John Farnham AO

Ancestors

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Biography

John FARNHAM has sold millions of records. He holds the record for the highest selling album by an Australian artist, the record for highest ticket sales by an Australian artist in every entertainment centre across Australia and has received numerous awards and accolades. Throughout his career John has been involved in many charities. He is Australia's most talented and popular entertainer, engaging his audience immediately he comes on stage. An admirable, humble, humane, ethical, hard working and devoted family man, John FARNHAM is truly a very special Australian Icon full of unpretentious charm whose music has held generations spellbound.^[1]

John Peter FARNHAM was born on 1 July 1949 at Mile End Hospital in East London, Middlesex, England^[2]. His parents were John FARNHAM and Rose Lillian PEMBERTON.

Immigration
He was raised in Dagenham, Essex before the FARNHAM family decided to follow other family members to Australia. They boarded the Orient Line SS Orsova on 18 April 1959 at London (Tilbury) and left England bound for Melbourne, Victoria, Australia^[3]. The 3 generations aboard the SS Orsova consisted of 9 year old John, his parents, 2 sisters, his fraternal grandparents and 2 uncles.

Australia
He attended Yarraman State School, Lyndale Primary School and Lyndale High School.

Working Life

• pre 1965 First band with mates was called The Mavericks
• 1965-1966 Sang in the band, Strings Unlimited
• 1965-1966 Plumber's apprentice
• 1967-1979 Billed as Johnny FARNHAM - Solo artist - pop idol (including King of Pop 5 times)
• 1980 The John Farnham Band
• 1982-1985 Lead singer of Little River Band (he replaced Glenn Shorrock)
• 1986- Solo artist - adult contemporary singer

Music
Songs include:

• 1967 Sadie (The Cleaning Lady) (No 1 single)
• 1969 One (No 1 single)
• 1970 Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head (No 1 single)
• 1970 Comic Conversation
• 1971 He recorded a track for the UNICEF 25th Anniversary album
• 1972 Rock Me Baby
• 1980 Help (new arrangement of the Beatles hit)
• 1982 The Other Guy (with the Little River Band)
• 1985 Playing To Win (with the Little River Band)
• 1986 You're the Voice
• 1986 Touch of Paradise
• 1988 Age of Reason (No 1 single)
• 1989 Communication with Dannielle Gaha
• 1990 Chain Reaction
• 1991 Burn for You
• 2003 We Will Rock You with Queen

Albums

• 1967 Sadie
• 1968 Everybody Oughta Sing a Song
• 1970 Looking Through A Tear
• 1970 Christmas Is Johnny Farnham
• 1971 Johnny, The Best Of Johnny Farnham
• 1971 Together - with Allison Durbin
• 1972 Johnny Farnham Sings The Shows
• 1972 Don't You Know It's Magic
• 1973 Hits Magic Rock N' Roll
• 1973 Johnny Farnham Sings The Big hits of '73 Live
• 1974 Hits From The Movies
• 1975 JP Farnham Sings
• 1976 Johnny Farnham's Greatest Hits
• 1980 Uncovered
• 1980 The Best Of John Farnham (CD & LP)
• 1985 Playing To Win (with the Little River Band)
• 1986 Whispering Jack (No 1 album) Also an international success, reaching the top three in Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland. April 1987 hit the top 10 in UK and number ones in West Germany, Scandinavia and Canada and the top ten in Italy and Spain
• 1988 Age of Reason (No 1 album)
• 1990 Chain Reaction
• 1991 Full House (live performances from between 1985 and 1991)
• 1993 Then Again...
• 1996 Romeo's Heart
• 1997 Anthology 1, 2 and 3
• 1997/8 The Main Event with Olivia Newton-John & Anthony Warlow
• 1999 Live At The Regent Theatre
• 2000 33⅓
• 2002 The Last Time
• 2003 One Voice (CD & DVD)
• 2005 Together (with Tom Jones)
• 2010 Jack
• 2011 The Acoustic Chapel Sessions
• 2015 Two Strong Hearts Live (DVD)
• 2016 Friends for Christmas (with Olivia Newton-John)
• 2023 Finding The Voice

