Olivia

Olivia Newton-John. When I was a kid all you had to say was “Olivia” and everyone knew who you were talking about. She was a one-namer in the 70s.

I’m glad I got to see her perform tonight before she became a one-namer in her 70s.

I said previously that one of the interesting things about Vegas around the holidays is that the headliners are not always performing between Thanksgiving and New Years. Peggy had expressed an interest in seeing Donny & Marie while we were in Vegas (don’t judge). When we looked for tickets we discovered that they were not appearing but that Olivia would be appearing instead.

That’s a no-brainer. Peggy is a huge “Grease” fan, so I did not have to coerce her. I was a teenage boy in Olivia’s heyday, and there really was no one any bigger than she was. Let’s just say I did not have to be convinced, either.

I have a memory from when I was about eleven or twelve years old — so I don’t know if it is accurate or apocryphal — of Olivia winning a Grammy award for “Best Country Vocal” and thinking she was nominated because she was from another country. I have followed her since at least 1973 and, like most young boys, was smitten.

She put on a show! She sang every song that we remembered and were hoping to hear. It was inspiring to hear her speak of the challenges she has faced in her life, and it was wonderful to see her looking like she was having fun on stage.

When you see a star from your childhood it is a celebration of memories. Accepting that Olivia is 68 means embracing that I am now 54. Tonight, 2016 became 1978 for just a little while. And it was a lot of fun.

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