John Farnham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Farnham
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Farnham in 2014
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| Born |
John Peter Farnham
1 July 1949 |
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| Years active | 1964–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Jillian Billman
(m. 1973) |
| Children |
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| Musical career | |
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | Pop rock, adult contemporary, soft rock, soul music, R&B |
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John Peter Farnham (born 1 July 1949) is a famous Australian singer who was born in Britain. He started his career as a teen pop idol from 1967 to 1979, known then as Johnny Farnham. Later, he became a successful adult contemporary singer.
John Farnham has mostly performed as a solo artist. He was also the lead singer for the band Little River Band from 1982 to 1985. In November 1986, his solo song "You're the Voice" became a number one hit in Australia. His album, Whispering Jack, was also a huge success, staying at number one for 25 weeks. Both the song and album were popular around the world. Whispering Jack is one of the best-selling albums in Australian history. It is still the highest-selling album in Australia by an Australian artist.
Farnham is one of Australia's most loved performers. He is the only Australian artist to have a number one album or single in five decades in a row. This includes hits like "Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)" (1967) and "You're the Voice" (1986). He has also toured with many artists, including The Seekers and international stars like Stevie Nicks and Lionel Richie. He has released albums with Tom Jones and Olivia Newton-John.
John Farnham has received many awards. These include being named Australian of the Year in 1987. He also became an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1996. He has won 19 ARIA Awards, and was added to the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2003. From 1969, TV Week readers voted him the 'King of Pop' for five years in a row. Besides music, he has acted in stage musicals and TV shows.
Contents
John Farnham's Early Life and Start in Music
John Peter Farnham was born in Dagenham, England, on 1 July 1949. His parents were John Peter Farnham Sr. and Rose Farnham. He has two sisters, Jean and Jaquiline, and a younger brother, Steven. John lived in the United Kingdom for his first ten years. In 1959, his family moved to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He went to Yarraman Park State School and Lyndale High School.
Starting Out: From The Mavericks to Strings Unlimited (1964–1967)
From 1964, John performed with a local band called The Mavericks on weekends. He was still in school at the time. In late 1965, he became the lead singer for Strings Unlimited. This band used only string instruments and played regularly at a local hotel.
In 1966, the band made a demo tape. They had reached the state finals of the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds. On 29 April 1967, Strings Unlimited played as a backing band for singer Bev Harrell. Her manager, Darryl Sambell, was very impressed with John's singing. He offered to become John's manager. John then recorded a jingle for Ansett-ANA and got a solo record deal with EMI.
Becoming a Teen Pop Idol (1967–1979)
John Farnham's first big hit was "Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)". His manager didn't like the song, but the producer insisted. It was released in November 1967. A Melbourne radio DJ, Stan Rofe, pretended to dislike "Sadie" before playing it. This made people curious, and the song became very popular. It reached number one in Australia in January 1968 and stayed there for six weeks. "Sadie" sold 180,000 copies, making it the best-selling single by an Australian artist of that decade.
In 1969, John released his album Everybody Oughta Sing a Song. It reached number 12 on the Australian charts. His next single, "One", peaked at number 4. TV Week magazine started the 'King of Pop' awards. Readers voted for their favorite artists. John Farnham won 'King of Pop' five times in a row, from 1969 to 1973. He also had another number one hit with "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" in December 1969.
In 1971, John worked with Allison Durbin, who was the 'Queen of Pop'. They released an album called Together. John also started performing in stage musicals, like Dick Whittington and His Cat. He appeared on many TV shows as a guest or host. In 1972, he was named 'King of Moomba' in Melbourne.
John married Jillian Billman, a dancer, on 18 April 1973. By the mid-1970s, his music career slowed down. He focused more on stage musicals and television. He starred in the TV comedy Bobby Dazzler in 1977–78. In 1979, he changed his stage name from Johnny Farnham to John Farnham.
John Farnham's Career with Little River Band (1980–1986)
In 1980, John Farnham signed with Glenn Wheatley, who managed Little River Band (LRB). John's comeback song was a new version of The Beatles' "Help!", which reached number 8. His album, Uncovered, also did well.
In February 1982, John became the lead singer of Little River Band. This was a big change for him, moving from pop to rock music. With LRB, he recorded three studio albums. Some of their charting songs included "The Other Guy" and "Playing to Win". His biggest Australian hits with LRB were "Down on the Border" (1982) and the album The Net (1983).