Stage Performances

• 1970 Dick Whittington and His Cat - lead (pantomime)
• 1971 Charlie Girl (musical)
• 1974 Pippin (musical)
• 1977 Roberta (play)
• 1992 Jesus Christ Superstar
• 2005 Grease, The Arena Spectacular

Television Performances

• 1967 In Time - Channel 10 Adelaide (daily pop show) - first TV performance
• Kommotion regular guest
• 1969 Johnny Farnham TV special (ABC)
• 1970 Good Morning Melbourne - guest TV hosting debut
• 1974 It's Magic (With Colleen Hewett) - 13 episode variety show
• 1975 Countdown - guest host of first color transmission (ABC)
• 1975 Division 4 (TV police series) guest acting role
• 1977 Opportunity Knocks' - host
• 1977 Survival - narrator - wildlife series (ABC)
• 1977-1978 Bobby Dazzler - sitcom (Seven Network)
• 1970s Yooralla Telethon
• 1970s Denise Drysdale Show - regular guest
• 1970s The Don Lane Show - regular guest
• 1977 Carols By Candlelight (Melbourne) - guest
• 1980 Farnham and Byrne (with Debra Byrne)
• Hey Hey It's Saturday - guest

Commericals

• Ansett-ANA commercial Susan Jones - sang the jiggle
• Red Cross Doorknock Appeal
• Channel 10 Christmas Appeal
• Creating Greener Pastures - Dairy Farmers campaign to provide support for farmers, rural and regional communities across Australia.

