Olivia Newton-John, born in Cambridge on 26 September 1948, became internationally famous as Sandy in Grease and as a successful recording artist. She sold more than 100 million records, with “Physical” becoming the highest-ranking Billboard Hot 100 single of the 1980s. Her legacy is being remembered on what would have been her 78th birthday, four years after her death from breast cancer.

Raised in Melbourne after moving to Australia at five, Newton-John began performing as a teenager and later returned to Britain after winning a television talent contest. Her breakthrough came with “If Not for You” in 1971, followed by country-pop successes including “Let Me Be There”, which won a Grammy, and several US top-10 hits. Although some country musicians initially objected to her recognition in Nashville, she eventually gained wider acceptance and had a career spanning five decades.