"She played a high school character in the film Grease close to her 30th birthday, survived a bout with breast cancer and even made the successful switch from country to soft rock music while retaining the eyes, ears and support of fans nationwide, but most importantly of all Olivia Newton-John has become one of the staple contemporary pop/soft rock goddesses in the industry.Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England but raised in Melbourne, Australia, where her father was the headmaster at Ormond College. First stepping foot onto the entertainment industry at age 12 after winning a local Haley Mills-lookalike contest, the young vocalist caught her first glimpse of fame and was thirsty for more. A television talent contest sent Newton-John to London in her youth, and after drifting through the music industry for a few years the aspiring singer joined the bubblegum pop group Toomorrow, which disbanded in 1970 but sent Newton-John searching further in the music industry. Cliff Richards' touring show It's Cliff! helped Newton-John get her foot in the door of the industry, and her first single ""If Not for You"" became an instant Top Ten hit in the U.K. in 1971, quickly crossing over into international waters, as well, landing at number 25 on the U.S. pop charts.From here on, Olivia Newton-John became a household name. Her early fascination with country music eventually led to recognition with the CMAs, but it was 1978's Grease that really made the singer into a superstar. Singles ""Hopelessly Devoted to You,"" ""Summer Nights"" and ""You're the One That I Want"" showcased Newton-John's stunning vocals, and she continued releasing hit music into the ‘80s, capitalizing on the Jane Fonda movement with her aerobics fantasy ""Physical."" Now hopelessly devoted to her family, Newton-John has made a few attempts at a comeback to the recording industry, most recently with holiday albums in 2007 and 2008."
