By Juice 107.3 Network Tuesday 23 Aug 2022MusicReading Time: 3 minutes
Wednesday 24 Aug 2022
John Farnham is said to be in a stable condition in ICU after an 11-and-a-half hour surgery yesterday, to a remove a mouth cancer.
“The cancer tumour was located in his mouth and it has been successfully removed,” the family said in a statement released this morning.
“There is still a long road of recovery and healing ahead of us, but we know John is up for that task,” Farnham’s wife Jill wrote.
The singer’s operation began at 8am on Tuesday in a Melbourne hospital and was successfully completed at 7.30pm that night.
“We are in awe of the incredible teams of health care professionals who have guided us through this very challenging time with such compassion.
“To all the surgeons, doctors, nurses and consultants – thank you one and all so very much.”
Tuesday 23 Aug 2022
Australian singer John Farnham has been admitted to hospital for surgery and ongoing treatment for a cancerous growth.
The 73-year-old was admitted this morning to a hospital in Melbourne and, according to a statement released by his family, the cancerous growth was discovered recently.
No additional information about Farnham’s diagnosis was included in the statement.
The singer is in good spirits, according to Nine entertainment editor Richard Wilkins, and was “cracking jokes with the doctors” as he was being prepared for the procedure.
“Surgeons are confident they can get it all and that the operation will be successful,” Mr Wilkins said.
In a statement released by Farnham, he is not fazed by the news.
“Cancer diagnosis is something that so many people face every single day, and countless others have walked this path before me,” he said.
“Cancer diagnosis is something that so many people face every single day, and countless others have walked this path before me,” – John Farnham
“The one thing I know for sure is that we have the very best specialist healthcare professionals in Victoria, and we can all be grateful for that. I know I am.”
This is not the first health scare for Farnham, who was hospitalised in 2019 with a severe kidney infection that forced him to cancel several shows.
It was a life-changing ordeal for him, as he later revealed that he had quit smoking, according to the Herald Sun.
“It gave me a wake-up call to look after myself a bit more,” Farnham told the paper.
“I gave up smoking just before my birthday. I haven’t had a smoke for a few months which I’m happy about and that’s made me feel better.
“I’m still having a love affair with the occasional glass of red wine.”
Rise to fame
Farnham is one of Australia’s most successful musicians, with his 1986 album Whispering Jack being the second-highest selling album in Australia, behind Meat Loaf’s 1977 album Bat Out of Hell.
Farnham is one of Australia’s most successful musicians, with his 1986 album Whispering Jack being the second-highest selling album in Australia.
The singer rose to fame in the late 1960s when he was hailed as teen idol “Johnny Farnham” and then later changed his name to John Farnham in 1980.
Six years later, he released his single You’re the Voice as part of his Whispering Jack album and the song peaked at number one on the Australia Singles charts.
The album remained in the number one spot for 18 weeks and became the first album to sell over a million copies in Australia alone.
Farnham has won 19 ARIA Awards, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003 and is the only Australian artist to have a number one record in five consecutive decades.
He was named Australian of the Year in 1987 and also an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1996.
The singer’s diagnosis comes just two weeks after he lost his close friend and fellow singer Olivia Newton-John to breast cancer.
The two performed together several times, including at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
The family has requested privacy during this time.
Feature image: John Farnham Facebook