By Paul Freeman [2003 and 2006 interviews]

2006 INTERVIEW

Both as an artist and as a human being, Olivia Newton-John remains an inspiration. Life keeps throwing challenges at her, but she bravely shrugs them off, saying that everyone has problems. She manages to bounce back from setbacks, finding positive new paths.

In 1991, Newton-John co-founded the Children's Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC) after her then five-year-old daughter Chloe's best friend, Colette Chuda, died tragically of a rare form of childhood cancer.

Newton-John was declared bankrupt in 1991. Later that year, her father died of cancer. On the same day as his passing, Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer. She courageously battled the disease, beat it, and has been active in breast cancer research ever since. A state-of-the-art cancer center in Australia bears her name.

Women around the world have told her how much her efforts and her resilience have meant to them. "That makes me feel really good," Newton-John told PCC. "I remember when I was going through it, a woman approached me. I'd gone back to visit my mother in Australia right after I'd finished my treatments. I was in a ladies bathroom. This woman came up to me and said, 'Oh, dear, I just saw in the paper that you just went through breast cancer. I just wanted you to know that I went through it 20 years ago and I'm fine.'

"That one line meant so much to me, it's amazing. So, if I can pass that on to somebody else, it's kind of a beacon of hope."

Last fall, Newton-John released a new album, "Stronger Than Before," songs of hope, relating to the complex emotions cancer patients and their loved ones experience. A portion of the proceeds benefit cancer research.

Not long after the cancer battle, Newton-John endured a divorce from actor Matt Lattanzi. Then, last year, she suffered through the tabloid frenzy that erupted over the disappearance of long-time companion Patrick McDermott. He vanished following a California fishing trip.

Through all the trials and tribulations, Newton-John has proven her mettle as a survivor. "I'm an Aussie battler," she told PCC. "I got that from my mum. She's a very strong person who's gone through a lot. Her father was a Jewish scientist [Max Born] in Germany during the war. They had to leave Germany. He won the Nobel Prize for physics. But she had to leave her homeland and go somewhere new. I come from strong stock."

In 1964, as a teen, Newton-John won a talent contest, singing the Burt Bacharach/Hal David song "Anyone Who Had a Heart." Soon she was appearing on a local Australian daytime TV show and a weekly pop music program.

She became huge in England, then conquered the United States in 1973 with the "Let Me Be There" album. She won the Grammy for Best Country Artist. A long string of pop hits followed, including "I Honestly Love You," "Don't Stop Believin'" "A Little More Love," "Have You Never Been Mellow," "Please Mr. Please" and "Physical."

Film stardom resulted from her starring role opposite John Travolta in "Grease." The movie yielded the hits "Hopelessly Devoted," "You're The One That I Want" and "Summer Nights." The big screen musical "Xanadu," which teamed Newton-John with Gene Kelly, brought more smashes -- the title tune and "Magic."

Newton-John's daughter Chloe Lattanzi, now 20, has embarked on a singing career of her own. "She's on her way," Newton-John said. "She's writing songs. She has a great voice and her own style. She's a little more rock and blues. I really enjoy what she's doing. She's making her own choices. If she asks me, I'll give her an opinion, otherwise, I'll leave it to her."

She has no trepidations about her daughter entering a life in show business. "It's been been a wonderful life for me," Newton-John said. "I try to surround her with people who'll take care of her, because I was very fortunate to have people who took care of me. And it's something she's known her whole life. I do tell her what to look out for... and she's a pretty smart girl. She's pretty savvy. She knows about press. She understands. She's come out on tour with me, got a little taste of it, with me watching over her."

Singing continues to provide Newton-John with a therapeutic form of self-expression. She said she actually enjoys touring now more than she did earlier in her career.

"I'm not as nervous as I used to be. There's less pressure on me now, because I don't have anything to prove. It's not like going out with your first record and no one knows you are and you're having to establish yourself. When you're younger, everything's a little more scary anyway. Now I can have fun."

Newton-John will soon be releasing "Grace and Gratitude," a relaxation CD to promote spiritual balance, as well as physical and emotional healing. It will mark the launch of Newton-John's signature line of body, heart and spirit wellness products for women. Her healing spirit also led to the opening of the GAIA Retreat & Spa in Australia's Byron Bay.

Newton-John continues to savor every moment. "I'm open to the universe. I'll think, 'Oh, I've done it all' and then another door opens that's really fascinating to me. I love adventure. I love new things. I love challenges. I find life so interesting and I always want to know more. I realize, as I get older, how little I know. You think you know everything when you're young and then you realize you don't know anything.

"I take it day by day. That's all we can do. Life is just that. We don't know what's next. For me, it's all just icing on the cake now."

