(CSC) 1. Thank you so much for your time. It’s great to catch up with you. As a seasoned artist, after all these years on the road, what do you treasure most about touring?
(Olivia Newton-John)
Well I love to sing of course. It's a beautiful thing to be able to sing and I'm grateful for the gift. (Laughs) I enjoy singing, I enjoy performing with my band, I love my band and I love the energy I get back from the audience. I like the connection with them and I enjoy performing for them.
(CSC) 2. What is your secret to staying fit and sounding so good onstage?
(Olivia Newton-John)
I've always worked on being healthy, and I am now married to a man, John Easterling, who owns the Amazon Herb Company which just recently merged with a company called, TriVita so we can reach a much larger audience. We have a treatment spa in Australia and I have a cancer wellness center also. I credit a lot of my health to that and also to thinking well and doing things in my life.
I am really, really happy, and genetically I got really lucky. I train my voice, when I'm doing shows, I do warm ups everyday to keep my voice strong because you really need to do that typically as you get older. Your voice is a muscle like any other muscle; you gotta keep it up, so I do that. My singing coach, Steve Real, he's amazing and he's in my band and he helps me keep my voice strong.
(CSC) 3. Being a breast cancer survivor, what have the struggles taught you about life and what can you say to others currently going through it?
(Olivia Newton-John)
It's taught me gratitude for being particularly for being here and for getting through that and being stronger than I ever was now. It taught me compassion for others going through it and understanding. If I hadn't gone through that experience I would never have been able to get involved in building a cancer wellness center, or want to help them build it and raise the money for that. It was very important for me to create a wellness center for people going through cancer so they could get support in mind, body and spirit.
(CSC) 4. You recorded country music at one time, how did you deal with the scrutiny from some in the business? I know Loretta Lynn was a strong supporter of yours!
(Olivia Newton-John)
And Dolly too! You know, the truth of it is, I didn't know about it at the time, they kind of shielded me from it while it was going on and I heard about it later. I probably would have been upset, because I don't like controversy and I certainly didn't like knowing that they were upset about it because I came in as an Australian living in England and my first big hit was written by an Englishman. It was a surprise to me at how successful it was anyway. We love country music over here and I didn’t know about any of it until after it had happened.
(CSC) 5. Having been in many successful movies, would you like to do another one and what kind of a film would interest you?
(Olivia Newton-John)
Oh gosh, musicals are always up my alley, I doubt anything would come up. Now I don't know, but I would make it something about being environmental or adventure or something out of my youth about Australia, but I don't know that I will do anymore movies because I’ve been very successful in what I have done. I had Grease, which kind of, if you ask anybody in your lifetime, it's still popular (Laughs). I feel very lucky and grateful that I've had that experience. Then I did some that were a lot of fun, I did Sordid Lives, and I did a Canadian musical a couple of years ago was called, Score; A Hockey Musical which was really fun, it was a musical. I don't know if anything will come up, but I have had a great go at it.
(CSC) 6. What do you feel is your GREATEST achievement as an entertainer?
(Olivia Newton-John)
The first thing that comes to mind is the Olympics when they went to Australia. That was an unbelievable experience to walk out there and that was a very special moment to get to represent my country. That would definitely be one of them. There have been lots of different moments; being able to perform at the Golden Gate Theatre, in San Francisco, CA, was just so amazing and I will always remember it; also the small clubs that I played in from the talent contests that I won in the early years when I was gaining my experience. They are all special moments in my life, but the moment that stands out and comes to my mind is the Olympics.
(CSC) 7. What is one thing that you have not yet done, but would like to accomplish career-wise?
(Olivia Newton-John)
I have a few. I feel like I've done everything, but you know as soon as I say that something comes up, which is what is so wonderful about this industry and you go, "Oh, I haven't done that!" (Laughs) I've done so many interesting and fun things; you know I did "Glee" a couple of years ago. I’ve acted in things, I’ve sung in things so I don't what exactly but I’m always open to new things.
(CSC) 8. Can you share a sneak-peek the details behind the new recording projects you are set to release in 2013?
(Olivia Newton-John)
I'm talking with Amy Sky about doing another kind of healing phase record of some kind. I really loved doing “Grace and Gratitude,” that was a really great experience for me. We’re talking about possibly getting together and doing another one like that. I've also talked about doing another country album at some point. I love country music and I love Nashville, so we'll see what happens. I would love to do a duet with Loretta Lynn if the opportunity presented itself. I want to take some time off too! (Laughs)
(CSC) 9. When looking for inspiration in life or music, where do you feel most at ease/comfortable?
(Olivia Newton-John)
In nature; I get a lot of inspiration being in a forest or in the beauty of nature and people too. The people who I've worked with before, like I've written with some amazing songwriters and they inspire me too, we kind of trigger each other with ideas, I love that experience.
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