As my partner held me while I cried my heart out over the death of my all-time favourite singer, Olivia Newton-John, I said to him , “Is it normal to cry when a celebrity dies?” He said, “Is it normal to cry when your parents die?” I said, “That’s different. We have an emotional connection to our parents.” He said, “You have an emotional connection to ONJ, so …”
He’s right. I invested myself emotionally in her music and her loveliness. I love every word she sings. I know all her songs by heart. I loved watching her perform and do interviews. She was funny and sunny and so personable. She was the artist I listened to the most for years. To me, she is so much more than just ‘Grease’ and ‘Physical’. I absolutely love all her early stuff. I’ve still got all my albums, cassettes and CDs. I can’t bear to part with any of them, even though she now blasts out of my iPod.
So as I cried I told my partner about how, when I was 16, I had a boyfriend who loved ONJ as well and he had albums. Albums which I borrowed and practically wore out. When we broke up, he asked for his albums back. Giving them back was more painful than the break up! When I got a bit of cash, I went out and bought my own copies.
And I told him my favourite memory – when my Dad and I saw ONJ in concert. I think it was about 2005/2006, somewhere around then, and she was at the Entertainment Centre (in Adelaide). The day tickets went on sale, I was straight on the phone and scored us front row seats!! So, so happy!! On the night, we rock up, take our seats and when she came out, I literally cried. I was so overjoyed to see my idol in the flesh. And, I kid you not, she stood directly in front of me and did most of the concert right there!!! Not a little to the left, or a little to the right, but DIRECTLY. IN. FRONT. OF. ME! At one point, she wandered randomly to the other side of the stage and stood there for a couple of songs and then she came back and resumed her place in front of me. I could not believe it. I had the best seat in the house.
But the most magical moment of the night was when she was singing one of her lesser known songs and, because I knew every word of every song, I was singing along and she looked at me, saw me singing, and gave me the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. I’ll never forget it. Her amazing smile lit up my world.
That smile! Unforgettable.
The beauty of music is that it remains forever and I can sing along with the ageless, timeless, beautiful Olivia until I float off into the ethers. Brief as it is, I wrote this because I could not let ONJs impact on my life go unacknowledged and though there is so much more to say, I really just wanted to share my concert experience because it was a moment that took my breath away and made me feel special because a woman and artist I honestly love gave me a piece of her sunshine.
So, to you, Olivia Newton-John, who brought so much joy to my life, I quote from one of your most beautiful songs, “I stand here in grace and gratitude and I thank you.”
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