FEATURE ARTIST: Olivia Newton-JohnMay 24, 2011

Olivia Newton-John’s business card sure must be crowded: singer, actress, songwriter, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

The Australian entertainer is best known for her eighties hit singles like Physical and her starring role as the goodie-two-shoes turned bad girl Sandy in cult film Grease alongside John Travolta, but these days Olivia has been busy helping others.

While Olivia has always been a strong supporter of charities, her attentions turned to cancer appeals after being diagnosed with and surviving breast cancer. Olivia has set up The Olivia Appeal and the Oliva Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Australia to create a more holistic approach to cancer treatment that incorporates emotional well-being therapies with cancer treatment.

Together with WACCI, DJ Dan Murphy and producer Steve Peach from Peachy Records have put together a remix of Olivia’s famous single Magic. A few years in the making, the remix is now out exclusively on iTunes, with all the proceeds going to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre. Valleyarm Vibes had a chat with the woman herself about her inspirational survival with cancer herself, and about her concept for a wellness centre.

Why did you choose the song Magic for this particular charity project, and what do you think of the remix charity track?

I didn’t actually choose it, the DJ did. I think it’s good!

We think it’s really noble that 100% of the royalties are going to charity. Can you tell us a bit about the Olivia Newton John Cancer and Wellness Centre?

The Olivia Newton John Cancer and Wellness Centre is going to be at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne. It’s already eight stories of the nine. I’m really excited! We are ten million dollars from completion so we are saying a year to go to finish. The amazing and wonderful thing about this state of the art cancer hospital is that it will have a wellness centre as part of the hospital, all under one roof. You will be able to have support for going through cancer with emotional support in the wellness centre where you could have the medication, have some acupuncture, massage, have some classes, and your family can get support too.

That’s amazing. Your own of story survival with cancer is really inspirational. Did you use services like those that will be in the wellness centre when you were undergoing treatment?

Yes, that’s exactly why I wanted them to do this when they asked me to be involved in the fundraising. The wellness centre was kind of my baby – it was important to me to be a part of it. It is a new concept for a hospital but they have totally embraced the idea of helping people through the journey with positive support.

Did you find that having a positive outlook and having these wellness treatments helped your overall cancer treatment?

Yes, very much so. They have done studies on how positive thought affects your immune system. If you’re depressed it suppresses your immune system, so if you’re positive about your outcome it can only help! The body in a natural state wants to heal itself.

Is it the first cancer wellness centre of its kind in the world?

Not in the world but in Australia. America already has some hospitals with this concept in them. The cancer centres of America are quite amazing but I didn’t know about them when we started this. I’ve had this concept in my head for a long time and now it’s about to come true which is wonderful.

Definitely. Apart from the single, do you have any upcoming fundraising plans for the centre?

On Sunday May 28, we’re having a big football match at the MCG and a portion of proceeds is going to the hospital. They are hoping for about 60,000 people at the game. It’s a game between Melbourne and Carlton and Carlton is my team!

There’s always something going on. There are many, many people behind the scenes from supporters of mine to volunteers who are helping to raise money. We just received the last bit from the Baillieu government which was magnificent contribution. Now we just have to raise this last $10M, so if everyone in Australia gave us $2 we’ve won!

Hopefully they do! Do you have any upcoming performances or new material coming up any time soon?

Yes, I’m doing the Adelaide Cabaret Festival on June 11 and 12. I’m also working on a project with my nephew Brett Godsmith on some new songs and a few remixes so look them up. We’re not sure exactly when but probably later this year.

Wonderful. You’ve had some really big hits over the years like Physical and Magic. Do you have any personal favourites that you never get tired of performing?

I don’t really get tired of them! I always love singing I Honestly Love You because it’s always different whenever I do it. But I love all of them and I probably appreciate them more now than when I did when they first came out. It’s the test of time.

Anything else that you would like to add?

I have a cookbook called Livwise, which is in all the book stores right now. All the proceeds from that also go to the Cancer and Wellness Centre. It’s a very healthy book of really delicious food! It’s a win-win situation: you can get healthy and help the hospital at the same time!

Are they your personal recipes or did you have any contributing chefs?

Some of them are mine, and I asked the cooks at Gaia – which is my health retreat in the hills of Byron Bay – to contribute some. A friend of Karen Ng, a wonderful nutritionist in Melbourne, and another friend of mine, Kristin Masterson who heals with food, contributed too. It’s a beautiful book and has some really wonderful delicious recipes. And guiltless desserts!

Olivia Newton-John & WACCI’s “Magic (Peachy & Murphy Mix)” is out now