John Peter Farnham AO (born 1 July 1949, Dagenham, Essex, England), (formerly billed as Johnny Farnham from his professional debut 1967 until 1980), is an English-born Australian pop singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he temporarily replaced Glenn Shorrock as lead singer of Little River Band during 1982–1985. In September 1986 his solo single, "You're the Voice" peaked at No. 1 on the Australian singles charts. The associated album, Whispering Jack, held the No. 1 position for a total of 25 weeks, and is the highest-selling album in Australian history. Both the single and the album had Top Ten success internationally including No. 1 in Sweden.Domestically he has remained one of Australia's best-known performers with a career spanning over 45 years, and he is the only Australian artist to have a number one record in five consecutive decades (echoing that of Cliff Richard in the UK) with singles: "Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)" in 1967, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" in 1969/1970, and "Age of Reason" in 1988; and albums: Age of Reason, Chain Reaction in 1990, Then Again... in 1993, Anthology 1: Greatest Hits 1986–1997 in 1997, 33⅓ in 2000 and The Last Time in 2002.Farnham has been recognised by honours and awards including 1987 Australian of the Year, 1996 Officer of the Order of Australia, and 19 ARIA Awards including his 2003 induction into the Hall of Fame. From 1969 he was voted by TV Week readers as the 'King of Pop' for five consecutive years. Aside from his recording career, Farnham performed on stage with lead roles in Australian productions of Charlie Girl, Pippin and 1992's Jesus Christ Superstar. He starred in his own TV series and specials including It's Magic (With Colleen Hewett) and Bobby Dazzler and as a guest on numerous other popular shows such as Countdown and Hey Hey It's Saturday. Australian rock historian, Ian McFarlane described him as "the most successful solo artist in the history of Australian rock and pop ... Farnham has retained an affable sense of humour and a simple, unpretentious 'everyman' charm which also makes him one of the most respected celebrities in Australian entertainment history."
| # | Fact |
|---|
| 1 | Finished Australia wide tour "The Last Time" on June 15th 2003. Has just finished recording a new version of Queen's "We will rock you" to be the Rugby 2003 Anthem. [September 2003] |
| 2 | Pictured on a 60¢ Australian commemorative postage stamp in the Living Legends series, issued 18 January 2013. Other performers honored in this issue were 'Paul Kelly (III)', Ian 'Molly' Meldrum, Kylie Minogue, Olivia Newton-John, AC/DC, Cold Chisel, INXS, Men at Work, and The Seekers. |
| 3 | A former plumber. |
| 4 | He replaced Glen Shorrock as the lead singer for the Little River Band in 1982 making his debut on the Greatest Hits LP with the hit 'The Other Guy' as well as the band's last few hits with 'We Too' and 'You're Driving Me Out of My Mind' (both 1983) and 1985's 'Playing to Win' |
| 5 | Holds the record for the 'Most broken microphone stands'. |
| 6 | 'Sadie the Cleaning Lady' which was John's 1967 hit, is one of the most famous songs in Australian history. The audience is always yelling the name of this song at concerts. |
| 7 | Father of Queen of the Damned (2002) star, Robert Farnham. |
| 8 | Named Australia's man of the year in 1988. |
| 9 | Performed at the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, with Olivia Newton-John. |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| Gintberg på kanten | 2016 | TV Series documentary performer - 1 episode |
| Red Oaks | 2015 | TV Series writer - 1 episode |
| The Voice | 2015 | TV Series writer - 1 episode |
| Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa | 2013 | performer: "You're the Voice" |
| Celebrity Splash! Australia | TV Series performer - 1 episode, 2013 writer - 1 episode, 2013 |
| Dancing with the Stars | 2012 | TV Series writer - 1 episode |
