Olivia Newton-John.Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty
Olivia Newton-John’s Australian fans will have a chance to pay tribute to the late star at a state memorial service in her childhood city of Melbourne, Australia.
The memorial — which was organized with the star’s family — will take place at the Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne on Feb. 26, months after her death last August.
Tickets for the service will be free, though only a limited number are available. Beginning on Feb. 10, fans can register for the event atvic.gov.au/olivia-newton-john.
“Dame Olivia Newton-John was an inspiration to many around the world — her work in cancer research and treatment saved lives and changed lives and her music was the soundtrack to a generation,” Daniel Andrews, Premier for the State of Victoria, said in a statement.
He added, “We know Victorians are eager to celebrate the life of a driving force in medical research and an icon of film and music, with a service befitting her international acclaim.”
The memorial service has been in the works since August, perCNN, when Andrews tweeted about wanting to do something special to celebrate her life — and her family agreed.
On Aug. 8, the four-time Grammy winner andXanadustardied at age 73after a 30-year experience with breast cancer,John Easterling, her husband, announced on her social media channels.
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“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” he wrote at the time. “Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the@onjfoundation.”
“It was at a vineyard near her home in Southern California on the 21st,” a source told PEOPLE at the time. “The family wanted this to be very quiet and private.”
source: people.com
