Delta Goodrem still finds it hard to talk about Olivia Newton-John's death trends now
As the country gets ready for Olivia Newton John's state memorial this Sunday, Delta Goodrem has reflected on the kind gesture the legendary singer showed her as a child that has had a massive impact on her life.
The Australian singer, 38, told The Australian Women's Weekly when she was just seven-years-old, she spotted Olivia at the Phantom of the Opera in New York, and the star walked over to greet her.
'I've always thought of that moment when I see young ones at a table. It's my responsibility to walk over there,' she said.
'Olivia was an incredible teacher like that. The kindness she showed me that day had a profound impact on how I would treat people that I met later in my life – by her example.'
The Innocent Eyes singer always looked up to Olivia as an artist, and their bond grew even stronger at the most difficult time in her life- when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at just 18-years-old.
Delta Goodrem (pictured) has reflected on the kind gesture that Olivia Newton John showed her as a child that had a massive impact on her life, in an interview with Women's Weekly
Olivia was first diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time in 1992, and when Delta received her diagnosis in 2003, she told the young star that one day she would see it 'as a gift'.
'I was an 18-year-old trying to do the best I could,' Delta told the publication, recalling her scary diagnosis.
'I wasn't trying to share, or not to share, I was just trying to be a human being and go through it. Of course, I knew it was an extraordinary circumstance to have a number one album at the same time but I just stepped it day by day.
'But that's a long time ago now. I'm fit, I'm healthy. And standing as a survivor gives us an ability to talk and make a difference. Not one moment defines us. I'm not just one thing or one moment.
The Australian singer, 38, told The Australian Women's Weekly when she was just seven-years-old, she spotted Olivia at the Phantom of the Opera in New York, and the star walked over to greet her. Pictured together
Delta stars in a stunning photoshoot for the new issue of The Australian Women's Weekly
'But to talk about this moment is important for other people's journeys – to be able to remind people to see the other side.'
This positive attitude was cemented by her childhood hero Olivia, who died at the age of 78 in August 2022 after a decades long battle with breast cancer.
'Olivia told me that one day – not now but one day – you'll see [your cancer diagnosis] as a gift, to be a
