Bittersweet memories of the beautiful actress I wanted to be as a teenager / Sue Plunkett column

She was the girl all the boys wanted to be with and all the girls wanted to be.
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Dame Olivia Newton-John, whose death was announced last night at the age of 73, was quite simply an icon. As a friend said to me : “We all loved Olivia.”

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The sad news took me right back to 1978, the year the iconic film 'Grease' burst onto the silver screen.

Reporter Sue Plunkett recalls how Olivia Newton-John, whose death was announced last night, was one of her teenage idolsReporter Sue Plunkett recalls how Olivia Newton-John, whose death was announced last night, was one of her teenage idols
Reporter Sue Plunkett recalls how Olivia Newton-John, whose death was announced last night, was one of her teenage idols
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Like thousands of others I queued around the block at the cinema in Burnley town centre (Studios One Two and Three) to see it.

It was a landmark moment watching this beautiful young woman capture hearts as Sandy, the shy and awkward teenager who changes her image when she falls for 'bad boy' Danny Zuko played by John Travolta.

I am honestly not exaggerating when I say it was life changing for the 14 year old me and probably thousands, if not millions of other teens, too. We had never seen a film like this...the cast, the songs with their racy lyrics, the dance moves.

This was the days before social media where images of stars and celebrities are available at the click of a button. I went back to the pictures three times to see the film to drink it all in.

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Successful both critically and commercially, Grease was the biggest box-office hit of 1978 and - at the time - the highest-grossing musical film ever. And I believe Olivia was at the heart of that success. It catapulted her to global superstardom.

We all copied her style. We all wanted to be Olivia/ Sandy.

For me it was the 'shy Sandy' look with the hair slides and bangs style fringe but my friend Pauline purchased a pair of the skin tight black leather look pants Olivia wore at the end of Grease.

I bought the Grease album and played it continually until I knew the words to every song and all the dance moves.

Yes, Travolta was a heartthrob but it was British born Olivia, who went on to become a Grammy award winning artist, who was the the one we wanted to see.

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Olivia duetted on 'You're The One That I Want' and Summer Lovin’’ with Travolta and her rendition of 'Hopelessly Devoted to You' was nominated for an Academy Award for best original song. It didn't matter that at the time the actress was 29, playing an 18 year old. She worried she may have been told for the role but she was perfect for it.

Before Grease Olivia represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. Her song, 'Long Live Love,' came fourth - in the year that Abba won with Waterloo.

Following the first of three cancer diagnoses in 1992, she became a prominent breast cancer campaigner as she fought the illness with bravery and dignity. Olivia leaves a huge legacy with her Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.

Tributes have been pouring in for Olivia from around the world but perhaps the most moving of all is from Travolta who said his co star and friend 'made all our lives so much better' adding: "Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the moment I saw you and forever.

"Your Danny, your John.'

I hope Dame Olivia knew how loved she was.