Sabrina Carpenter opened Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour show in Melbourne, Australia, with a rendition of Grease’s “Hopelessly Devoted To You” in honor of the late Olivia Newton-John. The 24-year-old stunned the crowd of over 96,000 with her stunning performance as she went on her knees while asking them to sing along.
Clips of Sabrina’s singing have made rounds on social media, with a particular one garnering millions of views and over 400,000 likes. Fans praised her talent and delivery of the iconic song from the 1978 movie musical featuring John Travolta, Olivia, Jeff Conaway, and more Hollywood gems.
Sabrina Carpenter does Olivia Newton-John proud with ‘Grease’ cover
@bencoatss sabrina carpenter singing a cover of hopelessly devoted to you in melbourne !! #sabrinacarpenter #erastour #melb #melbourne ♬ original sound – ben coats
A commenter pointed out that “Olivia Newton-John is Australian, so this is such a beautiful tribute to her,” and several people agreed in their replies. “How beautiful, a tribute to our Olivia,” another added. Someone else commended Sabrina’s version of “Hopelessly Devoted To You” as “the best version outside of Olivia’s I have ever heard.”
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It has been over a year since Olivia died in August 2022 after a long battle with breast cancer, which spread to other parts of her body, including her back. She passed away at her ranch in Southern California with her husband, John Easterling, and other family members present. “Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” Easterling wrote on Instagram at the time.
Olivia’s legacy lives on
The crowd at Melbourne, where Olivia grew up, was left stunned by the performance, proving that Olivia’s legacy lives on with younger ones singing along to her classics. The late four-time Grammy-winning icon recorded her first single, “Till You Say You’ll Be Mine,” in 1966 and went on to release more chart-topping tracks in the following decade.
After her passing, a special state funeral was held in her honor, and the state premier of Victoria dedicated the event to her for “music and film and all the other amazing contributions that she made.” Per Grease, she initially turned down the gig due to her accent but thankfully reconsidered, and the film’s fans remain ever grateful for her portrayal of Sandy Olsson.