By Grand Rapids Anonymous
Monday, August 8, 2022 at 7:37:00 P.M. EDT
(GRA) What can you say about Olivia Newton-John that hasn't been said for the last 51 years?
Yes, 51 years since her first (and my favorite) hit song, “If Not for You,” appeared on the radio—a Bob Dylan-penned song from his 1970 album. There are videos of her, which you can see on youtube—from back in 1971—on various shows, singing and doing a kind of quirky Elaine Benes-style dance—pretty adorable, actually.
She followed that song with what seemed like a hundred other ones, which made the charts: “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “Let Me be There,” “Summer Nights,” “You’re the One That I Want”—which filled the ‘70s airwaves.
I listened to the radio a lot back then, and she mixed in well with the Carpenters, Paul McCartney, America, Bread, the Eagles, B.J.Thomas and other middle-of-the-road artists of the day—all very melodic—sometimes, even memorable music being created by many White artists. I liked most of the music I heard on the radio in those days—usually on WMAQ out of Chicago—the station that carried the White Sox (my favorite team at the time.)
It’s the country I’ll remember fondly, as we veer farther and farther away from those snapshots in time—the late ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s.
She was 73.
--GRA
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2 comments:
jerry pdx
She wasn't the kind of singer I'd actually buy her records but I don't change the channel when (most) of her songs came on. Certainly was easy on the eyes, I kind of had a crush on her back in the day. Lately her daughter has been more in the news for her addiction to plastic surgery. Very strange, like her mom she was very pretty but deeply insecure about her looks and tried to improve them with massive work at a very early age. All that resulted was her getting freakish, too much surgery, look about her.
The other thing, if I recall correctly, was that she had a boyfriend that mysteriously disappeared, it was thought he had died in an accident but it turned out he was hiding out somewhere in Central trying to avoid back child support payments. She sure didn't pick a winner there but from what I've read, her current husband was there for her at the end.
No,I never purchased one of her records,but they played her songs so frequently on the radio,I didn't have to.
--GRA
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