Kelsea Ballerini paid tribute to Grease superstar, Olivia Newton-John, who passed away on August 8, 2022. The country superstar covered Newton-John's top fan-favorite hit, "Hopelessly Devoted to You," from the blockbuster film starring Newton-John and John Travolta, sharing it on social media. The song was produced by John Farrar and was originally performed by the late singer for the iconic 1978 film.
Ballerini captioned the video, "Olivia Newton-John forever," with a broken heart attached to it. Wearing an oversized sweater, Ballerini sings, "But now there's nowhere to hide / Since you pushed my love aside / I'm out of my head / Hopelessly devoted to you / Hopelessly devoted to you / Hopelessly devoted to you."
Newton-John tragically passed away at the age of 73, with her husband, John Easterling sharing the news via a Facebook post.
"Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. We ask that everyone please respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time," the statement read. Newton-John was a four-time Grammy winner and was battling a 30-year-long breast cancer diagnosis.
"Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer," the statement continued. "Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund (ONJFoundationFund.org)."
The specific cause of death for the singer and actress has yet to be revealed, but according to TMZ she lost her battle to "metastatic breast cancer." Her lengthy music career includes five No 1. songs and Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The singer also earned two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 charts, including If You Love Me, Let Me Know released in 1974, and Have You Never Been Mellow in 1975.
Newton-John also made quite a name for herself in the country music world earning several Top 10 singles on the Country Radio and was recognized as CMA Female Vocalist of the year back in 1974. Some of her best hit country singles include "Please Mr. Please," "Have You Never Been Mellow," and "If You Love Me, Let Me Know." The actress has sold more than 100 million records to date and is considered one of the best music artists.
Newton-John is survived by her husband John Easterling; daughter Chloe Lattanzi; sister Sarah Newton-John; brother Toby Newton-John; nieces and nephews Tottie, Fiona and Brett Goldsmith; Emerson, Charlie, Zac, Jeremy, Randall, and Pierz Newton-John; Jude Newton-Stock, Layla Lee; Kira and Tasha Edelstein; and Brin and Valerie Hall.
