Virginia Lillye has died after battling ovarian cancer. Photo / Instagram, @virginialillye.official and @gemini_foto
Virginia Lillye has died after battling ovarian cancer. Photo / Instagram, @virginialillye.official and @gemini_foto
The Voice Australia star Virginia Lillye has died at the age of 56 after a battle with ovarian cancer.
Popular Australian singer Don Spencer confirmed the sad news with a heartbreaking tribute on social media.
“I am terribly saddened to hear that the beautiful Virginia Lillye has lost her battlewith cancer,” he wrote alongside a picture of Lillye.
“Virginia was not only an amazing talent but one of the loveliest people you could meet. She performed many times to help raise funds for The Australian Children’s Music Foundation.
“She was an absolute showstopper. My deepest sympathy to Julian and her family. RIP Virginia.”
Her band also shared an emotional tribute to their “queen”, writing: “Virginia Lillye was hands down the quintessential rock goddess. There will never be another frontwoman like her... We love you dearly and you will never be forgotten. Riposa in peace our sweet Vinny.”
Lillye, who won a legion of fans after appearing on season nine of The Voice in 2020, had been undergoing treatment for advanced ovarian cancer after being diagnosed in 2023.
The singer had been on holiday in Israel with her husband, Julian, when she began experiencing severe stomach pains. After getting it checked upon her return to Sydney, she received the terrible news.
Virginia Lillye and husband Julian Crupi. Photo / Instagram @virginialillye.official
At the time, Lillye spoke publicly about her health challenges, describing it as a “sneaky cancer”.
“It’s a silent cancer that doesn’t make its appearance known until it’s stage three,” she told the Daily Mail.
“Ovarian cancer doesn’t get as much attention as other cancers. It’s a sneaky cancer with the symptoms coming on late in the diagnosis.
“It usually gets to stage three before you know what’s happening. There needs to be more awareness among society. More funds need to be raised to help instigate finding ways to discovering earlier diagnosis.”
Lillye had undergone several rounds of chemotherapy since her diagnosis, and also suffered a series of setbacks during her treatment, including multiple infections.
VIrginia Lillye in her chemo cycles. Photo / Instagram @virginialillye.official
Before being forced to put her career on hold as a result of her cancer, Lillye had a decades-long career which saw her perform with many well-known Aussie musicians and international music icons including KISS’ Gene Simmons and Gilby Clarke from Guns N’ Roses.
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