Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta's 'close' friendship explored in new bio

Anyone associated with Olivia Newton-John inevitably described her as “nice.”

And she was.

But, as biographer Matthew Hild points out immediately in “A Little More Love: The Life and Legacy of Olivia Newton-John” (Bloomsbury Publishing, out now), the perky Australian-by-way-of-England was also a lot more: Singer, actress, philanthropist, environmentalist, gay rights activist and fervent animal lover.

Newton-John erupted into the mainstream with her 1978 portrayal of the virginal Sandy Olsson in “Grease,” a role linked to her and screen partner (and friend) John Travolta, forever.

That breakout is explored thoroughly in Hild’s comprehensive and entertaining book, but so are the other elements of Newton-John’s wide-ranging career that made her much more than a “nice” performer.

The dive into Newton-John’s life covers the transformation from what she referred to as “Sandy #1” and “Sandy #2” both in “Grease” and her musical output as she graduated from pop-country balladeer (“Please Mr. Please”) to slightly risqué pop babe (“Physical,” “Heart Attack”).

Her music career dropped 70 singles, nearly 100 million albums sold worldwide and four Grammy Awards onto her resume. And while her film career never replicated “Grease” heights, Newton-John remained a cherished presence in entertainment with regular touring and a fierce advocate for breast cancer research after first being diagnosed with the disease in 1992.

Newton-John died at age 73 in 2022 of cancer that had metastasized throughout her body.

“A Little More Love” – named for her first post-“Grease” hit – relies on recollections and emails of friends and associates of Newton-John, interviews with the singer/actress from newspaper and magazine articles and a slew of researches to cultivate stories that frame her legacy and demonstrate how she was so “nice.”

Here are some highlights.

Olivia Newton-John and Led Zeppelin took the same 'Starship'

In her pre-film-fame years, Newton-John’s music career kept her atop the charts to the point of chartering a private plane for her 1976 tour of the U.S.

The Boeing 720 she commissioned – dubbed the “Starship” and "Air Force One of Rock" – was the first one built, though by the time she used it, the plane had be transformed from a passenger airliner into a flying tour bus with plush couches, well-stocked bars, televisions and a full-size shower. It had also already been used by Led Zeppelin, Elton John, The Allman Brothers, Alice Cooper and other famous musicians.

Newton-John’s guitarists Skip Griparis and Rick Ruskin recall touring on the Starship.

“I don’t know if she made any money on that tour between the Starship, the bar tab, and the limos. It was crazy, but it was sure fun for us,” said Griparis. Ruskin called it “the best gig I ever had.”

Olivia Newton-John's relationship with John Travolta really was just friendship. Really.

While neither Newton-John nor Travolta – the dimpled “Danny” to her “Sandy” – was romantically linked to anyone while filming “Grease,” the two maintained all they ever shared was a deep platonic relationship.

“I like him and we’re good friends, but that’s all,” she told a reporter at the time of the movie’s release.

But, in 2018, co-star Didi Conn (“Frenchy”) told journalist Stephanie Nolasco she thought the kinetic chemistry between the pair in the movie was real.

An alternate ending to “Grease” found Newton-John and Travolta engaged in a “juicy” kiss and, said Conn, “They weren’t acting at the moment … it was real.”

'Xanadu' prompted the annual Golden Raspberry Awards

Newton-John followed her breakout in “Grease” with the musical fantasy, “Xanadu.” We would explain it if we could, but just picture it: A mural of dancing sisters comes to life to the sounds of ELO’s “I’m Alive” and another scene spotlights jauntily choreographed roller skating.

Though the film included input – and an onscreen role – from the legendary Gene Kelly, it was savaged by critics. In his review of the film, renowned critic Robert Ebert wrote, “Xanadu is a mushy and limp musical fantasy, so insubstantial it keeps evaporating before our eyes.”

“Xanadu” was universally mocked to the point of being the impetus for the Golden Raspberry Awards, still an annual tradition that bestows barbs on the worst movies of the year. At least the film didn’t actually win the first Razzie, as the gilded fruit trophy came to be known; that 1981 honor went to “Can’t Stop the Music.”

But where the movie floundered, the soundtrack – co-produced by Electric Light Orchestra maestro Jeff Lynne – flourished. Newton-John’s gliding “Magic” spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the title track with ELO and a duet with Cliff Richard (“Suddenly”) kept Newton-John a notable chart presence.