Dionne Warwick has said it was like "losing part of her family" when her close friend Olivia Newton-John died.
EXCLUSIVE: Remembering Olivia Newton-John - Her family, Dolly Parton, Sir Cliff and more share memories
The Grease star was surrounded by the people she loved when she passed away aged 73 at her ranch in California in early August. In HELLO!’s Breast Cancer Awareness special, Dionne joined Dolly Parton and Sir Cliff Richard in paying tribute to the late star.
Speaking from the heart exclusively to HELLO!, the Grammy Award-winning singer got emotional as she detailed her grief following the sad news.
"Olivia was very, very special to me as is her family and I’m going to miss her an awful lot," she told HELLO! "It hit me pretty hard of course. It is very difficult to lose people that you care about and know that care about you. It’s still something I am dealing with.
WATCH: Olivia Newton-John's best moments
"It's like losing part of the family. It's never easy. It won't be easy. I'm certain that I will be able to deal with it over a period of time, it’s still very fresh, still very new. It's hard to believe.
"It gets to the point where she did what she had to do on this earth and God decided this was her destiny and she completed everything he wanted her to do. He said, 'It's time for your reward, come and get it.'"
© Photo: Getty ImagesDionne and Olivia go way back, here they are pictured at an event in Los Angeles in 1974
The musician has reached out to offer her support to Olivia’s husband John and her daughter Chloe. "Condolences are the order of the day, they know I am here and if they ever need anything from me they know they can get it," she said.
Looking to the future, Dionne laid bare her hopes she would be reunited with Olivia one day and in a touching moment she revealed what she would say to her now if she could reach out to her.
READ: Sir Cliff Richard's emotional tribute to 'soulmate' Olivia Newton-John – 'My heart aches'
HEARTBREAKING: Olivia Newton-John’s niece Tottie Goldsmith makes special promise to her in moving letter
She added: "The only thing I would say to her now, especially with what she was going through and how long she was going through it, is basically, 'Hey girlfriend, you've done good!'
"I hope that we all end up in the same place eventually. Hang in and I’ll see you when I see you." Their conversations were ongoing and never ended, Dionne fondly remarked as she reflected on their friendship.
© Photo: Getty ImagesDionne and Olivia had a shared love of music
"We were basically girlfriends," she said. "She was always there for me. She was always there for me whenever I needed her as I was for whenever she needed me."
She added: "Olivia loved to laugh and that’s something I love doing. We were always giggling about something. Really keeping a smile on each other’s faces, that's an important part of friendship. That's something she had a wonderful way of doing."
During their last chat, the American TV host revealed they talked about their mutual love of music. She said: "It had to do with music. How she felt I was an inspiration to her musically and how I inspired her with the way she presented her music the way she sang, the songs she chose to sing.
WATCH: Beautiful tributes for Olivia Newton-John from her family and friends
"Those are the things I will always remember about her." Olivia was also an inspiration to Dionne, leaving behind a legacy of music and her charitable work as well as her giving spirit.
"She's inspiration not only to me but to everybody," she said. "Her giving loving spirit has a lot to do with this and it shows inside that the music that she chose to sing. The smiles on everybody's faces."
Like this story? Sign up to our HELLO! Mail newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
