“She was a fantastic force of nature; she was funny, kind, warm, and talented.” Olivia Newton-John’s state memorial was held earlier today (February 26) in Melbourne, with family and friends paying respect to the late singer and actor. Newton-John passed away in August after battling breast cancer since 1992. She was 73 years old. Sir Elton John remarked during the state memorial ceremony that her “bravery and optimism” would live with him forever (via the Guardian). “She was such a wonderful force of nature, she was funny, kind, warm, and talented, and every time we got together we laughed and laughed and laughed,” John said via video link. Throughout her career, I’ve witnessed her develop into the artist she is today.”
“I just wanted to express my gratitude for this brief moment.” “She had a significant impact on my life,” Mariah Carey stated. “I adored her when I was a child. Grease was most likely the first film I ever saw. I admired her so much, and when I finally met her, she was just as sweet as she was a celebrity.”
https://twitter.com/MariahCareyAU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1629770966493691904%7Ctwgr%5E7b08258a2d894f3af1768142f1d5b1979be06a89%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nme.com%2Fnews%2Fmusic%2Felton-john-and-mariah-carey-pay-tribute-to-olivia-newton-john-at-state-memorial-3404573
Delta Goodrem sang a medley of Newton-John’s best singles at the ceremony. She stated earlier that “being able to honour and celebrate Olivia is incredibly special.” Hugh Jackman also paid tribute to Newton-John, as did her husband John Easterling and daughter Chloe Lattanzi.
“My favorite thing to do was watch her watch the birds and flowers, smell her roses, and the joy on her face was a thing of beauty.” “I loved making her tea and then making it five times until I got it right,” Lattanzi explained. “I enjoyed our cuddles. Even if I was 20 years old, I would fall into bed with her late at night. I liked how she smelled. “I admire how she loved completely and completely.” “As a country, you should be very proud, and know that the whole world mourns with you,” Dolly Parton remarked. “I’ve had the privilege of singing with her several times now.” I thought of her as a dear friend and fellow entertainer. ‘I honestly love you,’ Olivia, to quote one of your songs. Thank you for shedding some light on our situation.” New footage of Parton performing with Newton-John was released last week. The pair sing Dolly Parton’s legendary ‘Jolene’ in the video, which will appear on Newton-John’s upcoming posthumous album ‘Just The Two Of Us: The Duets Collection’. Following Newton-John’s death, both Harry Styles and Pink performed covers of ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You,’ while Coldplay performed ‘Summer Nights’ with Natalie Imbruglia onstage at Wembley Stadium.
