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John Farnham

January 01, 1970

John Peter Farnham AO (born 1 July 1949) is a British-born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed until then as Johnny Farnham. He has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer.[1] His career has mostly been as a solo artist, although he replaced Glenn Shorrock as lead singer of Little River Band from 1982 to 1985.[2][3]

John Farnham
AO
Farnham in 2014
Born
John Peter Farnham

(1949-07-01) 1 July 1949 (age 74)
Dagenham, Essex, England
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Years active1964–present
Spouse
Jillian Billman
​
(m. 1973)​
Children
  • Robert
  • James
Musical career
OriginMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
GenresPop rock, adult contemporary, soft rock, soul music, R&B
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
  • keyboards
  • percussion
Labels
Formerly of
Websitejohnfarnham.com.au
Signature

In November 1986, his solo single "You're the Voice" peaked at No. 1 on the Australian singles charts.[4][5] The associated album, Whispering Jack, held the No. 1 position for a total of 25 weeks.[4][5] Both the single and the album had top-ten success internationally, including No. 6 in the United Kingdom and No.1 in Sweden.[6][7] Whispering Jack is the third-highest-selling album in Australian history, and as of May 2023 remains the highest-selling album in Australia by an Australian act.[8]

Farnham has become one of his country's best-known and most popular performers,[1] and he is the only Australian artist to have a number-one record (album or single) in five consecutive decades (echoing that of Cliff Richard in the UK), with singles including "Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)" in 1967, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" in 1970, and "Age of Reason" in 1988;[4][5] and albums Whispering Jack in 1986, Age of Reason in 1988, Chain Reaction in 1990, Then Again... in 1993, 33⅓ in 2000, and The Last Time in 2002.[4][5][9] Along with touring with numerous artists, including The Seekers and international acts like Stevie Nicks and Lionel Richie, he released various collaborative albums: Tom Jones on Together in Concert (2005); Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow, including Highlights from The Main Event (1998); Two Strong Hearts Live (2015); and Friends for Christmas (2016).[10]

Farnham has been recognised by many honours and awards, including 1987 Australian of the Year, 1996 Officer of the Order of Australia, and 19 ARIA Awards, including his 2003 induction into the Hall of Fame.[9][11][12][13] Starting in 1969, he was voted by TV Week readers as the 'King of Pop' for five consecutive years.[14][15][16][17]

Aside from his recording career, Farnham performed on stage with lead roles in Australian productions of Charlie Girl, Pippin and 1992's Jesus Christ Superstar.[1] He starred in his own TV series and specials, including It's Magic (With Colleen Hewett), Bobby Dazzler, and Farnham and Byrne (with Debra Byrne), and as a guest on numerous other popular shows such as The Don Lane Show, Countdown and Hey Hey It's Saturday.[1][18]

Early life edit

John Peter Farnham was born in Mile End Hospital, East Ham, East London, England, on 1 July 1949, to John Peter Farnham Sr., and Rose (née Pemberton) Farnham.[19] His sisters are Jean and Jacqueline, and his younger brother is Steven.[19] Farnham spent his first ten years in the United Kingdom before his family immigrated to Australia in 1959 to live in Melbourne, Victoria.[19][20] He attended school at Yarraman Park State School (now Yarraman Oaks Primary School),[21] Lyndale Primary School and Lyndale High School.[19]

Musical career edit

1964–67: The Mavericks to Strings Unlimited edit

As Johnny Farnham he performed with local band The Mavericks on weekends, while still attending school, from 1964. The band had a five-song repertoire. In late 1965, he was asked to join band Strings Unlimited as lead singer; it was a band composed entirely of string-only instruments, and they had a regular booking at a local hotel.[2][19][20]

In 1966, after making the state finals of the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds, they recorded a three-track demo tape with Farnham on vocals, Stewart Male on lead guitar, Barry Roy on rhythm guitar, Mike Foenander on keyboards, Joe Cincotta on bass and Peter Foggie on drums.[22]

On 29 April 1967, Strings Unlimited performed as a backing band for pop singer Bev Harrell in Cohuna. Harrell's manager and then-boyfriend, Darryl Sambell, was impressed with Farnham's vocals and offered to become his manager.[16][22] Initially performing in Sambell's home town of Adelaide, Farnham recorded a light advertising jingle "Susan Jones" (with the Susan Jones Rock Five) for airline company Ansett-ANA[23] and was offered a solo record contract working with EMI under house producer David Mackay.[24]

1967–79: Teen pop idol edit

Farnham's first commercially successful recording was a cover of American novelty song "Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)"; Sambell had disliked it, as the lyrics were so persistent.[16] However, EMI's in-house producer, David MacKay, insisted, and so the single was released in November 1967. The B-side, "In My Room" was written by Farnham.[25] By arrangement with Sambell, Melbourne radio DJ Stan Rofe pretended that he disliked "Sadie" before playing it.[16][20] The song gave Farnham recognition in Australia.[26] Rofe continued the ploy on TV's Uptight and viewers responded with calls to play the song.[20] It hit No. 1 on the Australian singles charts in January 1968 and remained there for 6 weeks.[4] Selling 180,000 copies in Australia, "Sadie" was the highest-selling single by an Australian artist of the decade and became the biggest-selling single in Australia at that time.[16][27][28] Rofe was a writer for Go-Set, a teen-oriented pop magazine. Another writer for the magazine, Molly Meldrum, praised Farnham's efforts.[16] Go-Set ran a pop poll to determine the 'King of Pop', which was first won by Normie Rowe for 1967–1968.[14][16][29] Farnham's 1968 singles were "Underneath the Arches" and "I Don't Want to Love You"; each peaked at #6.[4]

In 1969, Farnham released his album Everybody Oughta Sing a Song, which peaked at No. 12 on the Australian albums charts. His next single was a cover of Harry Nilsson's "One"; Farnham's version peaked at #4.[4] When TV Week sponsored the 'King of Pop' awards, readers would forward their votes from coupons; Farnham won the most popular male award and was crowned 'King of Pop' five consecutive times from 1969 to 1973.[14][16][29] He recorded a cover of the B.J. Thomas hit "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", which became his second No. 1 hit in December 1969 and remained at top spot for seven weeks into January 1970.[1][4]

Farnham's next album, Looking Through a Tear, was released in July 1970 and peaked at #11. "Comic Conversations", his single from October, peaked at #10.[4] During 1971, Farnham teamed up with Allison Durbin, who had been chosen as 'Most Popular Female Performer' at the 'King of Pop' awards for 1969–71.[14] They released an album, Together, in September and a single, "Baby, Without You". in November, both peaked into the top 30 of their respective charts.[4] As well as his singing career, Farnham performed in stage musicals, starting with Dick Whittington and His Cat in 1971, and on television variety shows either as a guest performer or as a host.[28]

At 22, Farnham was appointed 'King of Moomba' in 1972, with Melbourne paper The Sun describing him as a "likeable English migrant" who is "King of Pop, King of Kids and today Johnny Farnham was King of Moomba."[30] In 1972, Farnham had a top 5 national hit with a cover version of the title track from the David Cassidy international hit album, Rock Me Baby.[31]

Another stage musical for Farnham was Charlie Girl in 1971.[32] Jillian Billman was one of the dancers, and Farnham married her on 18 April 1973. Meldrum announced their wedding plans in Go-Set but Sambell denied the early reports, and, despite being best man at the wedding, was against Billman marrying Farnham.[16] The clean-cut pop star had made several more albums and singles, but by the mid-1970s his recording career had begun to dwindle and he turned more to stage musicals and television.[28] Farnham and 'Queen of Pop' for 1972–1973, Colleen Hewett, combined on the 1973–74 stage musical, Pippin,[33][34][35] and its associated show album released in 1974.[36] Also in 1974, Farnham and Hewett were co-hosts of It's Magic, a children's TV series on Channel Ten.[36] He became familiar to viewers of Countdown when hosting its first colour transmission in early 1975 and introducing Skyhooks' performance of "Horror Movie".[18] Relations with Sambell became strained and in January 1976 they announced their split.[16] Farnham first turned to Kenn Brodziak, producer of Pippin, for his management during 1976–78, and then to Danny Finley, Hewett's then husband, from 1978.[20]

Farnham starred in a situation comedy series Bobby Dazzler as the title character during 1977–78, the pilot Me & Mr Thorne, and narrated documentaries including Survival with Johnny Farnham.[37][1] Farnham was in financial trouble with unpaid taxes and the collapse of a restaurant venture with Hewett and Finley.[20] Farnham's singing career was now confined to the cabaret circuit and stage musicals. In 1979, he changed his stage name to John Farnham.[1][20]

1980–85: Little River Band era edit

Farnham met Glenn Wheatley, who was bass guitarist of 1960s rock group The Masters Apprentices, when both acts were managed by Sambell.[16] Wheatley was now managing Little River Band (LRB), and Farnham signed with Wheatley in 1980.[16] They decided his comeback single would be a reworking of The Beatles' "Help!", which was produced by LRB's Graeham Goble,[2] it peaked at #8.[4] Farnham was utilising a more adult contemporary pop style[1][28] and the associated album, Uncovered, also produced by Goble,[2] peaked at #20.[4] The B-side of "Help" was another of Farnham's songwriting efforts "Jillie's Song", co-written with Goble.[38]

In recording the album, Farnham's studio band were guitarist Tommy Emmanuel (ex-Southern Star Band), keyboardist Mal Logan (ex-Renée Geyer Band, LRB), drummer Derek Pellicci (LRB) and bass guitarist Barry Sullivan (ex-Chain). They became his tour band until Logan and Pellicci returned to their LRB commitments and were replaced by Sam McNally and David Jones, respectively.[1] In 1980, Farnham also appeared in a TV series entitled Farnham and Byrne with former Young Talent Time teen star and 'Queen of Pop' Debra Byrne.[1] Three other solo singles followed in 1981, but none of them charted into the top 50.[4]

