Devastated Farnham’s tribute for Glenn Wheatley
Tributes flow for the music icon, who managed John Farnham and Delta Goodrem, following his death aged 74 from complications with Covid.
Prominent music industry figure Glenn Wheatley died in Melbourne on Tuesday, aged 74, from complications with Covid.
A statement from his family issued on Wednesday afternoon confirmed that Wheatley had died while surrounded by his wife of 39 years, Gaynor, son Tim and daughters Kara and Samantha.
The entrepreneur was double vaccinated and had been “valiantly fighting for several weeks”, said his family, who thanked healthcare workers at Epworth ICU.
“In spite of having achieved so much, there was a lot more he wanted to give,” said his family in a statement. “He had an enthusiasm that was unmatched and believed that anything was possible. He gave everything to support projects he believed in, whether they were ultimately successful or not – his immense passion and enthusiasm was an integral part of Glenn Wheatley.”
“He treated roadies, artists and fans with the same love and respect, and had time for everyone,” said his son Tim. “He would leave Rod Laver Arena after a John Farnham concert, just to carry my amp into the Espy. Everything he did was for his family. He regarded his family as his greatest achievement.”
In a statement also issued on Wednesday afternoon, singer John Farnham said, “Our family are devastated at the loss of our friend. We also obviously feel for his family as well. With his passing so many people have lost a part of their lives. We will miss you Glenn, and promise to be there for Gaynor and the family. Love Jill, John, Robert and James Farnham.”
Wheatley’s career spanned decades, and saw him performing on stage before later ceding the spotlight to others as a highly successful artist manager.
Through his work at the highest levels of the Australian music business, Wheatley made a substantial impact on popular culture.
He was a skilled operator who was well-connected and widely liked, both here and abroad.
Born in Brisbane in 1948, Wheatley rose to prominence in the late 1960s as bassist in The Masters Apprentices, the Jim Keays-fronted band that became one of the most popular rock acts in the country with hit songs including Because I Love You, Turn Up Your Radio and Undecided. Wheatley was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame with the band in 1998.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Wednesday morning, his Masters Apprentices bandmates mourned his loss.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Glenn Wheatley,” wrote the band. “He has left his mark forever on Australian music. Glenn would often reunite with The Masters Apprentices, dusting off his bass on special occasions, most recently the Thebarton Theatre 90th Birthday Spectacular in 2018. We will miss him greatly. Our deepest sympathies to his wife Gaynor, son Tim and daughters Samantha and Kara. Always a Masters Apprentice!”
Few musicians made the transition from artistry to the other side of the negotiating table better than Wheatley, who earned his first million dollars in the 1970s after he hung up the bass guitar to manage artists.
His first major success as a manager was with the Little River Band, which benefited greatly from Wheatley’s knowledge of the American music business in particular.
Wheatley produced the band’s 1975 debut album, and under his guidance Little River Band enjoyed consistent commercial chart success in the US and became one of Australia’s most successful rock exports.
After John Farnham replaced Glenn Shorrock as lead singer of the Little River Band in 1982, Wheatley began managing his old friend’s career and completely turned around both of their lives, earning each of them a fortune.
But it took a major leap of faith, as Wheatley famously mortgaged his house to finance the recording of Farnham’s 12th album, Whispering Jack.
The former teen pop idol was 37 at the time of its release in October 1986, and if Farnham’s career wasn’t quite on the skids, he wasn’t particularly in favour.
Yet Wheatley’s gamble turned out to be one of the smartest ever taken in the history of Australian pop music.
Soon after its release, Whispering Jack became the pivotal moment in Farnham’s career.
It went on to spend 25 weeks at No. 1 and has been accredited 24x platinum by ARIA, indicating sales in excess of 1.68 million copies.
Wheatley’s 1999 autobiography Paper Paradise detailed his gung-ho nature towards business: he writes frankly that one of his worst calls was to invest $12m in The Ivy nightclub in Melbourne.
“This would prove to be a disastrous decision,” he wrote.
“I had a premonition that storm clouds were brewing over my life. What I didn’t know was that it would be a full-force cyclone.”
The failed investment left him on the brink of bankruptcy; he was saved from financial ruin by successfully promoting Farnham’s Chain Reaction tour in 1990, as well as the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar.
His lowest moment came in July 2007 when he was sentenced to a minimum 15-month jail term for tax evasion, following a probe by the Australian Taxation Office into a system of Swiss trust accounts.
The parole board ruled that he could spend the last five months of his sentence in home detention, and after completing his term in 2008, he spoke exclusively with The Weekend Australian Magazine rather than take up lucrative interview offers from TV networks because he did not want to be accused of profiteering by telling his story.
It was ironic that Wheatley was jailed for tax fraud, having spent part of his early career trying to stop the prevalent culture of greedy promoters ripping off Australian musicians.
Wheatley also managed pop singer and actress Delta Goodrem, whom he discovered when she was in her early teens. He helped launch her 2003 debut Innocent Eyes, which became one of the highest-selling albums in ARIA chart history, yet that same year Goodrem decided not to renew her contract with him.
“Glenn impacted the lives of so many, including mine,” wrote Goodrem on Facebook on Wednesday. “I will always remember him calling my family about my music after hearing a demo CD from when I was just 13 years old. What followed was many treasured memories. I am forever grateful for our time together in my early career. May he rest in peace.”
Having taken a major risk on Farnham, though, the pair stuck together through thick and thin: Wheatley remained his manager until the end of his days.
“Occasionally I would like to lead an easier life,” he wrote in Paper Paradise, “but for the most part, it’s not in my make-up to slow down. I’ve always tried to make my life as interesting as I can. I’ve never been bored, never fallen into a rut.”
On Friday, Wheatley’s musician son Tim had planned to release an EP containing a heartfelt cover of a classic song by The Masters Apprentices. Instead, he elected to release it online on Wednesday in honour of his father. “We were planning the release of Because I Love You for months,” said Tim in a statement. “We just fell three days short.”
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