Beloved Hey Hey It’s Saturday musician Wilbur Wilde has revealed he is facing the same devastating illness that claimed the life of his close friend and co-star John Blackman and also struck down Australian music icon John Farnham.
The 69-year-old saxophonist, who became a household name as part of the show’s house band, disclosed on Monday that he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma after a routine dental check in 2022.
What began as a small patch of discolouration spotted by his dentist soon led to a biopsy – and a life-altering diagnosis. By early 2023, Wilde had undergone major surgery to remove a third of his tongue and part of the floor of his mouth.
“It was a shock,” he told the Herald Sun. “I can’t say I was scared… I just try to deal with things on their merits and not coping was not an option for me.”
The musician admitted he was deeply concerned about whether he would ever speak clearly again – or play his saxophone. But even in the face of daunting surgery, Wilde managed to hold onto his trademark humour.
“The first morning after the procedure, when my doctor came to check, I looked at him and said, ‘You are very good, I can still pronounce anaesthesiologist.’”
Wilde says he has since been declared “cancer clear”, with his speech therapy progressing well. Despite the hardship, he continues to perform gigs, determined not to let the disease silence him.
His diagnosis comes less than a year after Wilde played a central role in the funeral of his longtime Hey Hey colleague and friend John Blackman. Blackman, who died in June 2024 aged 76, endured his own harrowing battle with cancer, including surgery to remove his jaw.
“I am honoured to have been asked by Cecile and Tiffany to be the celebrant at my old mate’s send-off,” Wilde said at the time, paying tribute to the man he called a father figure, hero and comedy doctor.
“No Blackers, no Hey Hey. He turned a kids’ show into a very enjoyable adult show. He blazed that trail for everybody else.”
For fans who grew up watching Wilde and Blackman share the stage alongside Daryl Somers and the rest of the Hey Hey cast, the news marks another poignant chapter in the show’s legacy.
Though scarred by his surgery, Wilde remains steadfast, still blowing his saxophone with the same soul that made him famous in the 1980s – fighting not only for his health, but for the music and laughter that defined his career.
Images: Facebook