In February 1982, after Glenn Shorrock had departed Little River Band, Farnham became their lead vocalist after recommendations by Goble and Wheatley.[1][20] Farnham had initially resisted the idea of joining LRB, but Wheatley convinced him that Shorrock approved of the replacement.[16] This continued Farnham's move away from cabaret and into rock music.[28]

With Farnham, Little River Band recorded three studio albums, which had modest success, but it was not enough to pay back the advances the record company had provided. The first studio album, The Net, was already written, and Farnham had no say in the songs; he just had to record his lead vocals. In the US, charting albums with Farnham's vocals included Greatest Hits (1982), The Net (1983), and Playing to Win (1984) on Billboard Pop Albums chart/Billboard 200.[39] While charting singles were, "The Other Guy", "We Two", "You're Driving Me Out of My Mind" and "Playing to Win".[40] Farnham's biggest Australian hits with LRB were the 1982 single "Down on the Border" which peaked at No. 7 and The Net which peaked at No. 11 on the albums charts in 1983.[4]

During this time, Farnham started supplying vocal tracks for films, including Savage Streets (1984), The Slugger's Wife (1985), and Fletch (1985); he later continued with Rad (1986) and Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1987).[1] "Justice for One" was co-written by Farnham,[41][42] for Savage Streets and it was released as a solo single.[1]

Little River Band recorded a concert in Melbourne that aired in the United States on HBO. The concert video was only one hour long, and it highlighted some of the songs from The Net as well as reworked versions of Little River Band classics such as "Cool Change" and "Reminiscing". "Please Don't Ask Me", a song written by Goble,[43] and a non-top 50 single for Farnham almost three years previously,[4] was played during the "Australian-themed" opening of the show. Despite positive Australian and US reviews and responses, this performance has not yet been released on VHS or DVD.[citation needed]

In an interview with Channel Seven, Farnham stated: "I'll be better off leaving, rather than putting myself under pressure that I've created." Through this matter, it became apparent to the band that Farnham was intending on leaving and Playing to Win's lead single "Playing to Win", a song believed by all to be the band's return to success, then started having authorship disputes. According to Farnham:

["Playing to Win" was] about my frustration in the band, about wanting out, not wanting to be there any more. There was a bit of in-fighting and we were doing it hard on the road. That's what inspired the song.[16]

— John Farnham

As a result, Farnham's relationship with the band was further sullied. To date, the royalties for the song are meticulously divided with different shares to each of the song's contributors, including Goble, Farnham, Stephen Housden, David Hirschfelder and Wayne Nelson.[44] By late 1985, LRB were in conflict again and Farnham left.[1] In mid-1986, Little River Band released the third studio album, No Reins, but Farnham was already pursuing his solo career.[16]

1986–97: Peak solo years edit

"You're the Voice" and Whispering Jack edit

Farnham had started collecting a songlist for a future solo album while still in Little River Band. He finished his vocals for their album, No Reins, and left in late 1985.[1][16]

Farnham's first solo performances since 1981 were live shows with Brett Garsed on lead guitar, Sam See on guitar, Derek Pellicci on drums, and Bruno Di Stanislo on electric bass and vocals. Sound engineer Ross Fraser suggested to Farnham's manager Glenn Wheatley that it was time to start working on the solo album. Wheatley searched vainly for a producer and record label willing to work with Farnham; Fraser took on the producer role, and Wheatley provided financial support after mortgaging his house.[20]

While visiting a jazz club in the US, Farnham was mistakenly introduced as Jack Phantom, and when he subsequently provided a running commentary for a local pool game he named himself Whispering Jack Phantom after the Pot Black commentator, "Whispering Ted Lowe".[16] His work for the album, Whispering Jack, included expanding his songlist with Fraser's advice. "A Touch of Paradise" was written by Gulliver Smith and Mondo Rock's Ross Wilson,[45] while "Pressure Down" was provided by Harry Bogdanovs.[46] Two weeks before the album was due to be recorded a demo tape arrived from London with similar material as "Pressure Down", Farnham and Fraser listened to the demo of "You're the Voice" and knew they had found a once-in-a-lifetime song. Another song on offer was "We Built This City" but Farnham knocked it back, so it was later recorded by US band Starship.[16]

Initially, public interest in the re-branded former teen idol was difficult to cultivate, and radio stations refused to play Farnham's album. Things, however, started to change after Sydney radio station 2Day FM played its first single, "You're the Voice", which was released in September 1986. Henceforth, radio stations began receiving requests for the song. Its television debut was on Hey Hey It's Saturday with Skyhook's Greg Macainsh providing bass guitar.[16] "You're the Voice", peaked at No. 1 in Germany,[47] Sweden[48] and Australia,[4] as well as being a top ten hit in some European countries: #3 in Switzerland,[49] #6 in the UK,[50] and No. 6 in Austria.[51] The song was written by Andy Qunta (ex-Icehouse), Keith Reid (Procol Harum), Maggie Ryder and Chris Thompson (ex-Manfred Mann's Earth Band).[52]

Whispering Jack, released in September, became the highest-selling album by an Australian act in Australia, at the time, and peaked at number one on the Australian Album Charts for a total of 25 weeks.[4] As of 2006, it was 24× platinum indicating sales of over 1.68 million units in Australia alone.[53] The album was released internationally on RCA/BMG and peaked at No. 1 in Sweden,[48][54] No. 3 in Austria, and Top 20 in Norway. In August 1988 it returned to the Australian Top Ten. It also was the first Australian made music CD released in Australia.[54][5] Other charting Australian singles were December's "Pressure Down", which peaked at No. 4, March 1987's "Touch of Paradise" and September's "Reasons".[4]

After the success of the album, Farnham followed with Jack's Back Tour; an initial itinerary of eleven performances was thought to be enough considering they were up against tours by Michael Jackson and Billy Joel; however, after high ticket sales, it was extended by eight more shows and made use of larger venues. At that time, Jack's Back Tour was the highest-grossing tour by an Australian act.[20] John Farnham Band now consisted of Garsed on lead guitar, David Hirschfelder on keyboards (ex-Little River Band), Macainsh on bass and Angus Burchall on drums.[1]

Farnham also had three tracks featured on the Rad movie soundtrack released in 1986.

Farnham won six of the inaugural 1987 ARIA Music Awards for 'Album of the Year', 'Single of the Year', 'Highest Selling Album', 'Highest Selling Single', 'Best Male Artist' and 'Best Adult Contemporary Album'.[12] On 19 July 1987, TV series Countdown broadcast its last show, the 1986 Countdown Music and Video Awards with Farnham winning the 'Best Album Award' for Whispering Jack.[55]

In 1988, Australia's Bicentennial Year, Farnham was named 1987 Australian of the Year,[56] although he was not yet naturalised—a hastily organised swearing-in occurred before the honour was bestowed.[20][28] He was chosen due to: "his outstanding contribution to the Australian music industry over 20 years."[57]

Age of Reason and Chain Reaction edit

 
Statue of John Farnham, Melbourne Docklands

Farnham's July 1988 single, "Age of Reason", which peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA singles charts,[5] was written by Johanna Pigott and Dragon member Todd Hunter.[58]

The album, Age of Reason, produced by Ross Fraser,[2] debuted at No. 1 in August and stayed on top for eight weeks.[5][59] It was the highest-selling album in Australia from 1988,[1] and, as of 1997, it was 11× platinum indicating sales of over 770,000 units.[60]

Renewed interest in Whispering Jack returned it to the Top Ten in August, nearly two years after its initial release. To date, "Age of Reason" remains Farnham's last No. 1 Australian single. Other charting singles from this album were, "Two Strong Hearts" which peaked at No. 6 and "Beyond the Call".[5] Age of Reason had international success peaking at No. 4 in Sweden,[48][59] and No. 9 in Norway.[59]

At the 1988 ARIA Awards, Farnham won 'Best Male Artist', 'Best Adult Contemporary Album' for "Touch of Paradise", and the 'Outstanding Achievement Award'.[12] In March 1989, Farnham was in Moscow, USSR to promote Greenpeace album Rainbow Warriors, as part of an international ensemble including David Byrne (Talking Heads), Peter Gabriel, Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders), Annie Lennox (Eurythmics), and The Edge (U2).[1]

Farnham found time to record a duet with Dannielle Gaha, "Communication", which peaked at No. 13 in August 1989.[5] It was recorded as part promotion for the Australian government's program to control the drug epidemic happening in the mid-'80s entitled "The Drug Offensive". The Drug Offensive logo can be seen attached to a television camera in the video clip made to promote the song.[61]

Chain Reaction, produced by Fraser, was released in October 1990, and also debuted at No. 1 on the Australian album charts, it provided three Top Ten hit singles, "Chain Reaction" in August, "That's Freedom" in September and "Burn for You" in December.[5]

Unlike the previous two albums, where most songs were written by outside writers, Chain Reaction saw Farnham write nine of its twelve tracks with Fraser and keyboardist/musical director David Hirschfelder (ex-Little River Band) along with Phil Buckle (Burn For You) and Joe Crighton (The Time Has Come). The sound was less electronic and more acoustic, it became the biggest-selling album in Australia for 1990,[1] and was No. 1 on the ARIA End of Year album chart.[62] At the 1991 ARIA Awards, Farnham won 'Best Male Artist', 'Song of the Year' for "Burn for You", and 'Highest Selling Album' for Chain Reaction.[12]

