Olivia: A Biography of Olivia Newton-John
by Tim Ewbank
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Book Summary Information
Author: Tim EwbankEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2009-07-01
ISBN: 0749909838
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Piatkus Books
Book Reviews of Olivia: A Biography of Olivia Newton-John
Book Review: Fascinating story
Summary: 5 Stars
Despite being a fan of Olivia's music, particularly her early folk / country music, I'd never really known much about her story until I bought this book. I was vaguely aware that Olivia had been on the music scene for a while prior to her 1971 debut album, and I knew that she didn't really make much impact after the monumental success of her Physical album from 1981, though I was familiar with some of her later music and I knew that she'd survived breast cancer. So when I saw this book, I was very interested but not at full price. When I eventually had the opportunity to buy a copy at a bargain price, I didn't hesitate.
When reading a celebrity biography, I always check to see what input the celebrity has. Conspicuously, although the author claims to have interviewed her twice, Olivia is absent from the list of credits. I therefore assume that neither of those interviews were in connection with the book, although the author probably made use of the material from those interviews. As things turn out, it doesn't seem to matter much. The author clearly respects Olivia and seems to have treated her fairly.
Although I knew that Olivia's life hadn't always been happy, I didn't realize just how much sadness she had to cope with. In her personal life, her parents divorced while she was still a child in an era when divorce was rare. As an adult, she had three miscarriages as well as breast cancer to cope with, all of which contributed to the breakdown of her first marriage. Later, one of her boyfriends vanished without trace, never to be seen again dead or alive. She had been a friend of Karen Carpenter, who died tragically young, then eventually had the worry of seeing her own daughter suffer the same illness, though she was able to overcome it after a long battle. One way or another, all these problems affected Olivia deeply, but while she sometimes considered quitting the music business altogether, she continues to record and perform as and when it suits her.
Like her personal life, her musical career has had its ups and downs. Olivia made plenty of good contacts in the London music business, particularly with Cliff Richard and the Shadows, before seizing what appeared to be a great opportunity to start her career in America as the lead singer of a manufactured pop group. Things didn't work out as planned so Olivia returned to London and soon afterwards began her solo career. The most productive years of her career are covered extensively, from her folksy early albums up to her 1985 album Soul kiss. Along the way, the author discusses the controversy that Olivia unwittingly caused in the world of country music. There is an unfortunate error in the book where the author mentions Jack Jones when he means George Jones at one point, though further down the same page he correctly specifies George. I didn't learn anything much from this particular chapter, although it reinforced my long-held belief that Olivia's brief incursion into the world of country music was hugely influential. If you're unfamiliar with this part of Olivia's story, it makes for fascinating reading.
Grease, in which Olivia co-starred with John Travolta, gets plenty of coverage. It certainly transformed Olivia's image in the minds of many people, but it is clear from the book that Olivia was never entirely happy with her previous goody-goody image. Despite its phenomenal success, Olivia never established herself as a Hollywood actress. Her next movie, Xanadu, yielded a successful soundtrack but the movie itself was a flop, although it has since apparently acquired cult status. After that, a movie that re-united her with John Travolta was a total flop. Although Olivia has acted in movies since then, her chances of Hollywood success have long since disappeared.
Olivia's last major commercial success was her 1981 album, Physical, which wasn`t connected to any movie.. Four years elapsed before the release of Soul kiss, which was not a success. Subsequent albums don't get a lot of coverage in this book. One of them (Back with a heart, Olivia's one-off return to country music in 1999) isn't mentioned at all except in the discography, while most of the others only get brief mentions. I would have liked more coverage of these albums, but I suspect that most people who read this book aren't all that bothered.
I suspect that this book may not tell the whole Olivia story, but maybe Olivia will eventually tell her own story. Meanwhile, I found it an interesting and entertaining read and, even despite some minor quibbles, have no hesitation in awarding it five stars.
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