Tours and charities

• 1968 His first national tour of New Zealand with The Rebels for the national Blast Off '68 Pop Spectacular.
• 1969 John toured Australia in Operation Starlift concert Tour with Russell Morris, Ronnie Burns, Johnny Young, Zoot, Doug Parkinson In Focus, and Masters Apprentices.
• 1975 He travelled to Darwin in May to perform in a relief concert to aid victims of Cyclone Tracy
• 1976 John did a fundraising show along with other celebrities to help Italian earthquake victims.
• 1980 The John Farnham Band (on the road to do a tour of the pubs)
• 1986 John opened for Whitney Houston at The Sydney Entertainment Centre on 16 & 17 October. He received standing ovations from the public.
• 1988 Age Of Reason tour nationally and in Scandinavia, Germany and the U.K.
• March 1989 John visited U.S.S.R. to launch the Greenpeace album Breakthrough, alongside The Edge, Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel, Chrissie Hynde and David Byrne
• July 1989 Princes Trust concert in London, John performed Age Of Reason and You're The Voice. before the Prince and Princess of Wales.
• September 1989 Waltzing Matilda was performed by John at the last-ever VFL Grand Final
• 1990 The Chain Reaction tour broke attendance records across the country
• 1994 Talk Of The Town tour
• 1996 Jack Of Hearts tour
• 1997 The Main Event tour with Olivia Newton-John & Anthony Warlow
• 1999 I Can't Believe He's 50' tour
• 1999 Concert in East Timor for the INTERFET troops.
• 2000 Olivia Newton-John and John performed Dare To Dream at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics.
• 2000 Man Of The Hour tour - The concerts sold out across the country.
• 2002-2003 The Last Time tour
• December 2003 Twin Towers for 3 shows
• February 2004 Performance at Mission Estate Winery concert in New Zealand
• March 2004 Performance at Tempus Two winery, Hunter Valley, New South Wales
• March 2004 Performance at Barossa Under The Stars, Barossa Valley, South Australia
• May 2004 Performance at Sirromet Winery, Mount Cotton, Queensland
• February 2005 John did a series of concerts with Tom Jones
• 2006 I Remember When I was Young concerts performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra with a percentage of revenue received went to the Dairy Farmers 'Creating Greener Pastures' program to help farmers and their communities.
• February 2006 Wollongong Entertainment Centre with the Farnham Band
• 2006 John and Stevie Nicks joined forces for magical double-bill shows in Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and New Zealand.
• 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony Finale. John sang 4 songs
• June 2006 Spirit Of The North concert went to assisting recovery of cyclone devastation through the Dairy Farmers Creating Greener Pastures Program.
• 18 March 2009 Sound Relief concert John performed with Coldplay in Sydney to raise funds for bushfire ravaged Victoria and flood victims in Queensland.
• 29 May 2010 John performed at the Airnorth Kimberley Moon Experience concert in Kununurra, Western Australia
• October 2010 Luna Park's 75th Birthday, Sydney, New South Wales (1 show)
• 2010 Day On The Green shows with three concerts in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. The tour also included two new outdoor concert venues, RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast, Queensland and Coopers Brewery in South Australia. Indoor shows included Canberra, Wollongong, Newcastle and Tamworth.
• Oct-Nov 2011 25th Anniversary of Whispering Jack (28 concerts)
• 3 December 2011 V8 Supercars race Performance after the race
• 2013 began with a performance at the opening of the Star Event Centre at Star City in Sydney on January 24th and due to demand a second show was added on the 25th.
• March 2014 John co-headlined with Lionel Richie with a tour across Australia and New Zealand
• 18 October 2014 John headlined the Decades Music Festival at Pine Rivers Park, Strathpine Queensland
• 2015 The Two Strong Hearts Tour with Olivia Newton-John
• 23 April 2015 River4Ward charity concert on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne, Victoria in aid of the building of a specialised youth cancer centre.
• 15 June 2015 The Age Music Victoria Hall of Fame concert at the Palais Theatre
• Nov-Dec 2015 Concerts - two for One Electric Day, five Day On The Green Concerts and the closing of Qantas Credit Union Arena (formerly known as Sydney Entertainment Centre).
• October 2016 Cruise N Groove 2016 (2 shows)
• 2016 Violence Free Families, the Rotary Initiative. A music video with Colleen Hewitt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiFnXgY__24
• 2017 Red Hot Summer Tour (9 shows)
• 2017 Concerts at:

Jupiters, Gold Coast, Queensland (1 show)

One Electric Day, Werribee Park, Werribee, Victoria with Daryl Braithwaite, Baby Animals, Diesel and 1927 (1 show)

Wollongong Entertainment Centre, New South Wales (2 shows)

Derwent Entertainment Centre, Glenorchy, Tasmania (1 show)

A Weekend In The Gardens in Melbourne, Victoria (1 show)

Rottnest Island, Western Australia (1 Show)

A Day On The Green (2 shows)

• 2017 John headlined a fundraising concert on June 28 to support Stuart Fraser who was diagnosed with cancer, Olivia's Wellness Centre and Support Act.
• 30 July 2017 You're The Voice was a special concert held by the Queensland Music Festival to raise awareness for Domestic Violence. As a special surprise John appeared at the end of the night to sing You're The Voice, backed by an choir of hundreds
• 8 September 2017 Olivia's ONJ Gala guest
• 2017 concerts at:

Geelong, Victoria

Werribee, Victoria

Wollongong, New South Wales

Barossa Valley, South Australia

Kings Park. Western Australia

• 2018 concerts at:

By The C in Hervey Bay, Queensland in February,

Red Hot Summer Tour (7 shows)

