Dame Olivia Newton John and longtime friend Dolly Parton recorded angelic Jolene duet before Grease star’s death-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro

Dame Olivia Newton John worked with friend Dolly Parton for one last special collaboration before she died (Picture: Getty)

Dame Olivia Newton John and dear friend Dolly Parton worked together for a special collaboration before the actress’ death.

The British-Australian singer died in August at the age of 73, after first being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992.

Dame Olivia became an advocate for cancer research and funding for treatment and used her platform to raise awareness, after she experienced two recurrences of the disease in 2013 and 2017.

Following the sad loss of the Grease star, country icon Dolly paid tribute.

‘So sad to have lost my special friend Olivia Newton-John,’ she wrote on Instagram at the time. ‘So happy that our lives crossed paths. I know her voice is singing beautifully with the angels.’

Now, Dame Olivia’s angelic voice has blessed us once more in the form of a Jolene duet.

Recorded months before she died, the song will undoubtedly be a real treat for fans, injecting a new lease of life in the classic which was first released in 1974.

Dame Olivia’s husband, John Easterling, sat down for an interview with Today’s Hoda Kotb to speak about the recording.

‘It’s a gorgeous duet,’ he said.

‘Dolly’s a wonderful person, was a good friend of Olivia.’

John went on to praise his late wife’s vocal talents, after hearing her belt out the famous tune in harmony with the 9 to 5 hitmaker herself.

The late star’s husband, John Easterling, says her voice was a ‘gift’ (Picture: Instagram)

‘I think it expresses part of who she was,’ he explained.

‘She, as I do, (felt) like everyone has a very unique and special gift. I mean, for her it was her voice. She knew that. That was a gift. She understood it was a gift, and she gave that very generously.’

John, who was married to Dame Olivia for 14 years, added that she ‘continued to give generously’ throughout her life, noting that her duet with Dolly was the ‘last thing’ she did.

Dame Olivia died almost six months ago after a lengthy battle with cancer (Picture: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

The Grease actress was known and loved for her angelic vocals (Picture: Paramount Pictures/Fotos International/Getty Images)

‘That was just part of her gift, part of her giving, part of her sharing, part of her loving.’

Dame Olivia’s widower has remained largely out of the limelight since her death six months ago, deciding not to attend Melbourne’s annual Walk for Wellness cancer fundraising event last year due to his grief.

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However, the businessman recently paid tribute to his late spouse in an appearance at the 20th anniversary G’Day USA Arts Gala in Los Angeles.

According to The Mirror, he hailed Dame Olivia ‘the most courageous and compassionate woman’ in a speech at the event which was also attended by Dame Olivia’s daughter Chloe Lattanzi.

‘Every day with Olivia was a bit of magic. Every day with Olivia was supernatural,’ he said of his wife of 15 years.

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