Just hours before some of Australia’s biggest music stars gathered to celebrate John Farnham, his family shared the news fans had desperately hoped they would not hear.
Farnham would not be there.
In a deeply personal statement ahead of The Songs of John Farnham: A Living Legend concert at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, wife Jill and sons Rob and James revealed the 77-year-old singer’s health had deteriorated in recent months.
“John’s health has deteriorated in recent months. He now requires continuous oxygen support and uses a wheelchair for mobility,” the family said.
“It has also become necessary for John to receive 24-hour nursing care at home, ensuring trained support is always available when he needs it.”
The family said they had kept the details private while adjusting to Farnham’s changing needs, but felt his fans deserved to understand why he could not attend the concert being held in his honour.
“If things were different, John would have loved nothing more than to attend the concert,” they said.
“As a family, we have decided that it is best for John to remain at home, where he can be safe and comfortable.”
It was a heartbreaking beginning to what was meant to be a celebration.
And then something rather wonderful happened. Farnham may have been at home, but for the next few hours it was almost impossible to argue that he wasn’t somehow in the room.
Thousands packed the sold-out Rod Laver Arena, while fans around Australia watched from cinemas, as generations of performers came together to sing the songs that have soundtracked generations of Australian lives.
Richard Wilkins, hosting the night, pointed out that Farnham had previously sold out an extraordinary 94 shows at Rod Laver Arena – more than any other performer. “So I guess tonight makes it 95, an unbelievable 95,” he told the crowd.
The evening opened with Jessica Mauboy, Jon Stevens, Jack Jones, Mahalia Barnes and Human Nature powering through a medley that included Age of Reason, Reasons and Have a Little Faith (In Us).
Then came perhaps the night’s most poignant link to the man everyone had gathered to honour. Farnham’s son Rob walked onto the stage and sang Love To Shine, from his father’s phenomenally successful Whispering Jack album.
He knew exactly what the sight of a packed arena would have meant to his dad. “To see all these people here would just absolutely warm his heart,” he said.
From there, the tributes kept coming. Kate Ceberano and Jon Stevens revisited Farnham’s theatrical years with Everything’s Alright from Jesus Christ Superstar, while Keith Urban flew in from Nashville and delivered Burn For You.
Jimmy Barnes joined daughter Mahalia for When Something Is Wrong with My Baby, the song Barnes famously recorded with Farnham in 1991.
And some of the biggest tributes came from much further away. Hugh Jackman appeared via simulcast and recalled sneaking in as a youngster to watch Farnham soundcheck in Perth. Jackman told Farnham he had seen him perform at least 30 times and credited him with profoundly influencing the entertainer he eventually became.
Céline Dion appeared from Paris, describing Farnham as a deep inspiration before performing the song that, more than any other, has become inseparable from his name: You’re The Voice.
By the end of the night, everyone was singing it.
The performers returned to the stage for a huge finale of You’re The Voice, accompanied by 24 bagpipers – a fittingly enormous ending for a singer whose voice has filled Australian arenas, lounge rooms and car stereos for decades.
But this was never simply a night of nostalgia. The concert marked the beginning of the Lend Your Voice campaign, which aims to raise $1 million for Head and Neck Cancer Australia over the next year. It is a cause painfully close to Farnham and his family after he underwent marathon surgery in 2022 to remove a cancerous tumour from his mouth.
Cancer screening facilities were even established at Rod Laver Arena, allowing concertgoers to be checked for signs of oral cancer.
Head and Neck Cancer Australia chief executive Nadia Rosin said around 14 Australians are diagnosed with head and neck cancer every day, and hoped the concert would encourage people to become more aware of the warning signs.
Images: Instagram
