RuPaul Drives Olivia Newton-John

RELATED:  Next week Olivia Newton-John, 65, will launch a four month run at the Las Vegas Flamingo. Titled Summer Nights, the show will be a retrospective of her nearly 50-year career, which launched in 1966 with her first single. Her 1971 debut album, If Not For You, yielded the first of 26 US Top 40 hits to date. Five of those singles reached #1 including 1981's Physical, which spent ten weeks at the top. Her 1978 Grease duet with John Travolta, You're The One That I Want, is on the list of the world's greatest selling singles of all time.

ONJ + Travolta: I Think You Might Like It

Oh dear.

This Is A Real Thing

Boy Culture blogger Matthew Rettenmund tells me the artwork was just added to ONJ's Facebook page.

Olivia Newton-John At Market Days

Sunday night Olivia Newton-John performed at Chicago's gay Market Days event. She told ChigagoPride.com:

"To me love is love. It shouldn't matter. I have so many close friends and family who are gay I don't even think about it. I just want everyone to have the chance to love who they want to and it just shouldn't matter. Some of the closest people in my life are gay and I have to say, have had longer committed relationships than many of my straight friends - including my beautiful sister Sarah and her partner."

Listen to the boys sing along!

(Tipped by JMG reader Derek)

Press Release Of The Day

Just in via press release:

Australian Marriage Equality has welcomed the support of highly-acclaimed Australian singer and actor Olivia Newton-John. Ms Newton-John has joined other prominent Australians including Hugh Jackman, David Stratton, Margaret Pomeranz, Lizzy Gardiner and Wallaby's captain David Pocock in backing the campaign for reform. According to a statement issued by Ms Newton-John: "With respect to marriage equality I believe that no one has the right to judge and deny couples who love each other the ability to make a marriage commitment. Love is love as much to same-sex couples as to other Australians."

#1 Thirty Years Ago Today

One of the first and definitely the cheesiest of the beefcake pop music videos that would follow. Video bars were still in their infancy, but I vividly recall how the entire room would stop for this. The final scene always delivered a shout.

ONJ To Headline NYC Pride Concert

Olivia Newton-John will perform in concert on NYC's Governor's Island on the Saturday of Pride weekend.

Set off shore on Governor’s Island for an expected crowd of 4000, the event will bring Australia’s infamous beach stateside, complimented by Manhattan’s illuminated skyline as backdrop. Top notch billing will be paired with visuals worth marveling at: a stunning firework display over the East River, the largest outdoor video projection wall in New York’s history, massive sound and light installations, and over-the-top décor. All features of course, adhering to the event’s Australian theme.

Advance tickets at the link. I don't think this show has any official relationship with NYC Pride.

Olivia Newton-John - Magic

Remix and video done as a cancer fundraiser.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of her publicists, today we have five copies of Olivia Newton-John's new album, Grace and Gratitude Renewed, a contemplation on life as a breast cancer survivor, which goes on sale today in North America.

Named for Olivia's appreciation of the gift of life, Grace and Gratitude contains over 20 tracks intended for relaxation and healing. As an eighteen-year breast cancer "thriver," Olivia has learned the importance of physical and emotional health, and especially the power of music. Research has shown that music can lower stress hormones, slow down brain waves and actually boost the body's own healing process. Co-written by the album's producer, Amy Sky, the lyrics acknowledge a variety of belief systems including, Tibetan chants, prayers from Judaism and Islam, and a poem from St. Francis of Assisi. Together, Olivia and Amy took the chakras of the body as the basis for each song on the CD. Each chakra is connected to a sacred truth that reflects your psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being.

Enter to win a copy of Grace and Gratitude Renewed by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave your email address in the text of your comment. Entries close at midnight on Wednesday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Sue Sylvester & ONJ Get Physical

I realized that many of you tender kittens are too young to remember the original video, so you might want to check it out for comparison.

#1 This Week In 1982

The video for Olivia Newton-John's career-defining 1981/1982 smash, Physical, often had its ending cut by MTV and other video channels because its buff men were revealed to be gay as they exited the gym hand-in-hand. Nonetheless, the clip won one of only two Grammys ever given for Video Of The Year, until the category was discontinued after the advent of MTV's Video Music Awards. The video for Physical also spurred the unfortunate fashion of gay men wearing headbands to nightclubs, which I promise you I never ever ever did. Ever.

TRIVIA: Physical had a ten week run at the top of the charts, making it the #1 song for 1982 and the #1 single of the entire 1980's. It was ONJ's last appearance at the top of the charts.