An icon of popular music, culture and film, Newton-John is also a philanthropist and avid 26 COMING OF AGE FALL 2021
Dame Olivia Newton-John was kind enough to speak with Coming of Age about her life, her career, her foundation and her passion for plant and herbal medicine.