The Watpac race concert in Townsville, Queensland

Red Hot Bash in Birdsville, Queensland

One Tropical Day in Darwin. Northern Territory

• 8 August 2018 Celine Dion's concert in Melbourne, Victoria. John was a special guest and performed a duet of "You're The Voice" with her.
• August 2018 Client Liaison Expo Tour John joined Client Liaison in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for three songs
• October 2018 Gardens By The Bay in Singapore for Imagine Cruising culminating in a spectacular light show at the end of the concert.
• 27 October 2018 Hay Mate: Buy a Bale — A Concert For The Farmers’ was held at Scully Park in Tamworth, New South Wales. The concert organised by Glenn Wheatley and headlined by John was to support Australia’s drought-stricken farmers, and raised over $2 million.
• November 2018 The inaugural music festival, Anthems was held at the National Arboretum in Canberra, headlining John
• November/December 2018 A Day On The Green concerts in South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and the Yarra Valley, Victoria
• 2019 Red Hot Summer Concerts in:

Batemans Bay, New South Wales

Baulkham Hills, New South Wales

Mount Gambier, South Australia

Noosa, Queensland

Rockhampton, Queensland

Cairns, Queensland

• August 2019 Mt Isa Rodeo 60th Anniversary (Queensland)
• September 2019 70th Anniversary of The Toowoomba Carnival Of Flowers (Queensland)
• October 2019 Gardens By The Bay in Singapore for Imagine Cruising (2 shows)
• 2019 One Electric Day and Live in the Vines concerts across Australia. After the cancellation of his shows earlier in the year, John finally made it to New Zealand and played to packed houses in Auckland and Wellington.
• December 2019 Hay Mate - A Bush Christmas Concert which was organised by Glenn Wheatley, was held at Mornington Racecourse which raised a staggering $4.60 million. It featured John Farnham with Jon Stevens, Daryl Braithwaite, Vanessa Amorosi, John Williamson, The Black Sorrows with Vika & Linda, All Our Exes Live in Texas, Tim Wheatley and Little Georgia.
• December 2019-January 2020 Falls Festival. Although the oldest artist to perform his show was considered legendary.
• 16 February 2020 Fire Fight Australia a fundraiser concert in Sydney, New South Wales. John was joined on stage by Brian May, Olivia Newton-John and Mitch Tambo for a very special performance of You're The Voice, where Birri Gubba man Mitch Tambo sang the second half of the song in Gamilaraay.

Awards and Accolades^[4]

• 1969-1973 Logie Award Best Teenage Personality 'King of Pop'
• 1972 King Of Moomba - Melbourne festival
• 1972 'Most Outstanding Performance' of a Composition award at the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo with "Don't You Know It's Magic"
• 1978-1979 Mo award Male Vocal - Johnny Farnham
• 1980 Mo Award for Entertainer Of The Year
• 1980-1982 Mo award Male Vocal John Farnham
• 1986 Mo award Entertainer of the Year
• 1987 ARIA Award for Highest Selling Single "You're the Voice"
• 1987 ARIA Award for Single of the Year "You're the Voice"
• 1987 ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album "Whispering Jack"
• 1987 ARIA Award for Highest Selling Album "Whispering Jack"
• 1987 ARIA Award for Album of the Year "Whispering Jack"
• 1987 ARIA Award for Best Male Artist
• 1987 Australian of the Year
• 1987 Logie Award Most Popular Music Video "You're the Voice"
• 1987 Mo award Daily Telegraph — Male
• 1987 Mo award Male Vocal Performer
• 1988 ARIA Award for Outstanding Achievement Award
• 1988 ARIA Award for Best Male Artist
• 1988 ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album "Touch of Paradise"
• 1988 Mo award Daily Telegraph — Male
• 1988 Mo award Male Vocal Performer
• 1989 ARIA Award for Highest Selling Album "Age of Reason"
• 1989 Logie Award Most Popular Music Video "Age of Reason"
• 1991 ARIA Award for Highest Selling Album Won Chain Reaction
• 1991 ARIA Award for Best Male Artist
• 1991 ARIA Award for Song of the Year "Burn for You"
• 1991 Logie Award Most Popular Music Video "Chain Reaction"
• 1991 Mo award Contemporary Concert Performer of the Year
• 1992 Australian Music Awards Crystal Trophy for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry.
• 1992 Logie Award Most Popular Music Video "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby"
• 1993 Logie Award Most Popular Music Video Won "Everything's Alright"
• 1994 ARIA Award for Highest Selling Album "Then Again"
• 1996 ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album "Romeo's Heart"
• 1996 Officer of the Order of Australia^[5]
• 1997 Most Broadcast Australian Recording Artist by the Phonographic Performance Company Of Australia
• 1999 'The Key To The City' by the Lord Mayor of Melbourne
• 1999 ARIA Award for Highest Selling Album Highlights from The Main Event (with Olivia Newton-John & Anthony Warlow)
• 1999 Mo award Performer of the Year Main Event (Anthony Warlow, John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John) Australian
• 2000 Mo award Arena Performer of the Year
• 2001 Centenary Medal^[6]
• 2003 ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album "The Last Time"
• 2003 Inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
• 2004 JC Williamson Award a lifetime achievement award^[7]
• 2006 Variety Entertainers of the Century: Statue of John FARNHAM by Peter CORLETT at Waterfront City, Melbourne Docklands^[8]
• 2013 Voted as Australia’s finest singer of all time.
• 2013 He was amongst the faces of 10 famous bands and artists to be immortalised on Australian postage stamps (John for the second time)
• 2015 The Age Music Victoria Hall of Fame
• 2019 The National Film & Archives produced an exhibition to honour John's 70th birthday

