Iconic 80s singer John Farnham has revealed how treatment for cancer has left him unable to sing.
The Australian star, 75, rose to fame as a teenage pop idol from 1976 to 1979, before rebranding himself in the 1980s with such hits as You’re the Voice, A Touch of Paradise and Pressure Down.
In August 2022, John was diagnosed with oral cancer, subsequently undergoing a 12-hour surgery to remove the cancerous tumour.
During the extensive operation – which involved 26 doctors – part of the musician’s jaw was removed and he underwent reconstructive surgery.
The musician has since been declared cancer-free, but the procedure left him unable to sing.
Writing in his new memoir, The Voice Inside, John revealed how he he has been unable to open his mouth or perform since undergoing the mammoth operation.
‘My facial disfigurement from the surgery means I can’t open my mouth wide enough for a strip of spaghetti, let alone to sing,’ the star said.
An excerpt from the book published by the Sydney Morning Herald revealed: ‘I can’t get the movement to make the sounds I want to make, that’s where the vibrations and my voice come from. It’s a very disconcerting thing. And trying hurts.’
However, John still hopes to be able to perform again one day, saying: ‘I was given a gift and to be able to get out there and affect people in some way was special, I would like to continue doing that.’
‘Though I am not putting all my hopes into it, we’ll see,’ he added.
He also shared how he believes that the cancer was a result of his long-term smoking habit, saying: ‘Cancer doesn’t discriminate, but as soon as I was told the results, I couldn’t help thinking it was my own fault, I smoked very heavily all my life.’
The book, co-written with Poppy Stockell, documents the Australian superstar’s rise to fame, from his debut in the 1960s to the release of Whispering Jack in 1986 – notable for being the highest-selling Australian album of all time.
Farnham revealed that he was finally cancer-free in 2023, 12 months after surgery had been performed.
In a personal statement announcing news on Instagram, John said he was surrounded by his loving family at home and felt like ‘the luckiest man I know’.
‘It’s been a year since my first surgery and to be honest, I’ve lost count as to how many other procedures there’s been since then,’ he said.
‘I’m sure someone’s kept track of them all – let’s just say, there’s been a few.’
‘But, I’m home now and I’m a very grateful and happy man. I’m sitting here in my living room lapping up the attention from my beautiful wife, Jill, my boys Rob and James and my mini Schnauzer, Edmund.’
Earlier this year, the artist was pictured for the first time since undergoing his surgery.
Attending the wedding of his oldest son, Robert Farnham, John cut a dapper figure in a black suit with a bronze tie and matching pocket square.
The Voice Inside by John Farnham and Poppy Stockell is out October 30 from Hatchette Australia.
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