Full House to Anthology edit

Farnham's live album, released in November 1991, was Full House, produced by Ross Fraser and Farnham,[2] which peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA album charts.[5] It contained concert material recorded from May 1987 to October 1990.[63] "Please Don't Ask Me" was released as a single, which peaked into the top 30. At No. 1 on the ARIA album charts was Jimmy Barnes' album, Soul Deep,[1] it included a duet with Farnham, "When Something is Wrong with My Baby", which peaked at No. 3 on the singles charts.[5]

In August 1992, Farnham joined the Australian production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical Jesus Christ Superstar in the title role of Jesus.[1][64] Fellow cast members included Angry Anderson as Herod, Kate Ceberano as Mary Magdalene, Russell Morris as Simon Zealotes, Jon Stevens as Judas and John Waters as Pontius Pilate.[1][64] The stage soundtrack, Jesus Christ Superstar The Album, provided the single "Everything's Alright" by Ceberano, Farnham and Stevens, which peaked at No. 6 in September.[1][5] Farnham released his next studio album, Then Again.., in October 1993, produced by Fraser and Farnham,[2] which peaked at No. 1. Of its four singles only, "Seemed Like a Good Idea (At the Time)" reached the top 20.[5] The album won "Highest Selling Album" at the ARIA Awards in 1994.[12]

Farnham never really wanted to try his luck overseas even though he had offers. In a TV Week interview promoting the Romeo's Heart album, he said that people had put pressure on him to live overseas but he had no intention of doing so. "I don't want to go to America to live", he said. He went on to say the pressures for him to relocate "come mainly from other people" but his manager, Glenn Wheatley, has never put this pressure on him.[citation needed]

His single, "Have a Little Faith (In Us)", in March peaked at No. 3. The associated album, Romeo's Heart, produced by Fraser, was released in June and peaked at No. 2[5] and won "Best Adult Contemporary Album" at the ARIA Awards in 1996.[12]

Farnham collaborated with vocal group Human Nature to record "Every Time You Cry" which peaked at No. 3 on the singles charts in October 1997.[5] Also in 1997 he released a series of three compilation albums, Anthology 1: Greatest Hits 1986–1997, Anthology 2: Classic Hits 1967–1985 (Recorded Live) and Anthology 3: Rarities which all peaked in the top 20, with Anthology 1 reaching #1.[5]

1998–present edit

The Main Event with Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow edit

For The Main Event Tour during October–December 1998, Farnham performed with Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow.[1] The album Highlights from The Main Event peaked at No. 1 in December,[5] sold 4× platinum,[65] and won 'Highest Selling Album' at the 1999 ARIA Awards.[12] The Main Event concert was broadcast on national TV and released on video.[citation needed]

During April–May 1999, Farnham undertook the I Can't Believe He's 50 Tour, supported by Merril Bainbridge, Kate Ceberano, Human Nature, James Reyne, Ross Wilson,[1] and Nana-Zhami containing his son, Robert Farnham. Live at the Regent, recorded on 1 July 1999 (Farnham's 50th birthday), was released in September and peaked at #7.[5]

On 21 December, Farnham performed a set for the Tour of Duty concert in Dili for the Australian troops serving with InterFET and East Timorese people.[9] The concert included James Blundell, Dili Allstars, Gina Jeffreys, The Living End, Kylie Minogue, Doc Neeson and the RMC Band.[66] Tour of Duty was the first of Farnham's concerts to be webcast.[67]

For the 2000 Summer Olympics, Farnham and Newton-John performed "Dare to Dream" during the Parade of Nations at the Opening Ceremony.[68] Broadcast of the ceremony was viewed by an estimated 3.5 billion people around the world.[68] Farnham appeared as himself in the final episode of the Australian television series The Games (2000).[citation needed]

The Last Time to Tom Jones edit

On 1 January 2001, Farnham was awarded a Centenary Medal, "for outstanding service to Australian music",[69] as part of Australia's celebration of a centenary of federation.

In 2002, Farnham announced his decision to retire from full-scale national tours after his The Last Time Tour—he would still perform in concerts and record—which commenced on 6 November 2002 and finished on 15 June 2003.[20] In conjunction with the tour, The Last Time was released in October 2002, it peaked at No. 1 and achieved 3× platinum sales.[5] "The Last Time Tour" was a countrywide concert tour, taking a circus-style tent to smaller towns and filling large entertainment venues in capital cities, it became the biggest-grossing tour in Australian history.[70]

During July 2003, Farnham worked with Queen to produce a new version of "We Will Rock You" for the 2003 Rugby World Cup,[71] released on his greatest hits album, "One Voice". Media reports of Queen asking Farnham to join the band[71] were subsequently denied by both Queen's Brian May and Farnham.[72] Farnham was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on 21 October with a performance of "You're the Voice".[9][11][12][13] Farnham also won 'Best Adult Contemporary Album' for The Last Time.[12][13] 2002 Hall of Fame inductee was Olivia Newton-John, while in 2004 Little River Band was inducted.[11]

Combining with singer Tom Jones, Farnham undertook the Together in Concert series during 2004 with ten shows in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Duets started with "That Driving Beat" and "Mama Told Me Not to Come", solos from Farnham were "One", "Pressure Down", "That's Freedom", "Heart's on Fire", "Playing to Win", "Every Time You Cry", "Man of the Hour", "Age of Reason", and "Burn for You". The pair did five duets to close the show—Sam and Dave's "Hold On I'm Coming", Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness", Ray Charles' "What'd I Say", Arthur Conley's "Sweet Soul Music" and AC/DC's anthem, "Long Way to the Top".[73] The DVD release, Together in Concert – John Farnham & Tom Jones, debuted at No 1.[74]

Farnham's career resurrection following The Last Time, has entered the Australian consciousness as a touchstone for others who are seen to return from a strongly-declared retirement.[75][76][77] The announcement of the Farnham/Jones Together In Concert tour triggered an unsuccessful claim for damages from a fan, angry that The Last Time tour was not in fact Farnham's last, as purported in its marketing. Consumer watchdog the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission took no action following this complaint.[78]

Farnham made an appearance during the 2005 Melbourne Music Festival, raising funds for rebuilding after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake at the Tsunami Benefit Concert.[70]

I Remember When I Was Young edit

I Remember When I Was Young: Songs from The Great Australian Songbook was released in November 2005—it contains 13 covers of hits, written and performed by Australian artists—which peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA albums charts.[2][5]

In February 2006, Farnham performed four shows at the Sydney Opera House, with the Sydney Symphony, followed by shows at the Victorian Arts Centre's Hamer Hall, Melbourne.[79] These shows were sponsored by Dairy Farmers and a percentage of revenue received from the 'I Remember When I was Young' concerts went to the Dairy Farmers 'Creating Greener Pastures' program to help farmers and their communities. A 2006 DVD of Farnham entitled John Farnham with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was released, it debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA DVD charts and then peaked at #1.[80]

From 18 February, Farnham embarked on a small Australian tour with Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks for a series of live shows.[79][81] Both artists had equal billing but, unlike the Tom Jones shows, they did not sing together but individually. The same backup singers from the tour, however, were used by both Nicks and Farnham.[citation needed]

On 26 March, Farnham sang at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony,[79] in Melbourne starting with his hit "Age of Reason", followed by "I Remember When I Was Young" from his most recent studio album, "Playing to Win" from his Little River Band days and finished with his anthem song, "You're the Voice".[citation needed]

The twentieth anniversary of Whispering Jack in 2006 was marked by an "enhanced" commemorative CD re-release plus a DVD featuring an edited version of the tour that accompanied the album (the full concert was originally released on VHS in 1987). The original album was the first CD made in Australia and,[82][83] as of May 2023, remains the highest-selling album in Australia by an Australian act.[8]

Jack and The Acoustic Chapel Sessions edit

 
John Farnham performing at the Queensland Performing Arts Complex on 4 October 2009 during the "Live By Demand" tour

On 27 May 2009, Farnham announced a new concert tour for September and October, "John Farnham – Live By Demand".[84][85]

A new studio album, Jack, was released by Sony BMG on 15 October 2010. The album contains 11 tracks and is Farnham's first studio album in over 5 years. Jack features covers of compositions by Ray Charles, Curtis Mayfield and Percy Sledge. The release of Jack coincides with a run of indoor and outdoor performances, under the title of "John Farnham Live!", throughout October and November 2010.[citation needed]

On 8 June 2011, it was announced that Farnham intended to embark on a nationwide tour of Australia throughout October and November 2011 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of the Whispering Jack album. In addition to this, the Whispering Jack Live video album was edited down by 20 minutes and re-released on DVD by Sony BMG.[citation needed]

On 30 September 2011, Farnham released The Acoustic Chapel Sessions live album, recorded in Melbourne in July 2011 at Chapel Off Chapel. The album was released as a CD and DVD 2-disc set by Sony BMG. The CD contains eleven previously released Farnham songs recorded acoustically, while the DVD includes eight songs plus interviews with Farnham and the band as well as additional behind-the-scenes footage.[citation needed]

Olympics, the Seekers and Olivia Newton-John tours edit

On 27 July 2012, Farnham performed live for the Australian Olympic team in London during the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games. He performed a number of his best-known songs, including "Playing To Win", "Pressure Down", and "You're The Voice". He appeared in a special one-off show with the Seekers in 2014 as part of the "Decades Festival" commemorating the music, fashion and cars of specific era and coinciding with the Seekers' golden jubilee year.[86]

In 2015, Farnham joined Olivia Newton-John on stage with a concert tour entitled "Two Strong Hearts Live", singing hits from Newton John's film Grease, iconic Farnham numbers and renditions of popular classics such as "Over the Rainbow" and "Tenterfield Saddler".[87] An album was released in June 2015 and debuted at No. 1.[88]