2003 INTERVIEW

Olivia Newton-John certainly stands as one of our most successful solo artists. That heavenly voice is instantly recognizable. But she enjoys collaboration, as well.

In 2002, Newton-John decided to make a duets album titled "(2)." The album is dedicated to her mother. "She was very touched by that," Newton-John said.

On the Australia-focused album, her exquisite vocals were entwined with the voices of Keith Urban, Darren Hayes (Savage Garden), Billy Thorpe, David Campbell, Tina Arena, Jimmy Little (aboriginal artiste) Richard Marx, Human Nature, Michael McDonald and, thanks to archival recordings, Johnny O'Keefe and Peter Allen.

She said it was a labour of love. "I had a lovely time. They're all friends of mine. And it was terrific. I'd been wanting to do an album like that for a long time. I managed to find a window of opportunity, when a number of my friends would be available to record. That was the hard thing," she said, laughing, "to get everyone in place. I couldn't get everybody that I wanted, but I got a large amount of them."

Newton-John co-wrote the song "Act of Faith" with McDonald. "I enjoyed that. We'd actually written that about three years before. So when it came time to do the album, I was able to ask him to do it with me. So that was great."

Being able to duet with the late Allen on his "Tenterfield Saddler" was a special moment for Newton-John. "It was an incredible experience, because Peter was a friend and wrote 'I Honestly Love You' for me, which has been a very important song in my life. And I've always loved 'Tenterfield Saddler' and, because this album is Australian-based, I wanted to sing it.

"And I thought, 'Who should I do 'Tenterfield Saddler' with?' And suddenly, I had this flash -- 'Why couldn't I do it with Peter? If I could get permission, that would be a cool thing to do.' So we got in touch with his estate and we got permission to do it. And that was really a thrill. And I think my producer, Charles Fisher did a really good job, because he managed to get my track and blend us together so it sounded like we did it at one time. It was a very emotional thing for me.

"And on stage, I sing with him on a tape. And it was just a fluke -- I did a TV show in Australia to promote this album and the man who was producing the show had worked with Peter Allen many, many years ago and remembered him singing the song live on television. So he went through all his files and all the old stuff and found one tape of him singing it live. And it matches up with the record. So I can sing with him on stage, which is pretty exciting."

She was looking forward to experiencing the soon-to-open Broadway musical based on Allen's life -- "The Boy From Oz," starring Hugh Jackman. "I absolutely want to see it. I'm sure Hugh will do a wonderful job. The guy who did it in Australia, Todd McKenney, was wonderful, too. But I'm sure this version will be great."

The album allowed her to reconnect with her Australian roots. "I love Australia. I'd just spent a long period of time there and wanted to work with some Australian artists, because I hadn't had an opportunity to do so. The album did really, really well there and I think we're releasing it in the States and England with maybe a couple other vocal artists on it. We've recorded a track with Cliff Richard for the U.K." [A Japanese edition included a duet with Richard on "Let It Be Me," in place of "Physical"].

On "(2)," Newton-John includes a bossa nova version of "Physical" as a bonus track. "That was my band. I asked them to come up with a new style, because I didn't feel like bopping around," she said with a laugh. "So they came up with that."

The "(2)" album presented delightfully diverse tracks. "I just wanted to pick songs that I thought would work for the different people. So that meant a change of styles, which made it interesting, I thought."

I mentioned to her that she has always had gift for selecting material, as well interpreting it. "Oh, thank you. That's a wonderful compliment," she said. "Early on, when I first started, I can't really claim credit for that at all. That was my management and my producers. I mean, I was involved in it, but I probably would have chosen different songs.

"But I think, as I've gone on, I discovered own style and what I think suits my voice best. I've been very involved in what I sing."

She has enjoyed singing with symphony orchestras. "It's really a lovely experience. It gives the songs a whole new, fresh approach. You get a whole new sound. Kind of a grown-up approach," she said laughing.

Newton-John relishes connecting with audiences. "I enjoy touring now much more than I used to. I can be more relaxed on stage than I was when I was starting out."

She does a great deal of humanitarian work. At the time of the interview, she was establishing a line of wines and other products under the name Koala Blue. And there was talk of doing "Grease 3."

"My career has always been important to me, because it was my job. It's the only thing I could do, sing and dance." she laughed. "And I've enjoyed it. But now I can take a lot more time off. And I don't know how much longer I'll do the performing. I'm not sure I'll be doing it much longer. But at the moment, I enjoy it. And I take it day by day. And that's the way life is -- you don't know what's next."

Newton-John has juggled many elements of her very full life. "It's amazing, when I think about all the different things. Somehow I do. And somehow it all kind of flows together. And it's interesting. It makes me interesting. I find life so interesting... and I always want to know more."

For the latest on this artist, visit www.olivianewton-john.com.