Sir, – On the death of Olivia Newton-John, it’s interesting to consider the manner in which her influence on culture transcended time itself (“Olivia Newton-John, star of Grease, dies aged 73 – star best known for her role in the film musical devoted her later life to activism in support of cancer research”, News, August 8th).
In the 1970s, while in her thirties, she played a teenager in a film set in the 1950s which, especially in its later scenes, influenced fashion into the 1990s and beyond.
A more profound inspiration to many people will result from her having lived over 30 years following her cancer diagnosis at a time when that was most exceptional.
And it would seem the songs from Grease are now anthems to all generations, varying in their associations and in what precisely they evoke nostalgia for but instantly familiar nonetheless.
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Quite a legacy. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN O’BRIEN,
Kinsale,
Co Cork.