John also sang songs for films during this time. He left Little River Band in April 1986.
John Farnham's Amazing Solo Success (1986–1997)
After leaving LRB, John Farnham started working on a new solo album. His manager, Glenn Wheatley, and sound engineer Ross Fraser helped him. They struggled to find a record label at first. Fraser became the producer, and Wheatley even mortgaged his house to fund the album.
The Huge Success of "You're the Voice" and Whispering Jack
While working on the album, John and Ross found a song called "You're the Voice". They knew it was a special song. Another song offered to them was "We Built This City", but John turned it down. That song later became a hit for the band Starship.
At first, radio stations didn't want to play John's new music. But then, Sydney radio station 2Day FM played "You're the Voice" in September 1986. Soon, people started calling in to request the song. "You're the Voice" became number one in Germany, Sweden, and Australia. It was also a top ten hit in the UK and other European countries.
The album, Whispering Jack, was released in September. It became the best-selling album by an Australian artist in Australia. It stayed at number one for 25 weeks. By 2006, it had sold over 1.68 million copies in Australia. It was also the first music CD made in Australia. Other popular songs from the album included "Pressure Down" and "Touch of Paradise".
After the album's success, John went on the Jack's Back Tour. It was so popular that they added more shows. It became the highest-earning tour by an Australian artist at that time. John Farnham won six 1987 ARIA Music Awards for Whispering Jack, including 'Album of the Year' and 'Single of the Year'. In 1988, John was named Australian of the Year. This was because of his great contribution to Australian music for 20 years.
More Number One Albums: Age of Reason and Chain Reaction
In July 1988, John's single "Age of Reason" reached number one in Australia. The album, Age of Reason, also debuted at number one in August. It stayed at the top for eight weeks. It was the best-selling album in Australia for 1988. Other popular songs from this album were "Two Strong Hearts" and "Beyond the Call".
At the 1988 ARIA Awards, John won 'Best Male Artist'. In 1989, he recorded a duet with Dannielle Gaha called "Communication". It reached number 13.
His next album, Chain Reaction, came out in October 1990. It also debuted at number one in Australia. This album had three top ten hit singles: "Chain Reaction", "That's Freedom", and "Burn for You". John helped write nine of the twelve songs on Chain Reaction. This album was the biggest-selling album in Australia for 1990. At the 1991 ARIA Awards, he won 'Best Male Artist' and 'Song of the Year' for "Burn for You".
Live Albums and Musicals (1991–1997)
John's live album, Full House, was released in November 1991. It reached number 2 on the charts. It featured recordings from his concerts. He also sang a duet with Jimmy Barnes, "When Something is Wrong with My Baby", which was a top 3 hit.
In August 1992, John played the main role of Jesus in the Australian musical Jesus Christ Superstar. The soundtrack album from the show was very popular. John released his next studio album, Then Again..., in October 1993. It reached number one and won "Highest Selling Album" at the 1994 ARIA Awards.
John never wanted to move overseas, even though he had offers. He preferred to stay in Australia. His single, "Have a Little Faith (In Us)", reached number 3 in March 1996. The album, Romeo's Heart, peaked at number 2. It won "Best Adult Contemporary Album" at the 1996 ARIA Awards. In 1997, he released three compilation albums called Anthology. Anthology 1 reached number one.
Later Career and Collaborations (1998–Present)
The Main Event and Other Performances (1998–2009)
From October to December 1998, John Farnham performed with Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow on The Main Event Tour. The album Highlights from The Main Event reached number one and won 'Highest Selling Album' at the 1999 ARIA Awards. The concert was also shown on TV.
In April–May 1999, John went on the I Can't Believe He's 50 Tour. On 21 December, he performed for Australian troops in Dili, East Timor. This concert was also webcast, meaning people could watch it online.
For the 2000 Summer Olympics, John and Olivia Newton-John sang "Dare to Dream" at the Opening Ceremony. About 3.5 billion people watched the ceremony around the world.
On 1 January 2001, John received a Centenary Medal for his great service to Australian music.
The Last Time Tour and Collaborations (2002–2011)
In 2002, John announced his "The Last Time Tour". He said it would be his final full-scale national tour, but he would still do concerts and record music. The tour started in November 2002 and ended in June 2003. His album The Last Time was released in October 2002 and reached number one. "The Last Time Tour" was a huge success, becoming the biggest-earning tour in Australian history.
