John Farnham’s family have shared a formal statement on the status of his health, confirming to fans that he’s recovering well from his recent bout with mouth cancer, but is being treated in hospital for a respiratory infection.
Last August, the legendary singer-songwriter underwent an 11-hour surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his mouth. It was successful, the family – sons Robert and James, and wife Jill – said in an update shortly afterwards, with Farnham making “terrific progress” in his recovery by the end of September. According to James, it was “kind of comforting” for his dad “to know that Australia was behind him”.
In their latest statement, shared yesterday (March 31), Farnham’s family began by assuring fans that he’s “been receiving on going treatment, care and rehabilitation support over recent months”, and although he’s currently in hospital “being treated for a respiratory infection”, the artist “is comfortable and receiving the very best care”.
Jill made particular mention of her husband’s resilience, declaring that Farnham has “always been a strong and determined person with everything he’s ever done”, and saying that she and his extended family “are all so very proud of him”. Jill went on to affirm that Farnham’s recovery is on track, writing that “he is responding well to the specialist care he’s receiving”.
The family closed their statement out by “reiterat[ing] their appreciation for all the medical staff that have attended to John over the past six months and for all the kind messages that been received from across Australia and the world”. Fans of Farnham’s can leave him well-wishes on a purpose-built website set up by fellow fans and authorised by his family.
Last September, at the 2022 AFL Grand Final, Robbie Williams paid tribute to Farnham with a cover of ‘You’re The Voice’. Sending his “love to John and his family”, Williams described Farnham’s iconic 1986 hit as “the unofficial national anthem of Australia”.
Meanwhile, last November saw the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) immortalise Australia’s first wave of pop music television with a clip of Farnham performing on Happening ’72, one of the last shows aired during the era.