The ARIA awards are from the Australian Recording Industry Association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal^[9].

The Logie Awards Television guide TV Week developed a set of awards in 1958 which became the Logie Awards, the magazine provided coupons for readers to vote for their choice in a variety of categories from 1960^[10]

The Mo Awards are Australia's entertainment industry awards, which began in 1975^[11]

2022-2023
John's longtime friend and manager, Glenn WHEATLEY passed away from Covid complications. Late in 2022 it was announced that John had mouth cancer and began treatment.

In Melbourne, Victoria on 9 May 2023 John Farnham: Finding The Voice premiered and later released in cinemas on 18 May. This project was close to the heart of Glenn WHEATLEY but due to his untimely death, was finished by his wife "a wonderful testament to not only John's career but to the friendship the pair shared". It screened on the channel Seven Network on 24 July 2023.

August 2023 it was announced that John was cancer free and home with his family.

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.johnfarnham.info/johnography.htm
2. ↑ Free UK BDM Births Sep 1949; Farnham, John P; Pemberton; Stepney; 5d 775. https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl
3. ↑ UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960. Name Name Master J Farnham; Gender Male; Departure Date 18 Apr. 1959; Departure Port England; Ship Name Orsova; Shipping Line Orient Line; Search Ship Database; Search for the Orsova in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database; Destination Port Melbourne, Australia; Master N C Smith. Source Citation: The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; BT27 Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and Successors: Outwards Passenger Lists; Reference Number: Series BT27- Source Information: Ancestry.com. UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
4. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. (2022, September 27). List of awards and nominations received by John Farnham. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:45, September 13, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_John_Farnham&oldid=1112756390
5. ↑ Australian Government: Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet: Australian Honours. https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869719
6. ↑ Australian Government: Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet: Australian Honours. https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1127778
7. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. (2023, July 14). JC Williamson Award. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:47, September 13, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=JC_Williamson_Award&oldid=1165272849
8. ↑ https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/people/arts/display/31035-variety-entertainers-of-the-century/photo/3
9. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. (2023, May 14). Australian Recording Industry Association. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:53, September 13, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Australian_Recording_Industry_Association&oldid=1154745564
10. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. (2023, August 4). Logie Awards. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:54, September 13, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Logie_Awards&oldid=1168639992
11. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. (2023, August 3). Mo Awards. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:55, September 13, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mo_Awards&oldid=1168593105

See also:

• Wikipedia contributors. (2023, September 4). John Farnham. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:56, September 13, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Farnham&oldid=1173713781