John Farnham is nothing less than an Aussie icon. In a career spanning almost five decades, the likeable, charismatic star has entertained countless Australians of every generation, selling millions of records along the way. But his extraordinary story is as much about tackling adversity as it is about topping the charts.
In the mid-1980s, without a recording contract, more or less penniless, and seemingly destined to be remembered mainly as the chirpy teenager whose debut single 'Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)' swept to number one back in 1967, Farnham had hit rock bottom.
But courageously - and assisted by his great friend and manager Glenn Wheatley who mortgaged his house to finance an album - John stormed into the public consciousness again in 1986 with the epic 'You're The Voice' single and stunning LP Whispering Jack. His spectacular comeback complete, the fair-haired superstar has simply gone from strength to strength in the decades since.
In this compelling, fully updated biography, radio broadcaster and music journalist Jane Gazzo tracks down the key figures in John's life - from the 1960s to the present day - revealing Farnham as an inspirational Australian whose bubbly personality sometimes disguises his steely determination beneath the surface. Former teen idol, Australian of the Year, the man known across the nation as 'The Voice', John Farnham has earned his reputation as a genuine legend of the local entertainment industry.
About the Author
Jane Gazzo is an Australian television presenter, radio broadcaster and music journalist. In 2015, Jane celebrates 25 years of broadcasting. Jane was brought up in Melbourne where she studied Arts, Media and Drama at La Trobe University. On finishing her degree she joined Britain's Q magazine as a foreign correspondent submitting monthly gossip stories. Jane’s impressive broadcasting career began at the age of 16 at Melbourne radio station 3RRR-FM. She then went on to present nationally on Triple J and became a popular name in the 1990’s co-hosting ABC-TV cult TV show ‘Recovery’. In 1999, Jane left Australia to try her luck overseas. She landed a radio gig at London radio station X-FM, working alongside Ricky Gervais and Russell Brand. She later joined parent radio station Capital FM, and in 2003, moved to the BBC to host ‘Jane Gazzo’s Dream Ticket’ on respected station BBC 6Music. During her time in London she also hosted various TV shows for the BBC, ITV and MTV UK. She also worked for Courtney Love in a strange stint as Love’s personal assistant in 2000. Jane returned to Australia in 2007 to take up a role on Foxtel’s Channel [V] as a full time music presenter - which included reporting from the ARIA Red Carpet, Future Music Festival, Soundwave, Big Day Out, Splendour in the Grass Festival and hosted important music events such as the Australian leg of Live Earth (concerts for climate change) and Sound Relief (for fire and floods). In 2013 she moved to the MAX music channel. In her lengthy career, Jane has had the pleasure of interviewing artists as diverse as Lionel Richie, Slash, Jessie J, Mark Ronson, The Chemical Brothers, Lily Allen, Dizzee Rascal, David Hasselhoff, Rick Astley, Calvin Harris, 30 Seconds to Mars, Molly Meldrum, Queens of the Stone Age, Marilyn Manson, Placebo, Paramore, Thom Yorke, Sir Elton John, Prodigy, Good Charlotte and Kylie Minogue. Jane lives in Melbourne with her husband and son and presents the Morning Show on MMM.
