A Legacy of Music and Impact
Legendary singer John Farnham has confirmed that he will not perform again due to oral cancer. This news has left fans across Australia heartbroken, as they prepare for a tribute concert dedicated to his life and career. The event, titled The Songs of John Farnham: A Living Legend — The Celebration Concert, is set to take place in September and will feature an impressive lineup of artists including Jessica Mauboy, Tina Arena, Richard Marx, Jimmy Barnes, Mahalia Barnes, Keith Urban, Celine Dion, and Hugh Jackman (via satellite), among many others.
Tickets for the concert will go on sale at 10 am on Tuesday, 2 June, through TicketTek. The tribute concert aims to celebrate Farnham’s enduring legacy and raise funds for Head & Neck Cancer Australia.
Sophie Tedmanson, editor of The Australian Women’s Weekly and a self-described music kid, reflects on her deep connection to Farnham’s music, particularly the album Whispering Jack, which shaped her childhood.
A Childhood Defined by Music
I was 10 years old when John Farnham’s iconic comeback album, Whispering Jack, was released in 1986. This album changed the landscape of music in Australia and cemented John Farnham in the pantheon of our culture. That was a time when Bob Hawke was Prime Minister, Crocodile Dundee was taking the Outback to America, and pub rock, INXS, and Hunters & Collectors dominated the airwaves. Then came John Farnham, who had been a star in the 60s with his debut saccharine pop single “Sadie (the Cleaning Lady)”, but came back with a bang with Whispering Jack.
That album informed the soundtrack to my childhood. My tiny primary school of about 100 kids – Gilles Street Primary in central Adelaide – would gather in our quadrangle every morning before classes began to do the “Health Hustle”, a teacher-led dance routine to get our little bodies moving and brains switched on. I remember the unified choreography to Tina Turner’s “Nutbush City Limits”, floating through the air as if we were on roller skates to Cliff Richard’s “Wired for Sound”, and then there was Farnham’s “Pressure Down”. Any time I hear the beginning beat of that song, I am taken straight back to 10-year-old me and can still perform the dance moves.
The Song That Defined a Generation
But it was “You’re The Voice” that had the biggest impact, the soaring anthem that perfectly showcased Farnham’s powerhouse voice and that defining bridge of bagpipes. It is a song that instantly tugs on the heartstrings and remains to this day one of the most iconic Australian songs ever released, woven into the fabric of our cultural identity.
Whispering Jack became the highest-selling album by an Australian artist, spending 25 weeks at No.1 and selling more than 1.7 million copies in Australia alone. It crowned John Farnham as our 1980s king of pop and most beloved entertainer for more than four decades.
We got to know Farnsey, the family man, devoted to his beloved wife Jill, sons Robert and James, and grandson Jett – often featured in the pages of The Weekly. We also got to know Farnham, the man who always gave back to Australia, whether it be his never-ending tours or his commitment to charity and community. Even as recently as 2023, lending “You’re The Voice” to be the theme of the “Yes” campaign in the Australian Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum. This was the only time the song was ever permitted for commercial use.
A Heartbreaking Diagnosis
We were all heartbroken to hear that John was diagnosed with oral cancer. Everyone rallied around him when he had to undergo life-saving 12-hour surgery in August 2022. We prayed he would get healthy and heal, and secretly feared we would never hear him sing live again, something that has sadly been confirmed today. Even his long-time fan Celine Dion paid tribute to him, saying in an interview that Farnham’s ballad rendition of Help, with the line “Help me if you can, I’m feeling down, but I do appreciate you being around, help me get my feet back on the ground”, helped Celine get through her illness when she also lost her voice.
Celine met Farnham, whom she calls “one of my favourite singers of all time”, during her 2018 tour. She invited him on stage to join her in a rendition of “You’re The Voice”. Footage aired on The Project from backstage before the concert showed Farnham thanking Celine for calling him a “good singer”. Celine holds his hands and immediately corrects him, saying: “You’re not a good singer … You are the voice.”
Celine is one of the stars announced today who will headline the tribute concert, The Songs of John Farnham: A Living Legend — The Celebration Concert, to be held at Rod Laver Arena in September. Joining her are Hugh Jackman, Jimmy Barnes, Jessica Mauboy, Tina Arena, Keith Urban, Richard Marx, Human Nature, and scores of others. Funds raised will go to support Head & Neck Cancer Australia.
A Final Performance
Farnham’s last live public performance was at a charity concert – the Fire Fight Australia concert in Sydney in February 2020. This concert raised millions to support those affected by the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires and the emergency services involved in rescue operations.
Farnham performed his classics “Pressure Down”, “Age of Reason”, “Two Strong Hearts”, and “That’s Freedom”, then closed the night with a powerful rendition of “You’re The Voice”. He was joined on stage by Olivia Newton-John, Queen’s Brian May, and First Nations artist Mitch Tambo, who opened with the didgeridoo and sang part of the anthem in the Gamilaraay language.
No one knew this would be the last time we would see John Farnham sing live. But what a fitting live finale for the voice of a generation.
