The Olivia Newton-John Deal That Split the Disco Musical

Scandals & Feuds3/5 wildness

The Olivia Newton-John Deal That Split the Disco Musical

Allan Carr and Olivia Newton-John / 1970s

Carr attempted to cast Olivia Newton-John as Samantha Simpson, the retired supermodel who helps create the Village People, hoping to follow the success of Grease with another major pop-musical vehicle. The negotiations collapsed over creative control, particularly over who would write Newton-John's songs. Carr said Newton-John's producer, John Farrar, demanded that Farrar compose two numbers for her, and that Newton-John consequently chose Xanadu instead. Newton-John later disputed Carr's characterization, saying she did not understand his account because her only demand had been the same one she had made for Grease: that Farrar write two songs for her to perform. The decision had substantial consequences. Newton-John became the star of Xanadu, while Can't Stop the Music proceeded with Valerie Perrine and the newly famous Olympic decathlete Bruce Jenner. The two films were later treated as twin symbols of the disco-era collapse, and their association helped inspire John J. B. Wilson to create the Golden Raspberry Awards.