by Mateo Biggs
As always, time is ever changing and going. From the change in weather as seasons crawl onwards, or even the newest class of freshmen coming and joining the ranks as Roanoke College students. Time is a shifting thing that many of us acknowledge and live with, many will love, will laugh, will live and keep moving forward.
This previous summer that we leave behind, also takes with it the end of an era in the form of the loved and cherished star Olivia Newton-John.
Born September 26th, 1948, this British-Australian actress was also a renowned singer and activist who many of us recognize from the classic 1978 picture “Grease”(featuring John Travolta) where she played the famous Sandy Olsson, along with her other beautiful portrayals such as Debbie in 1983’s “Two of a Kind”, and Hope Gordon in 2010’s “Score: A Hockey Musical”. Beyond her beloved range as an actress, Olivia Newton-John was more than just a face to be seen on the screen. Her love was in music, having represented the United Kingdom in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Long Live Love” released that very same year– later she stated it wasn’t her favorite song but she still finished 4th in the contest regardless. This talented woman had also amassed 10 no. 1 hit singles with seven consecutive record.
However, Olivia Newton-John was nothing if not a kind woman, having been an advocate against the slaughter of dolphins while also standing firm in her ground as she donated royalties from concerts– being appointed the Goodwill ambassador to the United Nations Environment Programme. She sold her healing CD “Grace and Gratitude” exclusively in Walgreens in 2005 in order to benefit the numerous charities including the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization after she herself had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992.
Even as she got up in her years, this inspiring woman never stopped moving. From doing concerts and touring across the globe in 2017 to being a guest judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2015 and even releasing her last single “Window in the Wall” in January 2021 before she passed away this August 8th, 2022.
A woman who knew what she wanted to stand for and what she wanted to do in life, Mrs. Olivia Newton-John will always be remembered for the life she lived and the lives she touched
