John Farnham has been admitted to hospital for cancer treatment. Photo / Getty Images
John Farnham has been admitted to hospital for cancer treatment. Photo / Getty Images
Legendary singer John Farnham is stable after having a 12-hour operation following his cancer diagnosis, with reports emerging on Wednesday that the marathon surgery was to remove a tumour from inside his mouth.
The entertainer, 73, went under at 8am on Tuesday and the surgery was finished by 7.30pm, his family said.
The You're The Voice singer is now recovering in ICU and is in a stable condition.
Doctors were confident they would be able to remove all traces of the cancerous growth from his body. No extra details have been disclosed on his diagnosis, however on Wednesday morning Sunrise reported that the cancerous growth was located in Farnham's mouth.
Farnham also provided a statement before the operation, in which he shared his gratitude to the Victorian health system.
"Cancer diagnosis is something that so many people face every single day, and countless others have walked this path before me," he said in the statement.
"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."
Entertainment reporter Peter Ford said on Sunrise on Tuesday morning that Farnham's family was "quietly confident things are going to be fine."
"They don't want people panicking. His wife is there, his two sons are there with him. The doctors are confident that they're able to get it,' he said.
Ford said he'd just spoken to somebody who was in hospital with Farnham and gave viewers an update on the singer's condition: "He is in a wheelchair, he's being prepped to go into surgery, he's in great spirits, he's cracking jokes with the staff," he said.
John Farnham has been admitted to hospital for cancer treatment. Photo / Getty Images
A musical legend, from the 60s to now
The British-born Australian singer is perhaps best known for his 1986 single You're The Voice, which appeared on the album Whispering Jack.
Throughout his career, Farnham has released 21 studio albums, 74 singles and 12 soundtracks. He's also won 12 ARIA awards.
After his first solo hit Sadie, The Cleaning Lady back in 1967 (when he was known as Johnny Farnham), he has been a fixture on Australia's music scene. He was also the lead singer of the Little River Band from 1982 to 1985, replacing Glenn Shorrock.
Farnham's 2019 health scare
While the singer and his family are known for being private, Farnham opened up about a health scare in 2019.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the then-70-year-old said he was forced to cancel his Australian tour after he was admitted to hospital for a "severe" kidney infection. The condition developed as a result of a previous surgical procedure, which Farnham chose not to disclose.
"I didn't realise until too late. I'd been feeling uncomfortable. My wife Jill had been telling me to go to the doctor," he said.
Leaving him dehydrated, he said the illness made him "very unwell" and became a "wake-up call to look after myself a bit more".
John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John performing together in 2020. Photo / Getty Images
Farnham was also close friends and a frequent collaborator with Olivia Newton-John, who died in August following a 30-year battle with breast cancer. The singer and Grease star was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, before announcing in 2017 that it had progressed to stage 4 and metastasised to her sacrum.
In the wake of her death, the Farnham family paid tribute to the star.
"The Farnham family send love and sympathies to Olivia's family," they wrote in a statement.
"Behind that iconic smile was a tenacious fighter. A beautiful voice and a loyal friend. She will be greatly missed."
