New Year’s Day is marked annually by Queen Elizabeth II by naming recipients for official honours. And this year, a name very familiar to fans of Eurovision appears very prominently. Olivia Newton-John (UK 1974) is to receive a DBE, a Damehood.
Olivia has had a hugely successful career on stage and screen and in the recording studio. As well as her Eurovision appearance in 1974, she gained huge stardom through her performance as Sandy in the movie ‘Grease’, in which she starred alongside John Travolta. Throughout her music career, she won four Grammy awards and a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 80s.
In 1979, Olivia was awarded the honour of Officer of the Order of The British Empire (OBE), but this new honour now makes her the second UK Eurovision representative to receive an honour of this status. She joins Sir Cliff Richard who received his Knighthood in 1995. The Late Broadcaster Terry Wogan was also awarded a Knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II.
The award recognises not only her achievements through her musical and entertainment career, but also through her charity work with the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre.
Congratulations Dame Olivia Newton-John.
You can listen to her 1974 entry ‘Long Live Love’ here:
