25 years and 40 hits later, beloved artist issues healing CD
Olivia Newton-John 25 years and 40 hits later beloved artist issues “healing CD”
By Erica Farber
Since coming to the United States in 1971 from her native Australia, Olivia Newton-John has been a continual favorite with CHR/top 40, AC and country audiences. With more than 40 hit songs to her name, her last project “Grace and Gratitude” is certainly more personal. Newton-John a long term breast cancer survivor, believes strongly in the healing power of music and hopes that her latest project inspires healing in others.
Beginning your career “I started in Australia when I was 15. I would go to my brother in law’s coffee lounge with my sister on the weekends. I started humming along with a folk singer there and he invited me up on stage. Before I knew it I’d go into the coffee lounge and sing with him. Then my sister introduced me to a singer that played guitar and we started going out.” “On Saturday mornings they had this live, mini American Idol like talent contest where you could just show up. I went on and my boyfriend played guitar. I sang “Summertime” and you either got the hook or you got one, two or three gongs. I got three gongs and one of the judges called my mother wanting to manage me and that started everything.” “My sister then entered me into a national talent contest and I won the whole thing. The prize was a trip to England and some money. I had another year at school but was offered a permanent job on a television show. i took the trip to London and joined up with Pat Carroll, a fellow Australian singer who came to England and we were a double act.”
Your latest recording “My new company is called Olivia and the Olivia brand is only available through Walgreens at the moment. For breast cancer month Walgreens partnered with me to produce “Body, Heart and Spirit.” The heart of the program is the CD, the body part is the breast self-examination kit and supplement, and the spirit of it is we are giving a percentage of everything to City of Hope, a comprehensive cancer center in California, and to Why Me, an organisation whose mission is no woman should go through breast cancer alone.”
Describe “Grace and Gratitude “It’s a healing CD, I really wrote it for me because when I go through many things music is my outlet and I’m hoping it will help other people too. It’s a very mellow, new style of music for me. It’s very simplified, bare and back to my roots.” “We decided to base it on the chakras or energy centers of your body that hold what they call the sacred truths, all the things we relate to. It’s relationship to self, relationship to family, relationship to others and relationship to your spiritual life. Each song is from those perspectives that we all can relate to.”
Your message for women “Do a breast self exam every month. Eat properly and try to stay healthy. Take care of yourself, be kind to yourself. Women always put everybody else before themselves. You;ve got to take care of yourself so you can take care of other people.”
What can men do to support women in their lives that have breast cancer “Just reassure them that they are not just their breasts. Our society is very superficial and we’re so hung up on the body shape and how we look and a lot of women are freaked out about losing a part of them but that’s not who they are. That;s just a physical part of who they are. It’s not their spirit, so let women know how much they are loved and that they are loved for them and not for that.”
State of the music industry “It’s very challenging for young artists. My daughter is a singer/songwriter and she’s going to be releasing an album in a year, so I see that. In the old days they used to try and develop a career. Now you’ve got to be ready to go out of the box, and if you’re not. they let you go. There are fewer outlets for sales and airplay.” “I was on a panel (at the recent Hollywood Reporter/Billboard Film & TV Music conference) and was glad to hear that some of the record companies are now willing to give people a longer chance at maturing. The artists that are going to succeed are the ones that hang in there - they don’t want to be famous but want to be artists, and I think that’s the difference.”
Thoughts on radio today “It’s so diversified. There’s so many stations at least I can avoid the music I don’t want to hear. That’s good but sometimes I like to listen to a station that plays a little bit of everything.”
Career highlights “In my lifetime it has to be having my daughter. That’s my most shining moment and the most important thing I’ve ever done. In my career the highlights would be “Grease” and singing at the 2010 Olympics in Australia.”
Career disappointment “I’ve had disappointments but I think they are part of your curve that you have to have in order to learn and you have to have those in order to go up again. Life goes in cycles and you have to have the disappointments to learn, to pick yourself up and look at and start again. I don’t regret them looking back, I think they are all placed for a reason.”
Musical influences “When I first started out Joan Baez and Dionne Warwick.”
Advice for new artists “Stay true to who you are. Try and be the first you, not the next so and so.”
Advice for radio “Please start a station that plays a bit of everything with a DJ that’s fun and can discuss all the different groups and have them on and give the artists an outlet.”
Liner Notes
Profile: Olivia Newton-John
Favorite radio format: Oldies and smooth jazz.
Favorite TV show: “Reality shows. I used to love “Six Feet Under” I love “Grey’s Anatomy” “House” and I was watching “Desperate Housewives” but I haven’t seen it in a while and I’ve lost the plot now.”
Favorite Movie: “ “My Fair Lady,” “South Pacific” and the romantic comedies.”
Favorite Book: “The Da Vinci Code”
Favorite Song: “Falling” by John Farrar.
Favorite Restaurant: “A restaurant on the beach where I live”
Beverage of choice: English breakfast tea.
Biggest Challenge: “Getting enough sleep”
Hobbies: “Tennis, hiking with friends and with my dog. Drawing and writing music. When I am at home I like to hang with my friends, have them over for dinner and go to a movie and stuff.”