Band edit

As of 2020, John Farnham's band members were musical director and keyboardist Chong Lim, Angus Burchall on drums, Brett Garsed on guitar, and Craig Newman on bass guitar. Backing vocalists are Lindsay Field, Lisa Edwards, Susie Ahern, and Rod Davies. Previously prominent long-serving members have included Venetta Fields and Stuart Fraser, from the band Noiseworks who regularly performed and toured with the band from 1992 until 2018 when his health deteriorated due to lung cancer. Fraser died on 1 December 2019.[89]

Use of his music edit

In 2015, Farnham and Wheatley spoke out against the use of his iconic signature song, "You're the Voice", being used by Reclaim Australia, an anti-Islamic group,[90] and again in 2020 in regard to its use at anti-lockdown rallies during the stage 4 COVID-19 pandemic in Melbourne, Victoria, which Wheatley described as offensive to Farnham.[91]

From 3 September 2023, with Farnham's support, "You're the Voice" was used to advocate for the "Yes" campaign in the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum, a vote to change the Australian Constitution to enshrine a Voice to Parliament for Indigenous Australians.[92] The song plays as a soundtrack for a video ad directed by filmmaker Warwick Thornton, which was rolled out on social and other digital media and television.[93][94] On 10 October 2023, Farnham was one of 25 Australians of the Year who signed an open letter supporting the Yes vote.[95][96]

Other activities edit

Farnham has supported several charities over the years, including headlining the 2019 Hay Mate series of concert for Australia's farming community, which raised over 4.4 million dollars.[97]

Recognition and awards edit

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by John Farnham

Farnham has won and been nominated for numerous Australian music and entertainment awards. These include 21 ARIA Awards from 60 nominations including his induction into their Hall of Fame.[12][13] Others are Countdown Music and Video Awards,[29][16][33] Mo Awards and TV Week magazine's King of Pop Awards and their Logie Awards.[14][16]

On Australia Day (26 January) 1996, Farnham was made an Officer of the Order of Australia, "In recognition of service to the Australian music industry and to charitable and community organisations, particularly those relating to youth."[98]

In 2015, Farnham, along with AC/DC, Newton John, the Seekers, and Indigenous Australian artist Archie Roach, was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame.[99]

Australian rock historian Ian McFarlane described him as "the most successful solo artist in the history of Australian rock and pop ... Farnham has retained an affable sense of humour and a simple, unpretentious 'everyman' charm which also makes him one of the most respected celebrities in Australian entertainment history".[1]

In film edit

Farnham is the subject of a biographical documentary film titled John Farnham: Finding the Voice, released in cinemas in May 2023.[100]

Personal life edit

Farnham married Jillian Billman, a dancer he met when performing the stage musical Charlie Girl, on 11 April 1973.[101][102] They have two sons, Robert and James. Farnham is a supporter of the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League.[103] He lives on a farm near Bendigo.[104]

Health edit

After years of performing at high-volume concerts, Farnham has tinnitus and hearing loss, and wears hearing aids.[105]

In 2019, Farnham cancelled an Australian and New Zealand tour due to a severe kidney infection and dehydration. He subsequently gave up a lifetime habit of smoking, and reduced his alcohol intake.[106]

On 23 August 2022, Farnham released a statement that he was to undergo immediate surgery after being diagnosed with cancer.[107] In this statement, he said "cancer diagnosis is something that so many people face every single day, and countless others have walked this path before me."[108] The same day, he underwent a nearly twelve-hour surgery to remove a tumour in his mouth, including jaw reconstruction.[109] He was transferred to an intensive care unit, in a stable condition.[110] It was later announced that the tumour had been successfully removed.[111] In March 2023, he was hospitalised due to a respiratory infection.[112]

On 23 August 2023, exactly one year after his surgery, Farnham released a statement saying he was cancer-free,[113] and in an interview with Variety Australia published on 5 September 2023, when asked if Farnham will ever tour again or release new material, his sons said "Anything's possible... I think he'd like to, and he can definitely still sing".[114]

Selected discography edit

Main articles: John Farnham discography and Little River Band discography

References edit

General
  • Gazzo, Jane, "John Farnham: The Untold Story", North Sydney, N.S.W. : Penguin Random House Australia, 2 November 2015. ISBN 9780857986573.
  • McFarlane, Ian (1999). . Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 10 October 2004. Retrieved 21 January 2010. Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.
  • Spencer, Chris; Zbig Nowara; Paul McHenry (2002) [1987]. The Who's Who of Australian Rock. Noble Park, Vic.: Five Mile Press. ISBN 1-86503-891-1.[115]
Specific
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External links edit

