Looking out from centre stage, Hamer Hall was blanketed in darkness, Bumpy barely making out faces in the first two rows as dim light kissed prominent features.
Butterflies wisped softly inside her stomach, their wings brushing ever so gently against her insides; she was used to performing.
But this time was different.
An overwhelming sense of empowerment and honour swirled through Bumpy’s every cell, blending together like colourful paint, creating an internal masterpiece that only she knew.
Thousands of bodies sat silently, patiently, waiting; every 2466 seats at the largest indoor venue at Arts Centre Melbourne, its magnificent earthly, cave-like interior hidden in darkness, were filled to pay tribute to Dame Olivia Newton-John.
Four thousand nine hundred and thirty-two eyes were now glued on Bumpy as she stepped closer to the microphone; Hamer Hall was dead silent in all its vastness.
The 27-year-old proud Noongar woman could make out every sound, every break, tone and oscillation of her long, deep breath.
Bumpy closed her eyes, clasping her hands together in front of her as she took another long, deep breath; the radiant stage light above beamed down, warm golden rays bleeding down her limbs, reaching her feet only to be consumed by pooling shadows.
Beside her, sitting, waiting, fingers hovering above ivory piano keys, ready to accompany the radiantly glowing singer on the momentous occasion, was Bumpy band member, pianist Jake Amy.
Time to sing.
Former Catholic College Sale student Bumpy (Amy Dowd) accompanied by South Gippsland local Jake Amy, performed Olivia Newton John’s 2006 song ‘Grace and Gratitude’ at the artist’s star-studded memorial at Hamer Hall in Melbourne, hosted by TV presenter and actor David Campbell.
“I am not entirely sure how I got selected, but I was approached by email and soon found out that someone had put my name forward to Olivia Newton John’s family,” Bumpy said.
“They had a few names to select from, and the family picked me and asked if I would perform at the memorial.
“We had a yarn about which would be the best song and which one felt right, and they put forward two of them, and then I chose Grace and Gratitude.”
Surreal, that is how Sale-born and raised artist Bumpy described performing at Dame Olivia Newton-John’s memorial.
“It is such a dream venue, first of all, to play at, and to play honouring someone as incredible as Olivia Newton-John, and the scale of that event was just mind-blowing,” she said.
“Jake is also from South Gippsland, so we were just there, two little country kids running around going ‘how did we get here?’
“It was really powerful to take up that space, and I also just felt honoured to be asked to perform at something like that, surrounded by such incredible people and big people in the audience.”
Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Di Kerr OAM performed the Welcome to Country and reflected on the times she had met Dame Olivia Newton-John and how much joy the artist’s music and movies had brought her and her family.
Christ Church Grammar School Choir, the school that Dame Olivia Newton-John attended, performed the Australian National Anthem, and video tributes, photos and fond memories were shared by her husband, John Easterling, daughter Chloe Lattanzi, and niece, Tottie Goldsmith OAM.
Professor Matthias Ernst, speaking on behalf of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and Debbie Shiell, on behalf of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre, both spoke of Dame Olivia Newton-John’s extraordinary contribution and dedication as a patron and advocate for the hospital that bears her name.
On behalf of the entertainment industry, Richard Wilkins AM commemorated Dame Olivia Newton-John’s passion for making the world a better place through her music, movies, foundation, philanthropy, and sharing her spirit with everyone and anyone who was lucky enough to meet her.
Video tributes from friends from around the world, including Dolly Parton, Nicole Kidman AC, Sir Cliff Richard OBE, P!nk, Sir Barry Gibb AC CBE, Mariah Carey, Keith Urban AO, RuPaul, Hugh Jackman AC, Tina Arena AM, Richard Marx and Sir Elton John CH CBE, honoured the Australian icon, before Delta Goodrem AM and her band performed the final tribute of the service, with a stirring, impassioned, emotional medley of Dame Olivia Newton John’s greatest hits.
As Bumpy stood centre stage at Hamer Hall, it was almost inconceivable that the Sale artist, who had once performed in a Maffra Dramatic Society production of Grease and grew up listening to Dame Olivia Newton John’s songs was now performing in memory of one of the greatest Australian artists and activists of all time.
“It would have been Year 7 or Year 8 when I did Grease with the Maffra drama crew, and obviously, Grease was one of those classics that was always on repeat on TV,” Bumpy said.
“Mum and dad had all her records.
“Olivia Newton-John is just a household name that everybody knows; they know the songs and all of the hits.
“It was just so magical to be on stage, in a sold-out, dream venue, performing for such an incredible icon of Australian music and activism.”
Dame Olivia Newton-John was a four-time Grammy Award winner, with 15 top 10 songs, five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and two number-one albums on the Billboard 200, and sold more than 100 million records.
The Australian artist was appointed a Goodwill ambassador to the United Nations Environment Programme, responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system, in 1990 and became the national spokesperson for the Colette Chuda Environmental Fund/CHEC (Children’s Health Environmental Coalition) in 1991.
In 1992, at the age of 44, Dame Olivia Netwon-John was diagnosed with breast cancer, receiving the diagnosis the same weekend her father, Brinley Newton-John, died of cancer.
Following her breast cancer diagnosis, Dame Olivia Newton-John underwent a partial mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy and breast reconstruction, after which she advocated for breast cancer research and other health issues.
In collaboration with the Austin Hospital in Melbourne’s inner north, Dame Olivia Newton-John founded the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre (ONJ Centre) in 2012, where she advocated for a holistic approach to treating the disease that involves traditional medical treatment, as well as herbal therapy, meditation, and lifestyle and diet changes.
“I believe that through our research, we will ultimately find cures for all types of cancer,” Dame Olivia Newton-John said when opening the ONJ Centre.
“My dream is that one day the ONJ Centre will be only about wellness, and we will no longer need cancer centres because cancer will be a thing of the past.”
Dame Olivia Netwon-John remained cancer free until 2013, when it returned as a tumour in her shoulder, then again in 2017 as a tumour at the base of her spine.
On August 8, 2022, Olivia Newton-John succumbed to her cancer battle and died surrounded by her family and friends at her Southern California ranch at the age of 73.
For Sale born artist Bumpy, the honour of performing at the State Memorial Service for Dame Olivia Newton-John AC DBE on Sunday, February 26, will be cherished forever.
