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Speaker 1: This is the Will and Woody podcast.

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Speaker 2: Nini, were just getting in the car and you're not

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Speaker 2: across this news. I'm sorry to be wanted to bring

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Speaker 2: it to you. But one of the greats of entertainment,

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Speaker 2: Australian legend, Olivia Newton John, died today age seventy three,

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Speaker 2: after a very long, really very what she made a

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Speaker 2: very public battle with cancer, really because she wanted everybody

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Speaker 2: to to she wanted more information about it, she wanted

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Speaker 2: better research about it, and really spent the back half

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Speaker 2: of her life dedicated to cancer research.

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Speaker 3: Drive past the Olivia Newton John Cancer Research Center every

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Speaker 3: time I drive to my partner's parents, right, and it's

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Speaker 3: just assigning it. It wasn't just, you know, a flippant

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Speaker 3: support of cancer research.

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Speaker 2: She was. She dedicated to her all the way to

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Speaker 2: the end. She's Dame Olivia Newton John by the end,

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Speaker 2: and really touched. I mean, all the tributes have It's

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Speaker 2: rare that somebody passes away like this and it's just

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Speaker 2: all glowing and people going out of their way and

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Speaker 2: people breaking down in interviews over how much of a

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Speaker 2: wonderful person she was. So we're very, very privileged right

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Speaker 2: now to have a very good friend of Olivia's on

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Speaker 2: the phone right now, man who directed and produced a

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Speaker 2: whole heap of her music, working on a lot of

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Speaker 2: her records, touring with her, I know, writing music for her.

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Speaker 2: And John Farnham you'd obviously know him from Dancing with

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Speaker 2: the Stars in the past as well. It is the

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Speaker 2: one and only Chong Lim who joins us right now.

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Speaker 1: Good afternoon will and will be a good afternoon.

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Speaker 3: How how's today being Chong?

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Speaker 1: Pretty tough, pretty tough, you know, the passing of a great,

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Speaker 1: great Australian it's pretty hard to deal with, you know.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, we were just talking before, mate, obviously, because I

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Speaker 2: know she was in your life. Woods and I are

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Speaker 2: friends with your daughter Sue, and I know that you know,

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Speaker 2: I remember hearing stories about it because Sue was very

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Speaker 2: very little, So I know that you've known her for

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Speaker 2: much longer than a lot of the audience would know

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Speaker 2: her for. And that's an area that I don't know

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Speaker 2: much about either. You know, she was winning because she

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Speaker 2: was winning Eurovision song contests, and obviously she was, as

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Speaker 2: you said to us in the song before, she won

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Speaker 2: four Grammys or something. So can you just paint a

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Speaker 2: bit of a picture of How much of a legend

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Speaker 2: do you think she is?

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Speaker 1: She is an incredible legend. You know. She to me,

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Speaker 1: she was the Beyonce of her time. You know, she

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Speaker 1: had that number one, number one albums, number one singles,

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Speaker 1: she won four Grammys, she had the number one movie

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Speaker 1: in the world. It's still a classic today. And you

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Speaker 1: know she is a very beautiful, gentle, giving soul. And

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Speaker 1: when you meet her, you wouldn't realize she has done

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Speaker 1: all these things. She has album John on our speed dial.

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Speaker 1: You know, wow wow. You know, Lady Gaga goes backstage

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Speaker 1: to Olivia content and gets excited. You know, she's the queen.

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Speaker 1: You know, Olivia Jon's our greatest I reckon, Australia's greatest

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Speaker 1: musical expert. You know, she she turned, she she she comes.

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Speaker 1: You meet her and she's really beautiful and warm and gentle,

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Speaker 1: and yet there's a regal air about her, like you know,

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Speaker 1: there's a person who's done everything there is to do.

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Speaker 1: So she's dedicated her life to helping others. And as

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Speaker 1: you as you had mentioned driving past Olivini and John

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Speaker 1: Weldon Center at the Austin Hospital, you know I was

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Speaker 1: I was there at the trenches with her right at

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Speaker 1: the start, when she she would go to really rich

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Speaker 1: people's houses into rec and and sing these songs and

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Speaker 1: raise money and started a little by little and one

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Speaker 1: hundred million dollars to build this hospital. You know. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: she would you know, sacrifice her songs. I honestly love

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Speaker 1: you and all that. She would auction them off and

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Speaker 1: she says, okay, I'll come to your house and sing

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Speaker 1: a song over dinner, you know, to the highest bidder.

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Speaker 1: She would do that. She would sacrifice her best songs. Wow.

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Speaker 1: You know most people are very protectic, petive. Yeah. Absolutely.

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Speaker 2: When was the last time that you had a conversation

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Speaker 2: with her? Chong And it's not when was What was

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Speaker 2: the last interaction you had with her?

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Speaker 1: Just after New Years? I think I had a quick

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Speaker 1: conversation with her. She always rings me and asks about

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Speaker 1: how I am. She's always concerned about my health because

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Speaker 1: I had a healthcare a few years ago, and she

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Speaker 1: always calls to make sure I'm all right. And ironically,

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Speaker 1: about three weeks ago, I got a miscall from her

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Speaker 1: and she left a message saying, ah, hi, Chongy, this

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Speaker 1: is Livy here. You don't remember we used to work together. Haha.

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Speaker 1: She're so cheerful, and I thought, look, I'll give a

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Speaker 1: call back. I'm a little busy, like i'd be busy.

