John Farnham’s voice heard for first time since marathon mouth cancer surgery

John Farnham is ready to let the world hear his voice, more than two years after undergoing gruelling surgery to remove a tumour in his mouth.

Iconic Australian singer John Farnham is ready to let fans hear his voice again, more than two years after undergoing gruelling surgery to remove a cancerous tumour in his mouth.

It was announced today that Farnham, 74, who is now cancer-free, will narrate the audiobook version of his soon to be released memoir, The Voice Inside.

A small taster of the audiobook was released by publisher Hachette Australia today, and fans will hear one of Australia’s most recognisable voices sounding a little different post-cancer treatment as he explains why it’s taken him so long to write his memoirs.

“I don’t enjoy talking about myself, I really don’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an egomaniac, but dredging up the past is just not something I’ve ever really enjoyed,” Farnham says.

“I’ll try and share as much as I can, but that’s not easy because I’ve never really been that open. I guess there are reasons for that. Reasons for my reluctance …”

Farnham says writing the book was “not easy.”

Farnham with his son Rob on his wedding day in June.

Farnham has largely stayed out of the public eye since announcing in August 2022 that he was to undergo immediate surgery after being diagnosed with cancer.

The same day, he underwent a 12-hour surgery, involving a jaw reconstruction, to remove a tumour in his mouth.

One year later, he had some happy news to share, telling fans he was “cancer-free” while also revealing he’d had many more procedures since his original surgery.

And in June this year, fans got a rare look at Farnham as he was pictured at the wedding of his son, Rob, and his bride Melissa.

In his absence from the public eye, his sons Rob and James and wife Jill have occasionally stepped up to keep people updated on the legendary singer’s health.
And Jill will also take part in Farnham’s next venture: She wrote two chapters of The Voice Inside, and will narrate them herself.

One of Australia’s best-loved voices has fallen silently in recent years as he recovers out of the public eye. Picture: Hanna Lassen/WireImage

In a statement released today, Hachette Australia’s Head of Literary Vanessa Radnidge revealed it hadn’t always been known if Farnham would be able to narrate his memoirs, given the effects of his cancer treatment.

“Earlier this year when we announced John Farnham was writing his memoir with the help of Poppy Stockell, many fans eagerly asked if he would record the audiobook himself. At the time, we could not provide an answer, and I honestly did not think it would be possible,” Radnige said.

“But John is a born entertainer, and he never wants to disappoint his fans. Despite the challenges posed by surgery and radiation, John dedicated many hours in the studio to record his book in his own voice. Now, I cannot imagine anyone else narrating it.”

She called Farnham’s narration of the book a “delight” – “The heart, emotion, and showmanship are all there. So are the laughs, the giggles, and the tears.”

The audiobook edition of The Voice Inside will be released on October 30.

Originally published as John Farnham’s voice heard for first time since marathon mouth cancer surgery