January 01, 1970
john, farnham, john, peter, farnham, born, july, 1949, british, born, australian, singer, farnham, teen, idol, from, 1967, until, 1979, billed, until, then, johnny, farnham, since, forged, career, adult, contemporary, singer, career, mostly, been, solo, artist. John Peter Farnham AO born 1 July 1949 is a British born Australian singer Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979 billed until then as Johnny Farnham He has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer 1 His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he replaced Glenn Shorrock as lead singer of Little River Band from 1982 to 1985 2 3 John FarnhamAOFarnham in 2014BornJohn Peter Farnham 1949 07 01 1 July 1949 age 74 Dagenham Essex EnglandOccupationsSingersongwritermusicianYears active1964 presentSpouseJillian Billman m 1973 wbr ChildrenRobertJamesMusical careerOriginMelbourne Victoria AustraliaGenresPop rock adult contemporary soft rock soul music R amp BInstrumentsVocalsguitarpianokeyboardspercussionLabelsColumbiaEMIRCAAxisWheatleyBMGGothamSony MusicFormerly ofThe MavericksStrings UnlimitedLittle River BandWebsitejohnfarnham wbr com wbr auSignature In November 1986 his solo single You re the Voice peaked at No 1 on the Australian singles charts 4 5 The associated album Whispering Jack held the No 1 position for a total of 25 weeks 4 5 Both the single and the album had top ten success internationally including No 6 in the United Kingdom and No 1 in Sweden 6 7 Whispering Jack is the third highest selling album in Australian history and as of May 2023 update remains the highest selling album in Australia by an Australian act 8 Farnham has become one of his country s best known and most popular performers 1 and he is the only Australian artist to have a number one record album or single in five consecutive decades echoing that of Cliff Richard in the UK with singles including Sadie The Cleaning Lady in 1967 Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head in 1970 and Age of Reason in 1988 4 5 and albums Whispering Jack in 1986 Age of Reason in 1988 Chain Reaction in 1990 Then Again in 1993 33 in 2000 and The Last Time in 2002 4 5 9 Along with touring with numerous artists including The Seekers and international acts like Stevie Nicks and Lionel Richie he released various collaborative albums Tom Jones on Together in Concert 2005 Olivia Newton John and Anthony Warlow including Highlights from The Main Event 1998 Two Strong Hearts Live 2015 and Friends for Christmas 2016 10 Farnham has been recognised by many honours and awards including 1987 Australian of the Year 1996 Officer of the Order of Australia and 19 ARIA Awards including his 2003 induction into the Hall of Fame 9 11 12 13 Starting in 1969 he was voted by TV Week readers as the King of Pop for five consecutive years 14 15 16 17 Aside from his recording career Farnham performed on stage with lead roles in Australian productions of Charlie Girl Pippin and 1992 s Jesus Christ Superstar 1 He starred in his own TV series and specials including It s Magic With Colleen Hewett Bobby Dazzler and Farnham and Byrne with Debra Byrne and as a guest on numerous other popular shows such as The Don Lane Show Countdown and Hey Hey It s Saturday 1 18 Contents 1 Early life 2 Musical career 2 1 1964 67 The Mavericks to Strings Unlimited 2 2 1967 79 Teen pop idol 2 3 1980 85 Little River Band era 2 4 1986 97 Peak solo years 2 4 1 You re the Voice and Whispering Jack 2 4 2 Age of Reason and Chain Reaction 2 4 3 Full House to Anthology 2 5 1998 present 2 5 1 The Main Event with Olivia Newton John and Anthony Warlow 2 5 2 The Last Time to Tom Jones 2 5 3 I Remember When I Was Young 2 5 4 Jack and The Acoustic Chapel Sessions 2 5 5 Olympics the Seekers and Olivia Newton John tours 3 Band 4 Use of his music 5 Other activities 6 Recognition and awards 6 1 In film 7 Personal life 7 1 Health 8 Selected discography 9 References 10 External linksEarly life editJohn Peter Farnham was born in Mile End Hospital East Ham East London England on 1 July 1949 to John Peter Farnham Sr and Rose nee Pemberton Farnham 19 His sisters are Jean and Jacqueline and his younger brother is Steven 19 Farnham spent his first ten years in the United Kingdom before his family immigrated to Australia in 1959 to live in Melbourne Victoria 19 20 He attended school at Yarraman Park State School now Yarraman Oaks Primary School 21 Lyndale Primary School and Lyndale High School 19 Musical career edit1964 67 The Mavericks to Strings Unlimited edit As Johnny Farnham he performed with local band The Mavericks on weekends while still attending school from 1964 The band had a five song repertoire In late 1965 he was asked to join band Strings Unlimited as lead singer it was a band composed entirely of string only instruments and they had a regular booking at a local hotel 2 19 20 In 1966 after making the state finals of the Hoadley s Battle of the Sounds they recorded a three track demo tape with Farnham on vocals Stewart Male on lead guitar Barry Roy on rhythm guitar Mike Foenander on keyboards Joe Cincotta on bass and Peter Foggie on drums 22 On 29 April 1967 Strings Unlimited performed as a backing band for pop singer Bev Harrell in Cohuna Harrell s manager and then boyfriend Darryl Sambell was impressed with Farnham s vocals and offered to become his manager 16 22 Initially performing in Sambell s home town of Adelaide Farnham recorded a light advertising jingle Susan Jones with the Susan Jones Rock Five for airline company Ansett ANA 23 and was offered a solo record contract working with EMI under house producer David Mackay 24 1967 79 Teen pop idol edit Farnham s first commercially successful recording was a cover of American novelty song Sadie The Cleaning Lady Sambell had disliked it as the lyrics were so persistent 16 However EMI s in house producer David MacKay insisted and so the single was released in November 1967 The B side In My Room was written by Farnham 25 By arrangement with Sambell Melbourne radio DJ Stan Rofe pretended that he disliked Sadie before playing it 16 20 The song gave Farnham recognition in Australia 26 Rofe continued the ploy on TV s Uptight and viewers responded with calls to play the song 20 It hit No 1 on the Australian singles charts in January 1968 and remained there for 6 weeks 4 Selling 180 000 copies in Australia Sadie was the highest selling single by an Australian artist of the decade and became the biggest selling single in Australia at that time 16 27 28 Rofe was a writer for Go Set a teen oriented pop magazine Another writer for the magazine Molly Meldrum praised Farnham s efforts 16 Go Set ran a pop poll to determine the King of Pop which was first won by Normie Rowe for 1967 1968 14 16 29 Farnham s 1968 singles were Underneath the Arches and I Don t Want to Love You each peaked at 6 4 In 1969 Farnham released his album Everybody Oughta Sing a Song which peaked at No 12 on the Australian albums charts His next single was a cover of Harry Nilsson s One Farnham s version peaked at 4 4 When TV Week sponsored the King of Pop awards readers would forward their votes from coupons Farnham won the most popular male award and was crowned King of Pop five consecutive times from 1969 to 1973 14 16 29 He recorded a cover of the B J Thomas hit Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head which became his second No 1 hit in December 1969 and remained at top spot for seven weeks into January 1970 1 4 Farnham s next album Looking Through a Tear was released in July 1970 and peaked at 11 Comic Conversations his single from October peaked at 10 4 During 1971 Farnham teamed up with Allison Durbin who had been chosen as Most Popular Female Performer at the King of Pop awards for 1969 71 14 They released an album Together in September and a single Baby Without You in November both peaked into the top 30 of their respective charts 4 As well as his singing career Farnham performed in stage musicals starting with Dick Whittington and His Cat in 1971 and on television variety shows either as a guest performer or as a host 28 At 22 Farnham was appointed King of Moomba in 1972 with Melbourne paper The Sun describing him as a likeable English migrant who is King of Pop King of Kids and today Johnny Farnham was King of Moomba 30 In 1972 Farnham had a top 5 national hit with a cover version of the title track from the David Cassidy international hit album Rock Me Baby 31 Another stage musical for Farnham was Charlie Girl in 1971 32 Jillian Billman was one of the dancers and Farnham married her on 18 April 1973 Meldrum announced their wedding plans in Go Set but Sambell denied the early reports and despite being best man at the wedding was against Billman marrying Farnham 16 The clean cut pop star had made several more albums and singles but by the mid 1970s his recording career had begun to dwindle and he turned more to stage musicals and television 28 Farnham and Queen of Pop for 1972 1973 Colleen Hewett combined on the 1973 74 stage musical Pippin 33 34 35 and its associated show album released in 1974 36 Also in 1974 Farnham and Hewett were co hosts of It s Magic a children s TV series on Channel Ten 36 He became familiar to viewers of Countdown when hosting its first colour transmission in early 1975 and introducing Skyhooks performance of Horror Movie 18 Relations with Sambell became strained and in January 1976 they announced their split 16 Farnham first turned to Kenn Brodziak producer of Pippin for his management during 1976 78 and then to Danny Finley Hewett s then husband from 1978 20 Farnham starred in a situation comedy series Bobby Dazzler as the title character during 1977 78 the pilot Me amp Mr Thorne and narrated documentaries including Survival with Johnny Farnham 37 1 Farnham was in financial trouble with unpaid taxes and the collapse of a restaurant venture with Hewett and Finley 20 Farnham s singing career was now confined to the cabaret circuit and stage musicals In 1979 he changed his stage name to John Farnham 1 20 1980 85 Little River Band era edit Farnham met Glenn Wheatley who was bass guitarist of 1960s rock group The Masters Apprentices when both acts were managed by Sambell 16 Wheatley was now managing Little River Band LRB and Farnham signed with Wheatley in 1980 16 They decided his comeback single would be a reworking of The Beatles Help which was produced by LRB s Graeham Goble 2 it peaked at 8 4 Farnham was utilising a more adult contemporary pop style 1 28 and the associated album Uncovered also produced by Goble 2 peaked at 20 4 The B side of Help was another of Farnham s songwriting efforts Jillie s Song co written with Goble 38 In recording the album Farnham s studio band were guitarist Tommy Emmanuel ex Southern Star Band keyboardist Mal Logan ex Renee Geyer Band LRB drummer Derek Pellicci LRB and bass guitarist Barry Sullivan ex Chain They became his tour band until Logan and Pellicci returned to their LRB commitments and were replaced by Sam McNally and David Jones respectively 1 In 1980 Farnham also appeared in a TV series entitled Farnham and Byrne with former Young Talent Time teen star and Queen of Pop Debra Byrne 1 Three other solo singles followed in 1981 but none of them charted into the top 50 4 In February 1982 after Glenn Shorrock had departed Little River Band Farnham became their lead vocalist after recommendations by Goble and Wheatley 1 20 Farnham had initially resisted the idea of joining LRB but Wheatley convinced him that Shorrock approved of the replacement 16 This continued Farnham s move away from cabaret and into rock music 28 With Farnham Little River Band recorded three studio albums which had modest success but it was not enough to pay back the advances the record company had provided The first studio album The Net was already written and Farnham had no say in the songs he just had to record his lead vocals In the US charting albums with Farnham s vocals included Greatest Hits 1982 The Net 1983 and Playing to Win 1984 