From the Voice to the word, John Farnham tells his own story

He’s known as The Voice, but now John Farnham is turning to the word. The singer is writing his memoir, The Voice Inside, which will be published in November.

In a statement on Tuesday, Farnham said he had been frequently asked to tell his own story and that now was the right time.

“It is a very strange feeling looking back on my life, on the good and the bad and now that I have started it, it is all rushing back. I hope the book engages and entertains, because that’s what so much of my life has been about,” he said.

John Farnham performing in 2016.Credit: Getty Images

Farnham is writing “in partnership” with Poppy Stockwell, who wrote and directed the Farnham biopic, Finding the Voice. She said his stories were “deeply personal and wildly entertaining”.

Farnham’s publisher, Hachette head of literary Vanessa Radnidge, said Farnham’s resilience in the tough music industry was inspiring.

“We don’t really know the battles, the hard times or the depths of who John really is. And now he is sharing his life, his memories and what defined him.”

Johnny Farnham soon after the success of Sadie (The Cleaning Lady), in 1969.Credit:

Farnham was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2022 and underwent a major operation to excise tumours and remove part of his jaw, a procedure that was followed by reconstructive surgery.

Last August he revealed that he was cancer-free. He said in a statement that in the year after his first surgery in August 2022 he had lost count of the number of procedures he had undergone, but he was back home and “a very grateful and happy man”.

Farnham’s 1986 album Whispering Jack is the biggest-selling album by an Australian performer, and his single You’re the Voice was No.1 for nearly two months and named single of the year in the ARIA music awards in 1987. Last year, it was used as the soundtrack for a Yes vote advertisement for the referendum on an Indigenous Voice to parliament.

The Voice Inside, by John Farnham.

Farnham’s career has had significant ups and downs. He had his first No.1 with Sadie (The Cleaning Lady) in 1968 when he was still a teenager and performing as Johnny Farnham.

He changed his stage name to John Farnham as part of a shift into more adult rock shortly before he signed with the late Glenn Wheatley as his manager. At the time, Farnham had significant financial stresses.

He was briefly lead singer of the Little River Band, but turned his attention to a solo career in 1987 which has successfully cemented his place in the affections of Australian music fans.

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