The proceeds from the never-before-heard song benefit the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, which sponsors global research into plant medicine for cancer.
ADVERTISEMENTTwo years since the death of Grammy Award winning singer and Grease star Olivia Newton-John, a never-before-heard song has been released.
Titled ‘My Dream’, the song is a duet produced by Jim Brickman and features Italian operatic pop trio Il Volo. It came out of a songwriting session 15 years ago but was never finished. It was rediscovered by Brickman and lyricist Victoria Shaw.
Now completed, the proceeds of the song benefit the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund – an independent charity sponsoring global research into plant medicine for cancer.
The British-Australian artist behind hits like ‘Summer Nights’, ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ and ‘Physical’ was first diagnosed with breast cancer in the ’90s. She founded her fund with the belief that a cancer free world was possible. She died on 8 August 2022 at the age of 73.
In an interview with People magazine, Brickman shared: « It all happened in one day at Olivia’s house in Malibu. First writing in the morning and then recording a quick demo in the afternoon at John Farrar’s, Olivia’s longtime collaborator’s, studio. The version you hear now is from that original session. A very relaxed and happy day.”
He continued: « It started as a romantic duet, but has now become more significant as a theme that resonated with Olivia about her dream and hope for a cure for cancer. »
« I decided to finish the song to honour my dear friend, her beautiful spirit, and her foundation » – which is run by Newton-John’s widow John Easterling.
Easterling emphasised Brickman’s generosity for donating 100% of the proceeds from the unreleased track and when talking about the song to People, he added: « How appropriate the title is – Olivia’s dream was really to realise the world beyond cancer.”
Additional sources • People