on Billboard Pop Albums chart Billboard 200 39 While charting singles were The Other Guy We Two You re Driving Me Out of My Mind and Playing to Win 40 Farnham s biggest Australian hits with LRB were the 1982 single Down on the Border which peaked at No 7 and The Net which peaked at No 11 on the albums charts in 1983 4 During this time Farnham started supplying vocal tracks for films including Savage Streets 1984 The Slugger s Wife 1985 and Fletch 1985 he later continued with Rad 1986 and Voyage of the Rock Aliens 1987 1 Justice for One was co written by Farnham 41 42 for Savage Streets and it was released as a solo single 1 Little River Band recorded a concert in Melbourne that aired in the United States on HBO The concert video was only one hour long and it highlighted some of the songs from The Net as well as reworked versions of Little River Band classics such as Cool Change and Reminiscing Please Don t Ask Me a song written by Goble 43 and a non top 50 single for Farnham almost three years previously 4 was played during the Australian themed opening of the show Despite positive Australian and US reviews and responses this performance has not yet been released on VHS or DVD citation needed In an interview with Channel Seven Farnham stated I ll be better off leaving rather than putting myself under pressure that I ve created Through this matter it became apparent to the band that Farnham was intending on leaving and Playing to Win s lead single Playing to Win a song believed by all to be the band s return to success then started having authorship disputes According to Farnham Playing to Win was about my frustration in the band about wanting out not wanting to be there any more There was a bit of in fighting and we were doing it hard on the road That s what inspired the song 16 John Farnham As a result Farnham s relationship with the band was further sullied To date the royalties for the song are meticulously divided with different shares to each of the song s contributors including Goble Farnham Stephen Housden David Hirschfelder and Wayne Nelson 44 By late 1985 LRB were in conflict again and Farnham left 1 In mid 1986 Little River Band released the third studio album No Reins but Farnham was already pursuing his solo career 16 1986 97 Peak solo years edit You re the Voice and Whispering Jack edit Farnham had started collecting a songlist for a future solo album while still in Little River Band He finished his vocals for their album No Reins and left in late 1985 1 16 Farnham s first solo performances since 1981 were live shows with Brett Garsed on lead guitar Sam See on guitar Derek Pellicci on drums and Bruno Di Stanislo on electric bass and vocals Sound engineer Ross Fraser suggested to Farnham s manager Glenn Wheatley that it was time to start working on the solo album Wheatley searched vainly for a producer and record label willing to work with Farnham Fraser took on the producer role and Wheatley provided financial support after mortgaging his house 20 While visiting a jazz club in the US Farnham was mistakenly introduced as Jack Phantom and when he subsequently provided a running commentary for a local pool game he named himself Whispering Jack Phantom after the Pot Black commentator Whispering Ted Lowe 16 His work for the album Whispering Jack included expanding his songlist with Fraser s advice A Touch of Paradise was written by Gulliver Smith and Mondo Rock s Ross Wilson 45 while Pressure Down was provided by Harry Bogdanovs 46 Two weeks before the album was due to be recorded a demo tape arrived from London with similar material as Pressure Down Farnham and Fraser listened to the demo of You re the Voice and knew they had found a once in a lifetime song Another song on offer was We Built This City but Farnham knocked it back so it was later recorded by US band Starship 16 Initially public interest in the re branded former teen idol was difficult to cultivate and radio stations refused to play Farnham s album Things however started to change after Sydney radio station 2Day FM played its first single You re the Voice which was released in September 1986 Henceforth radio stations began receiving requests for the song Its television debut was on Hey Hey It s Saturday with Skyhook s Greg Macainsh providing bass guitar 16 You re the Voice peaked at No 1 in Germany 47 Sweden 48 and Australia 4 as well as being a top ten hit in some European countries 3 in Switzerland 49 6 in the UK 50 and No 6 in Austria 51 The song was written by Andy Qunta ex Icehouse Keith Reid Procol Harum Maggie Ryder and Chris Thompson ex Manfred Mann s Earth Band 52 Whispering Jack released in September became the highest selling album by an Australian act in Australia at the time and peaked at number one on the Australian Album Charts for a total of 25 weeks 4 As of 2006 it was 24 platinum indicating sales of over 1 68 million units in Australia alone 53 The album was released internationally on RCA BMG and peaked at No 1 in Sweden 48 54 No 3 in Austria and Top 20 in Norway In August 1988 it returned to the Australian Top Ten It also was the first Australian made music CD released in Australia 54 5 Other charting Australian singles were December s Pressure Down which peaked at No 4 March 1987 s Touch of Paradise and September s Reasons 4 After the success of the album Farnham followed with Jack s Back Tour an initial itinerary of eleven performances was thought to be enough considering they were up against tours by Michael Jackson and Billy Joel however after high ticket sales it was extended by eight more shows and made use of larger venues At that time Jack s Back Tour was the highest grossing tour by an Australian act 20 John Farnham Band now consisted of Garsed on lead guitar David Hirschfelder on keyboards ex Little River Band Macainsh on bass and Angus Burchall on drums 1 Farnham also had three tracks featured on the Rad movie soundtrack released in 1986 Farnham won six of the inaugural 1987 ARIA Music Awards for Album of the Year Single of the Year Highest Selling Album Highest Selling Single Best Male Artist and Best Adult Contemporary Album 12 On 19 July 1987 TV series Countdown broadcast its last show the 1986 Countdown Music and Video Awards with Farnham winning the Best Album Award for Whispering Jack 55 In 1988 Australia s Bicentennial Year Farnham was named 1987 Australian of the Year 56 although he was not yet naturalised a hastily organised swearing in occurred before the honour was bestowed 20 28 He was chosen due to his outstanding contribution to the Australian music industry over 20 years 57 Age of Reason and Chain Reaction edit nbsp Statue of John Farnham Melbourne Docklands Farnham s July 1988 single Age of Reason which peaked at No 1 on the ARIA singles charts 5 was written by Johanna Pigott and Dragon member Todd Hunter 58 The album Age of Reason produced by Ross Fraser 2 debuted at No 1 in August and stayed on top for eight weeks 5 59 It was the highest selling album in Australia from 1988 1 and as of 1997 it was 11 platinum indicating sales of over 770 000 units 60 Renewed interest in Whispering Jack returned it to the Top Ten in August nearly two years after its initial release To date Age of Reason remains Farnham s last No 1 Australian single Other charting singles from this album were Two Strong Hearts which peaked at No 6 and Beyond the Call 5 Age of Reason had international success peaking at No 4 in Sweden 48 59 and No 9 in Norway 59 At the 1988 ARIA Awards Farnham won Best Male Artist Best Adult Contemporary Album for Touch of Paradise and the Outstanding Achievement Award 12 In March 1989 Farnham was in Moscow USSR to promote Greenpeace album Rainbow Warriors as part of an international ensemble including David Byrne Talking Heads Peter Gabriel Chrissie Hynde The Pretenders Annie Lennox Eurythmics and The Edge U2 1 Farnham found time to record a duet with Dannielle Gaha Communication which peaked at No 13 in August 1989 5 It was recorded as part promotion for the Australian government s program to control the drug epidemic happening in the mid 80s entitled The Drug Offensive The Drug Offensive logo can be seen attached to a television camera in the video clip made to promote the song 61 Chain Reaction produced by Fraser was released in October 1990 and also debuted at No 1 on the Australian album charts it provided three Top Ten hit singles Chain Reaction in August That s Freedom in September and Burn for You in December 5 Unlike the previous two albums where most songs were written by outside writers Chain Reaction saw Farnham write nine of its twelve tracks with Fraser and keyboardist musical director David Hirschfelder ex Little River Band along with Phil Buckle Burn For You and Joe Crighton The Time Has Come The sound was less electronic and more acoustic it became the biggest selling album in Australia for 1990 1 and was No 1 on the ARIA End of Year album chart 62 At the 1991 ARIA Awards Farnham won Best Male Artist Song of the Year for Burn for You and Highest Selling Album for Chain Reaction 12 Full House to Anthology edit Farnham s live album released in November 1991 was Full House produced by Ross Fraser and Farnham 2 which peaked at No 2 on the ARIA album charts 5 It contained concert material recorded from May 1987 to October 1990 63 Please Don t Ask Me was released as a single which peaked into the top 30 At No 1 on the ARIA album charts was Jimmy Barnes album Soul Deep 1 it included a duet with Farnham When Something is Wrong with My Baby which peaked at No 3 on the singles charts 5 In August 1992 Farnham joined the Australian production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber s stage musical Jesus Christ Superstar in the title role of Jesus 1 64 Fellow cast members included Angry Anderson as Herod Kate Ceberano as Mary Magdalene Russell Morris as Simon Zealotes Jon Stevens as Judas and John Waters as Pontius Pilate 1 64 The stage soundtrack Jesus Christ Superstar The Album provided the single Everything s Alright by Ceberano Farnham and Stevens which peaked at No 6 in September 1 5 Farnham released his next studio album Then Again in October 1993 produced by Fraser and Farnham 2 which peaked at No 1 Of its four singles only Seemed Like a Good Idea At the Time reached the top 20 5 The album won Highest Selling Album at the ARIA Awards in 1994 12 Farnham never really wanted to try his luck overseas even though he had offers In a TV Week interview promoting the Romeo s Heart album he said that people had put pressure on him to live overseas but he had no intention of doing so I don t want to go to America to live he said He went on to say the pressures for him to relocate come mainly from other people but his manager Glenn Wheatley has never put this pressure on him citation needed His single Have a Little Faith In Us in March peaked at No 3 The associated album Romeo s Heart produced by Fraser was released in June and peaked at No 2 5 and won Best Adult Contemporary Album at the ARIA Awards in 1996 12 Farnham collaborated with vocal group Human Nature to record Every Time You Cry which peaked at No 3 on the singles charts in October 1997 5 Also in 1997 he released a series of three compilation albums Anthology 1 Greatest Hits 1986 1997 Anthology 2 Classic Hits 1967 1985 Recorded Live and Anthology 3 Rarities which all peaked in the top 20 with Anthology 1 reaching 1 5 1998 present edit The Main Event with Olivia Newton John and Anthony Warlow edit For The Main Event Tour during October December 1998 Farnham performed with Olivia Newton John and Anthony Warlow 1 The album Highlights from The Main Event peaked at No 1 in December 5 sold 4 platinum 65 and won Highest Selling Album at the 1999 ARIA Awards 12 The Main Event concert was broadcast on national TV and released on video citation needed During April May 1999 Farnham undertook the I Can t Believe He s 50 Tour supported by Merril Bainbridge Kate Ceberano Human Nature James Reyne Ross Wilson 1 and Nana Zhami containing