While her screen appearances were relatively few — most notably Grease and Xanadu — her impact was broad and deep, with her music providing the soundtrack for generations of TV series and movies, most recently Stranger Things, Despicable Me 3, Pretty Little Liars and Ru Paul’s Drag Race.
The multi-hyphenate also appeared on a number of big reality competitions, often as a guest host, including American Idol, Eurovision and Dancing With the Stars.
Scroll down for a selection of photos and videos from her life and work and click here for a roundup of reactions to her passing.
Olivia Newton-John performs ‘Long Live Love’ at the Eurovision Song Contest at the Dome, Brighton in 1974. - Credit: Frank Barrett/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Frank Barrett/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Olivia Newton-John, and John Travolta in ‘Grease,’ 1978 - Credit: Everett Collection
Everett Collection
John Travolta And Olivia Newton John – “You’re The One That I Want”
‘TOP OF THE POPS’ in 1978 - Credit: Ron Howard/Redferns
Ron Howard/Redferns
Olivia Newton-John performs at THE 50TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS in 1979. - Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
XANADU, from left: Olivia Newton-John, Michael Beck, 1980. - Credit: Universal/courtesy Everett Collection
Universal/courtesy Everett Collection
“Xanadu” (Live 1982)
LET’S GET PHYSICAL, Olivia Newton-John in 1982 - Credit: ABC/Courtesy: Everett Collection
ABC/Courtesy: Everett Collection
“Physical”
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John star in the film ‘Two of a Kind’ in New York, 1983. - Credit: Juergen Vollmer/Popperfoto/Getty Images
Juergen Vollmer/Popperfoto/Getty Images
John Travolta kisses Olivia Newton-John in a scene from the film ‘Two Of A Kind’, 1983. - Credit: 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images
20th Century-Fox/Getty Images
“Hopelessly Devoted To You”
‘A MOM FOR CHRISTMAS,’ Olivia Newton-John, 1990 - Credit: NBC/courtesy Everett Collection
NBC/courtesy Everett Collection
‘A CHRISTMAS ROMANCE,’ Olivia Newton-John, 1994 - Credit: Jaffe/Braunstein Films / Courtesy: Everett Collection
Jaffe/Braunstein Films / Courtesy: Everett Collection
‘IT’S MY PARTY’, Olivia Newton-John, Bronson Pinchot, 1996 - Credit: United Artists/courtesy Everett Collection
United Artists/courtesy Everett Collection
On ‘Murphy Brown’
‘A FEW BEST MEN,’ from left: Laura Brent, Olivia Newton-John, Rebel Wilson, 2011. - Credit: Icon Film Distribution/Courtesy Everett Collection
Icon Film Distribution/Courtesy Everett Collection
‘AMERICAN IDOL 6,’ host Ryan Seacrest, judges Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell, Olivia Newton-John, Paula Abdul in 2007 - Credit: Michael Becker/20th Century Fox Film Corp./Courtesy: Everett Collection
Michael Becker/20th Century Fox Film Corp./Courtesy: Everett Collection
‘SCORE: A HOCKEY MUSICAL,’ Olivia Newton-John, 2010. - Credit: Ken Woroner/Mongrel Media/Courtesy Everett Collection
Ken Woroner/Mongrel Media/Courtesy Everett Collection
“Dancing with the Stars.” Special guest Olivia Newton-John joined the judges’ desk - Credit: Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Olivia Newton-John and dancer/TV personality Julianne Hough during ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 21 at CBS Television City in 2015. - Credit: GI
GI
Olivia Newton-John and daughter Chloe Rose Lattanzi attend the premiere of Syfy’s “Dead 7” at Harmony Gold in 2016 - Credit: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic
Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic
Olivia Newton-John and Marie Osmond arrive at Nevada Ballet Theater’s 32nd Annual Black & White Ball in 2016 - Credit: Denise Truscello/WireImage
Denise Truscello/WireImage
Hayley Orrantia, Olivia Newton-John and Wendi McLendon-Covey speak onstage during the 50th annual CMA Awards in 2016. - Credit: Erika Goldring/FilmMagic
Erika Goldring/FilmMagic
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – AUGUST 15: Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta attend The Academy Presents ‘Grease’ 40th Anniversary at Samuel Goldwyn Theater in 2018 - Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Olivia Newton-John and husband John Easterling during the annual Wellness Walk and Research Run in 2018 to benefit cancer research - Credit: Naomi Rahim/WireImage
Naomi Rahim/WireImage
‘THE VERY EXCELLENT MR. DUNDEE,’ Olivia Newton-John, 2020. - Credit: Lionsgate /Courtesy Everett Collection
The family of O.J. Simpson announced last week the former football star died on April 10 “surrounded by his children and grandchildren.” But according to Simpson’s longtime lawyer Malcolm LaVergne, the 76-year-old father of four was a sole visitor away from dying alone. LaVergne declined to tell The Associated Press who was at Simpson’s bedside when the acquitted double-murder defendant ...
Newshub YouTubeA man in New Zealand went looking for his elderly parents on Thursday morning after becoming concerned that he had not heard from them for days, reports say. At their rural rented property in Waitākere, West Auckland, he found a ram in a paddock alongside the lifeless bodies of his parents.The unnamed couple in their early 80s are believed to have both been killed by the sheep, according to The New Zealand Herald. Authorities believe the man had gone out to feed the ram and never
Jabin Botsford/ReutersDespite the troubles plaguing Donald Trump’s first criminal trial in New York City, the process reached a milestone Thursday afternoon when the judge filled all 12 seats of the jury that will determine his fate.But the slog is far from over, as prosecutors and defense lawyers must now screen dozens of other jurors to pick the half-dozen New Yorkers who will serve as alternates during the next month or two—and might not even make it into the deliberation room.The new additio
Fox NewsSen. James Lankford (R-OK), the GOP co-architect of the Senate’s failed immigration bill earlier this year, made what were perhaps his most critical comments yet on Donald Trump’s role in scuttling the legislation, alluding to Fox News Thursday that the former president was motivated by his political self-interest.On Your World, Lankford was confronted by anchor Neil Cavuto about the players behind the bill’s demise.“You are a real gentleman about this, and I know you’re not trying to zi
Kanye West is being investigated for battery after allegedly punching a man who his representatives claim "battered and sexually assaulted" his wife, Bianca Censori.
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel was mere moments away from an airstrike on April 1 that killed several senior Iranian commanders at Iran’s embassy complex in Syria when it told the United States what was about to happen. Israel’s closest ally had just been caught off guard. Aides quickly alerted Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser; Jon Finer, the deputy national security adviser; Brett McGurk, Biden’s Middle East coordinator; and others, who saw that the strike could have se
