The late Olivia Newton-John‘s career arc was unconventional and took a series of routes she could never have foreseen. Throughout her decades in the entertainment business, Newton-John suffered many road bumps, rejections, and false starts, but there were also seismic highs, which made everything worthwhile.
Although singing was Newton-John’s first love, her acting skills led to her first break. After being scouted as a teenager, she began to make minor appearances in Australian television programmes before moving to England with the hopes of embarking on a music career, which resulted in her signing with Decca Records in 1966.
However, her debut single on the label flopped, and Newton-John didn’t release another track for five years. During this time, she had barely turned 20 but felt like it was now or never if she would make it in the music business.
As a result, she joined the band Toomorrow in 1970, who released an album for RCA Records, but again, Newton-John tasted failure. However, the following year, her fortunes changed with the success of her debut solo album, which spawned a chart hit in the United States with her Bob Dylan cover ‘If Not For You’.
Being cast as Sandy in Grease transformed the entire trajectory of her career, and her role in the musical was one she was born to play. As Newton-John wasn’t an internationally renowned household name, it may have seemed like she was plucked out of obscurity and into superstardom. Instead, it resulted from over a decade of sacrifice, risks and hard work.
Reflecting on her early life with CNBC in 2019, Newton-John revealed she wouldn’t have changed a single move she made on her unique journey. However, she did have some words of wisdom for her 20-year-old self, who was stuck in a state of perennial stress as her career wasn’t going how she’d envisaged after moving across the world to take a stab at musical success.
“Don’t worry so much! Gosh, there’s so much I’d tell her. I wouldn’t know where to start, to be honest,” she said. Newton-John then explained that the most important advice would be to “stick with her instincts,” which she claims to have always done throughout her career.
Newton-John added: “I wouldn’t want to undo anything I’ve done. Everything that may not have appeared to be good for me outside was a learning experience for me to be who I am now. So, I wouldn’t not want to have experienced the difficulties because they’re part of your growth.”
Trusting her “instincts” served Newton-John well, whether deciding to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, diverting her musical career into the country genre or auditioning for Grease. All of these decisions could have backfired, but in her heart of hearts, the Australian knew they were the right moves to make.