In July 2003, John worked with the band Queen on a new version of "We Will Rock You". John was added to the ARIA Hall of Fame on 21 October 2003. He also won 'Best Adult Contemporary Album' for The Last Time.
In 2004, John toured with singer Tom Jones for the Together in Concert series. They sang duets and their own hits. The DVD of the concert reached number one. John's return to performing after his "retirement" tour caused some discussion, but he continued to perform.
In 2005, John released I Remember When I Was Young: Songs from The Great Australian Songbook. It featured 13 cover songs by Australian artists and reached number 2. In 2006, he performed with the Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House. He also toured with Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks. On 26 March, John sang at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony in Melbourne. He performed "Age of Reason", "Playing to Win", and "You're the Voice".
In 2009, John announced a new tour called "John Farnham – Live By Demand". His studio album, Jack, was released in October 2010. It was his first studio album in over five years. In 2011, he toured to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Whispering Jack. He also released The Acoustic Chapel Sessions live album.
Recent Performances and Health (2012–Present)
On 27 July 2012, John performed for the Australian Olympic team in London. He sang some of his most famous songs. In 2015, John joined Olivia Newton-John for a concert tour called "Two Strong Hearts Live". They sang hits from their careers and other popular songs. An album from this tour reached number one in June 2015.
John Farnham's band members include musical director and keyboardist Chong Lim, Angus Burchall on drums, Brett Garsed on guitar, and Craig Newman on bass guitar. His backing vocalists are Lindsay Field, Lisa Edwards, Susie Ahern, and Rod Davies.
In 2015 and 2020, John Farnham and his manager spoke out against groups using his song "You're the Voice" without permission. In 2023, with John's support, "You're the Voice" was used to support the "Yes" campaign for the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum. This vote was about changing the Australian Constitution to create a Voice to Parliament for Indigenous Australians.
John has also supported charities. In 2019, he headlined the Hay Mate concert series, which raised over 4.4 million dollars for Australian farmers.
Awards and Recognition
John Farnham has won many Australian music and entertainment awards. He has received 21 ARIA Awards and is in the ARIA Hall of Fame. He has also won 'King of Pop Awards' and Logie Awards.
On Australia Day (26 January) 1996, John was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. This was for his service to the Australian music industry and to charity work. In 2015, he was added to the Music Victoria Hall of Fame.
Australian music expert Ian McFarlane called him "the most successful solo artist in the history of Australian rock and pop." He also said John has a friendly sense of humor and a down-to-earth charm. This makes him one of the most respected celebrities in Australian entertainment history.
Film About John Farnham
A documentary film about John Farnham, called John Farnham: Finding the Voice, was released in cinemas in May 2023.
John Farnham's Personal Life
John Farnham married Jillian Billman, a dancer, on 11 April 1973. They have two sons, Robert and James. John supports the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League. He lives on a farm near Bendigo.
Health Update
After many years of performing at loud concerts, John Farnham has tinnitus and some hearing loss. He wears hearing aids. In 2019, he had to cancel a tour due to a kidney infection. After that, he stopped smoking and drank less alcohol.
In August 2022, John had a serious health challenge. He underwent a long surgery. It was later announced that the issue was successfully treated. In March 2023, he was in the hospital for a respiratory infection. On 23 August 2023, exactly one year after his surgery, John announced he was doing well. His sons have said that he might tour or release new music again in the future.
John Farnham's Albums
- Sadie (1968)
- Everybody Oughta Sing a Song (1968)
- Looking Through a Tear (1970)
- Christmas Is... Johnny Farnham (1970)
- Johnny (1971)
- Together (with Allison Durbin) (1971)
- Johnny Farnham Sings the Shows (1972)
- Hits Magic & Rock 'N Roll (1973)
- Johnny Farnham Sings Hits from the Movies (1974)
- J.P. Farnham Sings (1975)
- Uncovered (1980)
- Whispering Jack (1986)
- Age of Reason (1988)
- Chain Reaction (1990)
- Then Again... (1993)
- Romeo's Heart (1996)
- 33⅓ (2000)
- The Last Time (2002)
- I Remember When I Was Young: Songs from the Great Australian Songbook (2005)
- Jack (2010)
- The Acoustic Chapel Sessions (2011)
Images for kids
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Farnham in 2014
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John Farnham's signature
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Statue of John Farnham, Melbourne Docklands
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John Farnham performing in 2009
See also
In Spanish: John Farnham para niños