his son Robert Farnham Live at the Regent recorded on 1 July 1999 Farnham s 50th birthday was released in September and peaked at 7 5 On 21 December Farnham performed a set for the Tour of Duty concert in Dili for the Australian troops serving with InterFET and East Timorese people 9 The concert included James Blundell Dili Allstars Gina Jeffreys The Living End Kylie Minogue Doc Neeson and the RMC Band 66 Tour of Duty was the first of Farnham s concerts to be webcast 67 For the 2000 Summer Olympics Farnham and Newton John performed Dare to Dream during the Parade of Nations at the Opening Ceremony 68 Broadcast of the ceremony was viewed by an estimated 3 5 billion people around the world 68 Farnham appeared as himself in the final episode of the Australian television series The Games 2000 citation needed The Last Time to Tom Jones edit On 1 January 2001 Farnham was awarded a Centenary Medal for outstanding service to Australian music 69 as part of Australia s celebration of a centenary of federation In 2002 Farnham announced his decision to retire from full scale national tours after his The Last Time Tour he would still perform in concerts and record which commenced on 6 November 2002 and finished on 15 June 2003 20 In conjunction with the tour The Last Time was released in October 2002 it peaked at No 1 and achieved 3 platinum sales 5 The Last Time Tour was a countrywide concert tour taking a circus style tent to smaller towns and filling large entertainment venues in capital cities it became the biggest grossing tour in Australian history 70 During July 2003 Farnham worked with Queen to produce a new version of We Will Rock You for the 2003 Rugby World Cup 71 released on his greatest hits album One Voice Media reports of Queen asking Farnham to join the band 71 were subsequently denied by both Queen s Brian May and Farnham 72 Farnham was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on 21 October with a performance of You re the Voice 9 11 12 13 Farnham also won Best Adult Contemporary Album for The Last Time 12 13 2002 Hall of Fame inductee was Olivia Newton John while in 2004 Little River Band was inducted 11 Combining with singer Tom Jones Farnham undertook the Together in Concert series during 2004 with ten shows in Perth Sydney Brisbane and Melbourne Duets started with That Driving Beat and Mama Told Me Not to Come solos from Farnham were One Pressure Down That s Freedom Heart s on Fire Playing to Win Every Time You Cry Man of the Hour Age of Reason and Burn for You The pair did five duets to close the show Sam and Dave s Hold On I m Coming Otis Redding s Try a Little Tenderness Ray Charles What d I Say Arthur Conley s Sweet Soul Music and AC DC s anthem Long Way to the Top 73 The DVD release Together in Concert John Farnham amp Tom Jones debuted at No 1 74 Farnham s career resurrection following The Last Time has entered the Australian consciousness as a touchstone for others who are seen to return from a strongly declared retirement 75 76 77 The announcement of the Farnham Jones Together In Concert tour triggered an unsuccessful claim for damages from a fan angry that The Last Time tour was not in fact Farnham s last as purported in its marketing Consumer watchdog the Australian Competition amp Consumer Commission took no action following this complaint 78 Farnham made an appearance during the 2005 Melbourne Music Festival raising funds for rebuilding after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake at the Tsunami Benefit Concert 70 I Remember When I Was Young edit I Remember When I Was Young Songs from The Great Australian Songbook was released in November 2005 it contains 13 covers of hits written and performed by Australian artists which peaked at No 2 on the ARIA albums charts 2 5 In February 2006 Farnham performed four shows at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony followed by shows at the Victorian Arts Centre s Hamer Hall Melbourne 79 These shows were sponsored by Dairy Farmers and a percentage of revenue received from the I Remember When I was Young concerts went to the Dairy Farmers Creating Greener Pastures program to help farmers and their communities A 2006 DVD of Farnham entitled John Farnham with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was released it debuted at No 2 on the ARIA DVD charts and then peaked at 1 80 From 18 February Farnham embarked on a small Australian tour with Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks for a series of live shows 79 81 Both artists had equal billing but unlike the Tom Jones shows they did not sing together but individually The same backup singers from the tour however were used by both Nicks and Farnham citation needed On 26 March Farnham sang at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony 79 in Melbourne starting with his hit Age of Reason followed by I Remember When I Was Young from his most recent studio album Playing to Win from his Little River Band days and finished with his anthem song You re the Voice citation needed The twentieth anniversary of Whispering Jack in 2006 was marked by an enhanced commemorative CD re release plus a DVD featuring an edited version of the tour that accompanied the album the full concert was originally released on VHS in 1987 The original album was the first CD made in Australia and 82 83 as of May 2023 update remains the highest selling album in Australia by an Australian act 8 Jack and The Acoustic Chapel Sessions edit nbsp John Farnham performing at the Queensland Performing Arts Complex on 4 October 2009 during the Live By Demand tour On 27 May 2009 Farnham announced a new concert tour for September and October John Farnham Live By Demand 84 85 A new studio album Jack was released by Sony BMG on 15 October 2010 The album contains 11 tracks and is Farnham s first studio album in over 5 years Jack features covers of compositions by Ray Charles Curtis Mayfield and Percy Sledge The release of Jack coincides with a run of indoor and outdoor performances under the title of John Farnham Live throughout October and November 2010 citation needed On 8 June 2011 it was announced that Farnham intended to embark on a nationwide tour of Australia throughout October and November 2011 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of the Whispering Jack album In addition to this the Whispering Jack Live video album was edited down by 20 minutes and re released on DVD by Sony BMG citation needed On 30 September 2011 Farnham released The Acoustic Chapel Sessions live album recorded in Melbourne in July 2011 at Chapel Off Chapel The album was released as a CD and DVD 2 disc set by Sony BMG The CD contains eleven previously released Farnham songs recorded acoustically while the DVD includes eight songs plus interviews with Farnham and the band as well as additional behind the scenes footage citation needed Olympics the Seekers and Olivia Newton John tours edit On 27 July 2012 Farnham performed live for the Australian Olympic team in London during the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games He performed a number of his best known songs including Playing To Win Pressure Down and You re The Voice He appeared in a special one off show with the Seekers in 2014 as part of the Decades Festival commemorating the music fashion and cars of specific era and coinciding with the Seekers golden jubilee year 86 In 2015 Farnham joined Olivia Newton John on stage with a concert tour entitled Two Strong Hearts Live singing hits from Newton John s film Grease iconic Farnham numbers and renditions of popular classics such as Over the Rainbow and Tenterfield Saddler 87 An album was released in June 2015 and debuted at No 1 88 Band editAs of 2020 update John Farnham s band members were musical director and keyboardist Chong Lim Angus Burchall on drums Brett Garsed on guitar and Craig Newman on bass guitar Backing vocalists are Lindsay Field Lisa Edwards Susie Ahern and Rod Davies Previously prominent long serving members have included Venetta Fields and Stuart Fraser from the band Noiseworks who regularly performed and toured with the band from 1992 until 2018 when his health deteriorated due to lung cancer Fraser died on 1 December 2019 89 Use of his music editIn 2015 Farnham and Wheatley spoke out against the use of his iconic signature song You re the Voice being used by Reclaim Australia an anti Islamic group 90 and again in 2020 in regard to its use at anti lockdown rallies during the stage 4 COVID 19 pandemic in Melbourne Victoria which Wheatley described as offensive to Farnham 91 From 3 September 2023 with Farnham s support You re the Voice was used to advocate for the Yes campaign in the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum a vote to change the Australian Constitution to enshrine a Voice to Parliament for Indigenous Australians 92 The song plays as a soundtrack for a video ad directed by filmmaker Warwick Thornton which was rolled out on social and other digital media and television 93 94 On 10 October 2023 Farnham was one of 25 Australians of the Year who signed an open letter supporting the Yes vote 95 96 Other activities editFarnham has supported several charities over the years including headlining the 2019 Hay Mate series of concert for Australia s farming community which raised over 4 4 million dollars 97 Recognition and awards editMain article List of awards and nominations received by John Farnham Farnham has won and been nominated for numerous Australian music and entertainment awards These include 21 ARIA Awards from 60 nominations including his induction into their Hall of Fame 12 13 Others are Countdown Music and Video Awards 29 16 33 Mo Awards and TV Week magazine s King of Pop Awards and their Logie Awards 14 16 On Australia Day 26 January 1996 Farnham was made an Officer of the Order of Australia In recognition of service to the Australian music industry and to charitable and community organisations particularly those relating to youth 98 In 2015 Farnham along with AC DC Newton John the Seekers and Indigenous Australian artist Archie Roach was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame 99 Australian rock historian Ian McFarlane described him as the most successful solo artist in the history of Australian rock and pop Farnham has retained an affable sense of humour and a simple unpretentious everyman charm which also makes him one of the most respected celebrities in Australian entertainment history 1 In film edit Farnham is the subject of a biographical documentary film titled John Farnham Finding the Voice released in cinemas in May 2023 100 Personal life editFarnham married Jillian Billman a dancer he met when performing the stage musical Charlie Girl on 11 April 1973 101 102 They have two sons Robert and James Farnham is a supporter of the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League 103 He lives on a farm near Bendigo 104 Health edit After years of performing at high volume concerts Farnham has tinnitus and hearing loss and wears hearing aids 105 In 2019 Farnham cancelled an Australian and New Zealand tour due to a severe kidney infection and dehydration He subsequently gave up a lifetime habit of smoking and reduced his alcohol intake 106 On 23 August 2022 Farnham released a statement that he was to undergo immediate surgery after being diagnosed with cancer 107 In this statement he said cancer diagnosis is something that so many people face every single day and countless others have walked this path before me 108 The same day he underwent a nearly twelve hour surgery to remove a tumour in his mouth including jaw reconstruction 109 He was transferred to an intensive care unit in a stable condition 110 It was later announced that the tumour had been successfully removed 111 In March 2023 he was hospitalised due to a respiratory infection 112 On 23 August 2023 exactly one year after his surgery Farnham released a statement saying he was cancer free 113 and in an interview with Variety Australia