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Speaker 1: And I thought, ironically, today would be the day of

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Speaker 1: give a call and I have some time and have

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Speaker 1: a cup of tea and have a little chin wagg

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Speaker 1: with her. But not to be. But she never shows

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Speaker 1: her pain. You know, I would say three weeks ago

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Speaker 1: she would have been a little sick, but she would

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Speaker 1: not reveal her pain.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, did she And I mean as a performer,

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Speaker 2: because I know she was. I think I was reading them.

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Speaker 2: In twenty thirteen, she was rediagnosed with cancer. Yeah, she

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Speaker 2: didn't tell anyone about that.

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Speaker 1: That was very no. Yes, she she you know, she

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Speaker 1: was constantly fighting the big sea and oftentimes, you know,

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Speaker 1: I hear about it from her relatives, so close friends saying,

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Speaker 1: oh my goodness. You know, you know, three weeks ago

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Speaker 1: she was, you know, at death door on her bed

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Speaker 1: and they called a priest and there she's alive and

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Speaker 1: well and kicking. And I remember every year I would

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Speaker 1: do the Olivia Newton John Gala Ball charity ball for her,

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Speaker 1: and one year she was really sick and almost in

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Speaker 1: naked to Australia. But she her spine was giving away.

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Speaker 1: And at the concert she was walking around, you know,

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Speaker 1: singing songs and with a keen she would walk through.

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Speaker 1: She was in tremendous pain, but you would never know it. Wow,

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Speaker 1: that's kind of caliber, high caliber person she is. Sorry, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: besides being a great artist, she's a great human being.

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Speaker 3: Carl Stephanovic was talking today about when she'd go and

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Speaker 3: visit people at the Olivia Newton John Research Center, so

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Speaker 3: people with cancer, and you know, she'd be talking to

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Speaker 3: them for a really long periods of time. That obviously

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Speaker 3: takes on a lot of emotion. But when she was,

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Speaker 3: when she was with them, she could, you know, stay

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Speaker 3: strong for them. And then she'd walk out and Karl

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Speaker 3: said to her, he said, how do you take that

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Speaker 3: emotion on? How do you take that on? And she

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Speaker 3: then she was willing to, you know, break down to

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Speaker 3: an extent and go it's really really difficult. But I

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Speaker 3: think that just speaks to you know, the person that

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Speaker 3: she was, and you know she wanted to stay strong

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Speaker 3: for people, and yeah, it's testament to her.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, we should learn from her. You know, she's taken

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Speaker 1: and they giff and made it an a positive. She

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Speaker 1: was diagnosed with cancer and she decided not only to

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Speaker 1: beat it, she held it at bay for thirty over

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Speaker 1: thirty years, and she fought the good battle, personal battle,

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Speaker 1: and to build these hospitals and research centers to to

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Speaker 1: fight cancer is an remarkable achievement by one person.

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Speaker 2: You know, Jeong, If you finished a on a note

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Speaker 2: away from her cancer, what's your greatest memory of her

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Speaker 2: as a performer, as a someone that you obviously spent

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Speaker 2: time writing and recording music with.

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Speaker 1: Well, look, I cherished the days we performed in Las

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Speaker 1: Vegas and also the last concert tour with her and

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Speaker 1: John Farnham called the two strong houts. Yeah yeah, that's right,

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Speaker 1: and they threw it together. Yeah yeah nice.

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Speaker 2: That must have been John Farnham's third last final.

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Speaker 1: Well you know he's doing he did it. He does

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Speaker 1: it for his band, you know, as he knows we

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Speaker 1: need the money, so he goes down to house.

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Speaker 2: Oh that's nice, mate. It sounds like you've got some

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Speaker 2: wonderful memories with a wonderful woman. Thank you so much

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Speaker 2: for coming on the ED today, mate, as your thanks guys,

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Speaker 2: as your friend. I know it's obviously tough getting up

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Speaker 2: all day to have these chats with people, and I

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Speaker 2: know that you're doing it to honor her legacy so

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Speaker 2: that people can be reminded of what a beautiful person

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Speaker 2: she was. So really appreciate it.

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Speaker 1: And congratulations with all your success guys.

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Speaker 2: Thanks, thanks Charlie.

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Speaker 1: Appreciate it. Man. Remember when you were little kids coming

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Speaker 1: to my house to visit. Yes, and I tell them

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Speaker 1: my daughters, who are these, you know, long headed louts?

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Speaker 3: When Will had hair.

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Speaker 1: Everyone loses their eventually. Now, thank you for Johnny's legend.

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Speaker 2: It's been a pleasure to have you on the show.

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Speaker 1: Thank you very much. Thank you for honoring Olivia.

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Speaker 2: Of course, mate, of course it's been a pleasure. Chong

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Speaker 2: Limb there, one of Olivia's great friends, produced a directed

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Speaker 2: recorded toured with her all over the world. Wonderful to

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Speaker 2: hear some Well, it's from a close friend about someone

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Speaker 2: that we probably all just know as a person in

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Speaker 2: the media. You're going to go to a song going

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Speaker 2: to come back in the other side's bill and what

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Speaker 2: do you hope're haing? Wonderful drive home Vallet, Olivia Newton.

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Speaker 1: John Now you're done with that, why not check out

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Speaker 1: more from Will and Woody on the full show podcast,