In a post on Twitter, Andrews said he had spoken to Newton-John’s family and they had accepted the offer of a state ceremony. “It will be more of a concert than a funeral, fitting for a Victorian who lived such a rich and generous life,” Andrews said. The details are still to be finalized.
Newton-John’s niece Tottie Goldsmith previously told CNN affiliate Nine Network that she felt the Australian people wanted Newton-John to have a state funeral. “I think Australia needs it,” Goldsmith said through tears. “She is so loved.”
Born in the UK, Newton-John moved to Australia at the age of 5 and soon became one of the country’s most loved celebrities.
Several Australian landmarks, including the Sydney Opera House, Perth’s Optus Stadium and Melbourne’s Flinders Street train station, have been lit up in pink this week in memory of the performer who died at his ranch in Southern California at the age of 73. Andrews said lighting buildings in pink was a gesture “to remember Olivia Newton John and her enormous contribution to cancer awareness, research and treatment”.
Newton-John survived two bouts of breast cancer, one in the early 1990s and the other in 2017. In September 2018, she revealed she was battling cancer again, this time at the base of her spine.
Despite her struggles, Newton-John maintained a positive outlook.
“I believe that when you go through something difficult, even something as dramatic as cancer, something positive will come out of it,” she wrote on the website of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center, which opened in Melbourne in 2012. .
“With more and more people affected by cancer every day, I believe we are in a world desperate for a cure and I am committed to doing everything I can to help.”
After his death, the organization said in a statement that Newton-John’s “generous support and gift provided hope and changed the lives of thousands of cancer patients.”
Newton-John’s death caused great grief for fans who followed her career from “Grease” to her concert residency in Las Vegas, while those who had worked with her over the years share memories and condolences on social media.
Newton-John’s memorial service will be the second state farewell for an Australian singer this month. The Victorian Government is organizing a state funeral for Judith Durham, singer of The Seekers, who died on August 5 aged 79.