published on 5 September 2023 when asked if Farnham will ever tour again or release new material his sons said Anything s possible I think he d like to and he can definitely still sing 114 Selected discography editMain articles John Farnham discography and Little River Band discography Sadie 1968 Everybody Oughta Sing a Song 1968 Looking Through a Tear 1970 Christmas Is Johnny Farnham 1970 Johnny 1971 Johnny Farnham Sings the Shows 1972 Hits Magic amp Rock N Roll 1973 J P Farnham Sings 1975 Uncovered 1980 Whispering Jack 1986 Age of Reason 1988 Chain Reaction 1990 Then Again 1993 Romeo s Heart 1996 33 2000 The Last Time 2002 I Remember When I Was Young Songs from the Great Australian Songbook 2005 Jack 2010 The Acoustic Chapel Sessions 2011 References editGeneral Gazzo Jane John Farnham The Untold Story North Sydney N S W Penguin Random House Australia 2 November 2015 ISBN 9780857986573 McFarlane Ian 1999 Whammo Homepage Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop St Leonards NSW Allen amp Unwin ISBN 1 86508 072 1 Archived from the original on 10 October 2004 Retrieved 21 January 2010 Note Archived on line copy has limited functionality Spencer Chris Zbig Nowara Paul McHenry 2002 1987 The Who s Who of Australian Rock Noble Park Vic Five Mile Press ISBN 1 86503 891 1 115 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Retrieved 23 December 2008 The Official Charts Company John Farnham Official Charts Company Retrieved 19 May 2023 John Farnham Whispering Jack Australian Charts Portal Retrieved 24 December 2008 a b Farnsie makes it 20 ARIA 26 May 2023 Retrieved 4 September 2023 a b c d Farnham Music Australia Archived from the original on 17 February 2012 Retrieved 23 December 2008 Ryan Gavin 4 July 2015 ARIA albums John Farnham Olivia Newton John have the no1 album Noise11 com Retrieved 4 July 2015 a b c ARIA 2008 Hall of Fame inductees listing Australian Recording Industry Association Archived from the original on 2 August 2008 Retrieved 23 December 2008 a b c d e f g h i j Winners by Artist John Farnham Australian Recording Industry Association Archived from the original on 13 February 2009 Retrieved 23 December 2008 a b c d 2003 17th Annual ARIA Awards Australian Recording Industry Association Archived from the original on 13 February 2009 Retrieved 23 December 2008 a b c d e TV Week King of Pop Awards Milesago 2002 Retrieved 23 December 2008 Top 40 TV Televisionau com Retrieved 23 December 2008 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Jenkins Jeff Ian Meldrum 2007 Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia Melbourne Wilkinson Publishing ISBN 978 1 921332 11 1 Retrieved 23 December 2008 Atkinson Ann Linsay Knight Margaret McPhee 1996 The dictionary of performing arts in Australia Allen amp Unwin ISBN 978 1 86373 898 9 Retrieved 23 December 2008 a b Warner Dave June 2006 Countdown the wonder years 1974 1987 Sydney N S W ABC Books ISBN 0 7333 1401 5 Retrieved 15 December 2008 a b c d e John Farnham Countdown biography Australian Broadcasting Corporation Archived from the original on 21 July 2008 Retrieved 23 December 2008 a b c d e f g h i j k l John Farnham profile Milesago 2002 Retrieved 23 December 2008 Yarraman Oaks Primary school in Noble Park Yarramanoaksps vic edu au Retrieved 2 January 2018 a b John Farnham biography johnfarnham info Archived from the original on 26 January 2009 Retrieved 23 December 2008 popsike com JOHN FARNHAM ANSETT ANA SUSAN JONES Major Aussie Rarity auction details Popsike com Retrieved 16 April 2023 MILESAGO Groups amp Solo Artists John Farnham Milesago com Retrieved 16 April 2023 In My Room at APRA search engine Australasian Performing Right Association Archived from the original on 3 April 2012 Retrieved 6 September 2009 Morrison Alan 27 November 2017 50 years on from Sadie the cleaning lady who helped launch John Farnham s career Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 13 August 2018 Sony Music Entertainment Australia Pty Ltd 19 August 2016 John Farnham profile Sony Music Entertainment Australia Pty Ltd Australia Retrieved 30 October 2016 a b c d e f Creswell Toby Samantha Trenoweth 2006 1001 Australians You Should Know North Melbourne Pluto Press ISBN 978 1 86403 361 8 a b c Top 40 TV Australian Television Retrieved 7 June 2009 Bellamy Craig Gordon Chisholm Hilary Eriksen 17 February 2006 Moomba A festival for the people PDF Melbourne Vic City of Melbourne p 19 Archived from the original PDF on 5 March 2009 Retrieved 27 December 2008 Johnny Farnham Rock Me Baby Pop Archives Where did they get that song poparchives com au Retrieved 16 April 2023 Charlie Girl AusStage Retrieved 30 December 2008 a b Atkinson Ann Linsay Knight Margaret McPhee 1996 The dictionary of performing arts in Australia Allen amp Unwin ISBN 978 1 86373 898 9 Retrieved 7 June 2009 Pippin 1973 AusStage Retrieved 30 December 2008 Pippin 1974 AusStage Retrieved 30 December 2008 a b Colleen Hewett Milesago Retrieved 30 December 2008 Vagg Stephen 14 July 2019 Australian Singers Turned Actors Filmink Jillies Song at APRA search engine Australasian Performing Right Association Archived from the original on 25 July 2011 Retrieved 17 January 2009 Little River Band AllMusic Retrieved 28 December 2008 Little River Band gt Charts amp Awards gt Billboard Singles AllMusic Retrieved 28 December 2008 Justice for One at APRA search engine 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December 2008 Discographie John Farnham Swiss Charts Portal Archived from the original on 30 January 2009 Retrieved 30 December 2008 NOTE Information in Swiss German John Farnham Singles and Albums Charts Official Charts Company Retrieved 30 December 2008 Discographie John Farnham Austrian Charts Portal Archived from the original on 26 January 2009 Retrieved 30 December 2008 NOTE Information in Austrian You re the Voice at APRA search engine Australasian Performing Right Association Archived from the original on 25 July 2011 Retrieved 17 January 2009 ARIA Charts Accreditations 2006 Albums Australian Recording Industry Association Archived from the original on 15 May 2011 Retrieved 28 December 2008 a b John Farnham Whispering Jack Australian Charts Portal Archived from the original on 26 January 2009 Retrieved 30 December 2008 Farnham sweeps board Canberra Times 20 July 1987 Retrieved 16 April 2023 Lewis Wendy 2010 Australians of the Year Pier 9 Press ISBN 978 1 74196 809 5 Australian 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19 November 2008 Retrieved 7 January 2009 The Voice John Farnham out of retirement again News com au 8 June 2011 Retrieved 28 June 2013 John Farnham is the Voice again Sydney Morning Herald 27 May 2009 Retrieved 28 June 2013 Andrew Denton his final farewell The Guardian Australia Culture Blog 26 June 2013 Retrieved 28 June 2013 Farnham fan s fury at tour The Age 8 September 2004 Retrieved 28 June 2013 a b c Van Straten Frank 2007 John Farnham 3 Live Performance Australia Retrieved 10 January 2009 No 1 Awards 2004 Australian Recording Industry Association Retrieved 10 January 2009 John Farnham joins Stevie Nicks on Gold Dust tour tourdates co uk 20 November 2005 Archived from the original on 7 August 2011 Retrieved 10 January 2009 Dale David The end of the CD era The Sun Herald Archived from the original on 22 December 2008 Retrieved 10 January 2009 Dale David 29 May 2008 The music Australia loved The Sun Herald Archived from the original on 23 December 2008 Retrieved 10 January 2009 It s not a comeback John Farnham announces new tour LiveNews com au Macquarie Media Network Limited 27 May 2009 Archived from the original on 28 May 2009 Retrieved 5 June 2009 Perez Jesse 17 March 2009 Jack s Back New album for Farnham after triumphant stage return LiveNews com au Macquarie Media Network Limited Archived from the original on 2 June 2009 Retrieved 5 June 2009 Bochenski Natalie 21 August 2014 John Farnham and The Seekers to share the stage in one off concert Brisbane Times Retrieved 9 February 2015 John Farnham and Olivia Newton John may have the most enjoyable joint tour you ll ever see 9 April 2015 Retrieved 13 June 2015 ARIA Top 50 Music DVD Chart Noiseworks and Farnham guitarist Stuart Fraser loses cancer battle The Music Network 2 December 2019 Retrieved 2 December 2019 Zuel Bernard 22 July 2015 John Farnham disgusted by use by Reclaim Australia s use of You re the Voice Chapman Alex 21 September 2020 John Farnham Slams COVID Protesters Marching To His Song 7news com au Retrieved 30 September 2020 Visentin Lisa 3 September 2023 John Farnham backs Voice permits his anthem to front Yes campaign ad The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 3 September 2023 Yu Andi 3 September 2023 John Farnham s hit song You re The Voice the official soundtrack for the 2023 referendum Yes campaign ABC News Retrieved 3 September 2023 You re the voice that will make history The Uluṟu Dialogue John Farnham on YouTube 2 47 3 September 2023 Butler Josh 11 October 2023 Australian of the Year winners sign open letter saying no vote in voice referendum would be a shameful dead end The Guardian Retrieved 11 October 2023 Winter Velvet 10 October 2023 Voice referendum live updates Australians of the Year Yes vote letter in full ABC News Australia Retrieved 11 October 2023 Hay Mate concert raises staggering amount for Aussie farmers 9now nine com au Officer of the Order of Australia Australian Government Retrieved 7 January 2009 Boulton Martin 15 June 2015 The Age Music Victorian Hall of Fame inducts John Farnham Olivia Newton John Archie Roach and others The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 11 October 2015 Singh Surej 11 April 2023 Watch the trailer for John Farnham documentary film Finding The Voice NME Retrieved 16 April 2023 Johnny and Jill Tie the Knot National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Retrieved 31 July 2021 Thirteen Things We Love About Farnesy National Film and Sound Archive of Australia 22 July 2019 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Kangaroos faithful must fight PerthNow 14 November 2007 Retrieved 14 March 2021 Farnsey s new mission to help struggling farmers Today Show Australia YouTube 19 November 2019 Archived from the original on 12 December 2021 Retrieved 31 July 2021 McCabe Kathy 15 June 2011 It s all a whisper for John Farnham Dailytelegraph com au Retrieved 14 March 2021 John Farnham 70 opens up about severe health scare Expressdigest com 18 August 2019 Retrieved 23 August 2022 Singer John Farnham undergoes surgery after revealing cancer diagnosis ABC News 22 August 2022 Retrieved 23 August 2022 Wang Jessica 23 August 2022 John Farnham cancer diagnosis You re The Voice singer in hospital for surgery News com au Abbott Lachlan 23 August 2022 The surgeons are the real rock stars John Farnham recovering after cancer operation The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 24 August 2022 John Farnham in ICU after marathon surgery to remove cancerous growth The Sydney Morning Herald 23 August 2022 Retrieved 23 August 2022 John Farnham recovering after part of jaw removed in mouth cancer surgery The Guardian 24 August 2022 Retrieved 26 August 2022 Australian singer John Farnham in hospital for respiratory infection ABC News 31 March 2023 Retrieved 31 March 2023 Luckiest man I know right now singer John Farnham shares major health update SBS News Retrieved 28 October 2023 Lochrie Conor 5 September 2023 John Farnham s Family Discuss Success of Finding the Voice Variety Australia Retrieved 28 October 2023 Who s who of Australian rock compiled by Chris Spencer Zbig Nowara amp Paul McHenry catalogue National Library of Australia Retrieved 21 January 2010 External links editOfficial website John Farnham at IMDb John Farnham at Curlie John Farnham at the National Film and Sound Archive John Farnham in AusStage Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Farnham amp oldid 1217124981, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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