Olivia Newton-John Biography

Fast Facts

• Left high school in her mid-teens when she got her first big break on an Australian TV program called The Tarax Happy Show
• Appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1979 for her work in the entertainment industry as well as with charitable organizations
• Authored a children's book in 1993, along with Brian Hurst and illustrator Salvatore Murdocca, entitled A Pig Tale
• Invited to perform during the opening ceremony at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia; also serenaded the Pope at a charity event in Rome that same year
• Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2006 for her service to the entertainment industry and her fight against breast cancer
• Led a three-week walk along the Great Wall of China in April 2008 to raise money to build the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne
• Published her first book, LivWise: Easy Recipes for a Healthy, Happy Life, in 2011