The Chicks Cover Olivia Newton-John's 'Hopelessly Devoted to You' in Her Memory

The Chicks and Olivia Newton-John
Christie Goodwin/Redferns; Robin L Marshall/Getty Images

The group paid tribute to the late actress by performing the 'Grease' ballad during their Washington tour stop on Saturday night.

The Chicks honored Olivia Newton-John during their tour stop in Washington Saturday night.

Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, took a break from their set to perform "Hopelessly Devoted to You," the solo ballad made famous by the late singer-actress in the movie musical, Grease.

"We lost a worldwide sweetheart last week, Olivia Newton-John," Maines, who encouraged the crowd to sing along, said. "I thought I was Olivia Newton-John from like 4 to 12, and then I just wished I was Olivia Newton-John. So we worked up today at soundcheck a little Olivia Newton-John song."

And the crowd did sing along, with the sound of the audience reciting the track, word-for-word heard alongside Maines' rendition of the power ballad.

Maines ended the heartfelt performance with one more shoutout to Newton-John as the crowd continued to cheer and applaud.

Newton-John's husband, John Easterling, announced the news of her passing last Monday in a heartfelt tribute shared to Instagram, writing alongside a photo of the actress, "Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends."

"Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer," the statement continued. "Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the @onjfoundation."

Newton-John's long-term battle with cancer began in 1992 when she went public with her first diagnosis of breast cancer. She went on to fund the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia and had been a fierce advocate for cancer treatment and research.

For more on the actress' life and legacy, and the outpouring of love for Newton-John in the wake of her death, see the video below.

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