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The Australian entertainer, who passed away last week aged 68 after a battle with cancer, reportedly started dating Newton-John after meeting her on the set of Time for Terry when he was only 21.
A friend of Turpie told Woman's Day magazine: "He was Olivia's first big love. Olivia was a gorgeous girl with a sweet voice, and as soon as she and Ian sang together there was amazing chemistry - he was bowled over by her and she fell hard for him."
According to the source, Newton-John's "stage mum" Irene was the reason for their eventual split. They said: "As soon as the romance started getting really serious she whisked Olivia off to London, leaving a broken-hearted Ian behind."
Turpie later went on to enjoy a 40-year marriage to Jan, during which time they had children Michelle, Sacha and Joshua.
His funeral took place in Sydney last weekend. During a speech, Turpie's daughter Michelle remembered him as a man who "unconditionally loved so many people" describing him as "unique", "passionate" and "much loved".
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