The Australian authorities are preparing an official funeral in the form of a concert to pay tribute to the singer and actress Olivia Newton-John, born in the United Kingdom and raised in the oceanic country, who died this Monday at the age of 73, a victim of cancer of the mother.
“It will be more of a concert than a funeral.
It will be an appropriate celebration for such a rich and generous life”, said the head of government of the Australian State of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, in statements collected this Thursday, August 11, by the local public channel
ABC
.
The details of this event, which does not yet have a closed date or a specific program and the place where it will be held is unknown, will be discussed with the Newton-John family, who, according to Andrews, has felt "moved" with the proposal.
This Tuesday, the Australian city of Melbourne, where the artist grew up and which is home to several of her projects —such as the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research and Welfare Center— lit up some of its most emblematic buildings in pink in her honor. , such as the Optus Stadium in Perth and the Flinders Street railway station.
The Sydney Opera House was also dyed this color on Wednesday night in memory of the iconic
Grease
performer .
The Sydney Opera House, in Australia, illuminated in pink in honor of Olivia Newton-John, this Wednesday, August 10. DPA via Europa Press (DPA via Europa Press)
The artist's husband, John Easterling, shared a publication on Wednesday, both on his Instagram account and on the artist's, paying tribute to the interpreter and showing his love and admiration for his wife.
“Olivia, our love for each other is beyond understanding.
Every day we express our gratitude for this love that could be so deep, so real, so natural.
We never had to 'work' on it.
We were amazed by this great mystery and we accept the experience of our love in the past, present and forever, "he wrote next to an image in which the couple appears posing smiling.
“Olivia's deepest essence was healing, using her own means like song, words, caresses.
She was the bravest woman I have ever met.
“It is the grace of God that has allowed me to share the depth and passion of his being for so long.
In his most difficult moments, he always had the spirit, the humor and the willpower to bring things to light”, he added.
Easterling concluded the statement by thanking the interpreter's fans for the support received.
“Even now as her soul rises, the pain and holes in my heart heal with the joy of her love and the light that shines forth.
Our family deeply appreciates the love and support that has come our way.”
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A post shared by Olivia Newton-John (@therealonj)
The
Grease
star and Easterling met in the early 1990s through a mutual friend, but it wasn't until 2008 that they tied the knot.
First, in a spiritual ceremony held on top of a mountain in the outskirts of Peru.
Then, they returned to the United States and said "yes, I do" again at a surprise wedding at their home in Malibu, California, together with friends and family of the couple.
Easterling, a businessman and environmental activist, was by her side in her fight against her cancer, supporting her and accompanying her in numerous projects to fight the disease.
Together they launched the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund in 2020 to continue to support plant medicine research for cancer.
More information
Olivia Newton-John, star of 'Grease,' dies at 73
The British-Australian interpreter had been battling the disease for 30 years.
In 2018, she was diagnosed again with stage 4 breast cancer with metastases in her back, having suffered from the disease in 1992 and 2013. “For me, psychologically, it is better not to have a clue of what lies ahead or how long the last person who had what I have”, confessed Newton-John in the Australian television program
60 minutes.
The burial will take place in California, where she lived with her husband, her Australian niece, Totti Goldsmith, told local network
Nine
on Tuesday .
