Kelsea Ballerini, Keith Urban & Others Pay Tribute To Olivia Newton-John

Photo: Getty Images

Kelsea Ballerini shared a beautiful rendition of “Hopelessly Devoted To You” as a tribute to Olivia Newton-John, the iconic Grease star whose performance was made famous in the beloved 1970s film.

Newton-John died peacefully at her Southern California ranch on Monday morning (August 8), her family confirmed in a statement on her social media channels. She was 73. Though a cause of death was not confirmed as of publication time, the statement shared by her husband, John Easterling, noted that Newton-John “has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.”

Following the news of her death, countless fans and celebrities shared an outpouring of tributes in her honor. Among them was an emotional message from her Grease co-star, John Travolta: “My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. 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 first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!”

Ballerini’s social media followers gushed over her cover of Newton-John’s beloved song when she shared it on Instagram and TikTok. Ballerini’s husband, fellow country artist Morgan Evans, expressed heartbreak on his own social media channels, mourning the losses of Newton-John and Australian singer-songwriter Judith Durham in the same week. Durham died on August 5, at age 79. Evans captioned on Instagram: “Rest In Peace to these two powerhouses who made the world a better place with their music & presence.”

Other country artists — including Maren Morris and Cassadee Pope — expressed condolences on their Instagram stories. Another power couple, Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, also paid their respects to Newton-John, whom they sweetly remembered as “Livvie.” They shared in their caption on Instagram: “Livvie brought the most divine light into the world… so much love, joy, inspiration and kindness... and we will always be hopelessly devoted to you ❤️”

LeAnn Rimes tweeted that the iconic actress and singer was “a sweet soul” as she expressed her sadness to hear of Newton-John's passing. Wynonna Judd shared a heartwarming throwback photo as she honored Newton-John on Instagram. The legendary country artist and half of the duo The Judds, along with her late mother Naomi Judd, remembered the Grease star: “Her sweet spirit filled the room when she walked into the theater the day I met her. What a kind & beautiful woman….💛”

Shania Twain shared a photo with Newton-John on Tuesday (August 9), one day after Newton-John died. “This one hit hard,” Twain wrote in her caption on Instagram with a broken heart emoji. “Olivia inspired me with her voice, her strength and her spirit. I followed her career from the pop stuff to movies and country music - Please Mr. Please was on my childhood set list! Thank you for sharing your talent with us all.”

Dolly Parton shared in a statement on Tuesday afternoon that she’s “so sad to have lost my special friend Olivia Newton-John. So happy that our lives crossed paths. I know her voice is singing beautifully with the angels. With Love, Dolly.”


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