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===Career beginnings=== Newton-John went to primary school with [[Daryl Braithwaite]], who also followed a singing career.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Segaert |first=Anthony |date=10 August 2022 |title='Lively with noteworthy eyes': The untold story of Olivia Newton-John's school years |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/celebrity/lively-with-noteworthy-eyes-the-untold-story-of-olivia-newton-john-s-school-years-20220810-p5b8si.html |access-date=15 August 2022 |website=Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref> At age 14, with three classmates, Newton-John formed a short-lived, all-girl group called Sol Four which often performed at a coffee shop owned by her brother-in-law.<ref name="ilovethatsong1">{{cite web|url=http://ilovethatsong.com/artist/default.aspx?aid=237|title=Olivia Newton-John β Hip-O Records|publisher=Ilovethatsong.com|date=26 October 1987|access-date=10 November 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111223646/http://ilovethatsong.com/artist/default.aspx?aid=237|archive-date=11 January 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Newton-John originally wanted to become a veterinarian but then chose to focus on performance after doubting her ability to pass science exams.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 August 2022 |title=Dame Olivia Newton-John obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/aug/08/olivia-newton-john-obituary |access-date=17 August 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> In 1964, Newton-John's acting talent was first recognised portraying Lady Mary Lasenby in her [[University High School, Melbourne|University High School's]] production of ''[[The Admirable Crichton]]'' as she became the Young Sun's Drama Award best schoolgirl actress runner-up.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olivia in the Melbourne University High School Play |url=https://onlyolivia.com/memorabilia/presscut/60s/64-01-01-au-crichton-play.html |access-date=17 August 2022 |website=onlyolivia.com}}</ref> She then became a regular on local Australian television shows, including ''Time for Terry'' and [[HSV (TV station)|HSV-7]]'s ''[[Happy Hammond|The Happy Show]]'', where she performed as "Lovely Livvy".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Campbell |first1=Amy |title=Olivia Newton-John on Why She Won't Watch The Hopelessly Devoted To You Biopic |url=https://www.gq.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/olivia-newtonjohn-on-the-onj-wellness-walk-and-why-she-wont-watch-the-hopelessly-devoted-to-you-biopic/news-story/642852b731a2bcc50ecd4b9fa29abeca |access-date=5 August 2019 |work=GQ |date=5 September 2018}}</ref> She also appeared on ''[[The Go!! Show]],'' where she met her future duet partner, singer [[Pat Carroll (singer)|Pat Carroll]], and her future music producer, [[John Farrar]]. (Carroll and Farrar later married.) In 1965, she entered and won a talent contest on the television program ''[[Sing, Sing, Sing (TV series)|Sing, Sing, Sing]],'' hosted by 1960s Australian icon [[Johnny O'Keefe]]. She performed the songs "[[Anyone Who Had a Heart (song)|Anyone Who Had a Heart]]" and "[[Everything's Coming Up Roses]]". She was initially reluctant to use her prize, a trip to Great Britain, but travelled there nearly a year later after her mother encouraged her to broaden her horizons.<ref name="books.google.com" /> While in Britain, Newton-John missed her then-boyfriend, [[Ian Turpie]],<ref name="Murphy"/> with whom she had co-starred in the 1965 Australian telefilm ''[[Funny Things Happen Down Under]]''. She repeatedly booked trips back to Australia that her mother cancelled.<ref name="ilovethatsong1" /> In 1966, Newton-John recorded her first single, "Till You Say You'll Be Mine", in Britain for [[Decca Records]].<ref name="books.google.com" /> Newton-John's outlook changed when Pat Carroll moved to the UK. The two formed a duo called Pat and Olivia and toured nightclubs in Europe. (In one incident, they were booked at [[Paul Raymond's Revue]] in [[Soho]], London, and were unaware that it was a [[strip club]] until they began to perform onstage dressed primly in frilly high-collared dresses.)<ref name="classic bands.com">{{cite web|author=Pore-Lee-Dunn Productions|url=http://www.classicbands.com/olivia.html|title=Olivia Newton-John|publisher=Classicbands.com|date=26 September 1948|access-date=13 August 2010}}"</ref> During this period, she and Carroll contributed backup vocals to recordings by a number of other artists, notably the song "Come In, You'll Get Pneumonia" by [[the Easybeats]]. After Carroll's visa expired, Carroll was forced to return to Australia but Newton-John remained in Britain to pursue solo work.<ref name="classic bands.com" /> Newton-John was recruited for the group Toomorrow,<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web|url=https://people.com/archive/cover-story-pops-hottest-pipes-vol-3-no-7/|title=Pop's Hottest Pipes|website=People|first=Robert|last=Windeler|date=24 February 1975|access-date=10 November 2008}}</ref> formed by American producer [[Don Kirshner]]. In 1970, the group starred in the science fiction musical ''[[Toomorrow (film)|Toomorrow]]'' and recorded an accompanying [[Toomorrow (soundtrack)|soundtrack album]] on [[RCA Records]]; both the LP and the movie were named after the group. That same year, the group made two single recordings: "You're My Baby Now"/"Goin' Back" and "I Could Never Live Without Your Love"/"Roll Like a River". Neither track became a chart success; the project failed and the group disbanded.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlyolivia.com/visual/toomorrow/index.html|website=Only Olivia|title=Olivia Newton-John movie Toomorrow|access-date= 29 February 2020}}</ref>
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