John Farnham Bio, Age, Weight and Height, Early Life and Education, Career, You’re the Voice, Wife, Net worth, Children, Songs, Awards

John Farnham's image
John Farnham's image

John Farnham Biography

John Farnham is an Australian pop star singer.  Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979. Then billed as Johnny Farnham, but has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. Despite him being a solo artist, Farnham replaced  Glenn Shorrock as the lead singer of Little River Band from 1982 to 1985. 1986 in September, his solo single “You’re the Voice” peaked at No. 1 on the Australian singles charts.

John Farnham Age

John Farnham was born in the year 1949 on 1st July in  Dagenham, England. he is currently 73 years of age in 2022.

John Farnham Weight and Height

Farnham stands at an average height and has moderate weight. Also appears to be quite tall in stature in his photos.

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John Farnham Early Life and Education

John Peter Farnham Sr is John’s father and  Rose  Farnham is the mother. Peter has two sisters Jean and Jaqueline. Also has a brother by the name of Steven. John and his family lived in the United Kingdom for ten years before they moved to Australia in 1959  to live in Melbourne, Victoria.

So Farnham went to Yarraman Park State School which is now Yarraman Oaks Primary School. Later went to Lyndale Primary School and Lyndale High School.

John Farnham Career

Peter while attending school in 1964 he performed with the local band The Mavericks on weekends as Johnny Farnham. The band had a five-song repertoire.

Farnham was asked to join the band Strings Unlimited as lead singer in 1965. However it was a band composed entirely of string-only instruments, and they had a regular booking at a local hotel.

After making the state finals of the Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds in 1966  they recorded a three-track demo tape with Farnham on vocals. So Barry Roy was on rhythm guitar, Mike Foenander on keyboards, Joe Cincotta on bass, Stewart Male on lead guitar, and  Peter Foggie on drums.

Later Farnham did a cover of the British novelty song “Sadie” and the cover earned him his first commercial success. In addition, John released an album in 1969 and it peaked at No. 12 on the Australian albums charts. The album was  Everybody Oughta Sing a Song.

In 1970 in July  Farnham released his next album called Looking Through a Tear and it peaked at #11. Similarly the same year in October he released”Comic Conversations” and it peaked at number 10.

During 1971, Farnham teamed up with Allison Durbin, who had been chosen as ‘The Most Popular Female Performer at the ‘King of Pop awards for 1969–71. To clarify they did an album and a single song. So the album was Together and a single song was  “Baby, Without You”

In 1971 another stage musical for Farnham was Charlie Girl and Jillian Billman was one of the dancers. So later Farnham married Jillian Billman on 18 April 1973.

You’re the Voice

John started collecting a song list for a future solo album while still in Little River Band. Therefore finished his vocals for their album, No Reins, and left in late 1985.

The first solo for Farnham’s performances since 1981 were live shows with Brett Garsed on lead guitar, Sam See on guitar, Derek Pellicci on drums, and Bruno Di Stanislo on electric bass and vocals.

Initially, public interest in the re-branded former teen idol was difficult to cultivate, and radio stations refused to play Farnham’s album.  However, it started to change when  Sydney radio station 2Day FM played its first single, “You’re the Voice”, which was released in September 1986. Henceforth, radio stations began receiving requests for the song.

Age of Reason and Chain Reaction

Farnham released “Age of Reason” in July 1988 and it peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA singles charts. It was written by Johanna Pigott and Dragon member Todd Hunter. The album, Age of Reason, produced by Ross Fraser, premiered at No 1. in August. It stayed on top for eight weeks. Therefore it was the highest-selling album in Australia from 1988.

In 2015, John and Wheatley spoke out against the use of his iconic signature song, “You’re the Voice”, being used by Reclaim Australia, an anti-Islamic group, and again in 2020 in regard to its use at anti-lockdown rallies during the stage 4 COVID-19 pandemic in Melbourne, Victoria which Wheatley described as offensive to Farnham.

John Farnham’s Net worth

John Farnham has a net worth of $15 million dollars. This amount has accumulated over the years he has been serving.

 Wife

Farnham is a husband to Jillian Billman who was an Australian dancer. they have been together from 1973 till date.

Children

The following are the names of John’s children

  1. Robert Farnham
  2. James Farnham

Songs

  1. You’re the voice
  2. Age of reason
  3. That’s Freedom
  4. A Touch of Paradise
  5. Pressure Down
  6. Burn for You
  7. One
  8. Angels
  9. Every Time You Cry
  10. Have a Little Faith (In Us)
  11. Reminiscing
  12. Help
  13. Please Don’t Ask Me
  14. Cool Change
  15. Thunder in Your Heart
  16. Seemed Like a Good Idea (At the Time)
  17. When the War Is Over
  18. Talk of the Town
  19. Reasons
  20. Lonesome Loser
  21. Don’t You Know It’s Magic
  22. A Simple Life
  23. Comic Conversation
  24. Lady
  25. Break the Ice

Awards

  • Logie Award for Most Popular Music
  • Logie Award for Best Australian Teenage Personality