| 20 to 1 | 2007-2010 | TV Series documentary performer - 4 episodes |
| It Takes Two | 2008 | TV Series writer - 1 episode |
| Hot Rod | 2007 | performer: "You're the Voice" |
| Idol - Jakten på en superstjerne | 2006 | TV Series writer - 1 episode |
| Australian Idol | 2003-2005 | TV Series writer - 3 episodes |
| Under the Lighthouse Dancing | 1997 | performer: "Angels" |
| Top of the Pops | 1987 | TV Series performer - 1 episode |
| Whispering Jack: In Concert | 1987 | Video performer: "Pressure Down", "One Step Away", "Going, Going, Gone", "Paper Paradise", "Infatuation", "Let Me Out", "A Touch Of Paradise", "When The War Is Over", "Comic Conversations", "All In Love Is Fair", "Amazing Grace", "Reasons", "No One Comes Close", "Trouble", "Love To Shine", "Playing To Win", "One", "Down On The Border", "Help", "You're The Voice" / writer: "Going, Going, Gone", "Let Me Out", "A Touch Of Paradise", "Playing To Win" |
| Rad | 1986 | performer: "Break the Ice", "Love Theme from 'Rad'", "Thunder in Your Heart" |
| Fletch | 1985 | performer: "Running For Love" |
| The Slugger's Wife | 1985 | performer: "LOVE IT'S JUST THE WAY IT GOES" |
| Savage Streets | 1984 | music: "Nothing's Gonna Stand In Our Way" Instrumental / performer: "Justice For One" instrumental, "Nothing's Gonna Stand In Our Way" Instrumental, "Innocent Hearts", "The Quiet Ones You Gotta Watch" / producer: "Justice For One" instrumental, "Nothing's Gonna Stand In Our Way" Instrumental, "Innocent Hearts", "The Quiet Ones You Gotta Watch" / writer: "Justice For One" instrumental, "The Quiet Ones You Gotta Watch" |
| Voyage of the Rock Aliens | 1984 | performer: "My World Is Empty Without You" |
| The Don Lane Show | 1975-1976 | TV Series performer - 2 episodes |
| The Ernie Sigley Show | 1974-1975 | TV Series performer - 6 episodes |
| The Graham Kennedy Show | 1972-1975 | TV Series performer - 8 episodes |
| Countdown | 1974 | TV Series performer - 2 episodes |
| Ted Hamilton and Johnny Farnham, Together Again for the Very First Time | 1973 | TV Movie performer: "Blue Suede Shoes", "Only You", "Jailhouse Rock", "Chantilly Lace", "See You Later Alligator", "Rock Around the Clock", "Everything Is out of Season" - as Johnny Farnham |
| In Melbourne Tonight | 1969-1970 | TV Series performer - 2 episodes |
| The Johnny Farnham Special | 1969 | TV Movie performer: "In My Room", "My Yiddishe Momme", "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" - as Johnny Farnham / writer: "In My Room" |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| The Australian Music Community Presents: Sound Relief | 2009/I | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| Australia Unites: The Victorian Bushfire Appeal | 2009 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Dancing with the Stars | 2005 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Great Outdoors | 2005 | TV Series | Himself |
| Rove Live | 2003 | TV Series | Himself |
| 60 Minutes | 2003 | TV Series | Himself |
| Sydney 2000 Olympics Opening Ceremony | 2000 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The Games | 2000 | TV Series | Himself |
| Hey Hey, It's Saturday | 1999 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| The Panel | 1999 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Russell Gilbert Show | 1998 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Main Event | 1998 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The D Generation: The Bottom Drawer | 1997 | Video short | Himself |
| The Late Show | 1992-1993 | TV Series | Himself |
| Fast Forward | 1990 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Prince's Trust Rock Gala | 1989 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Home and Away | 1988 | TV Series | Himself |
| Cliff Richard - 30 års jubilæum | 1988 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Top of the Pops | 1987 | TV Series | Himself |
| Whispering Jack: In Concert | 1987 | Video | Himself |
| The Royal Charity Concert | 1980 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Opportunity Knocks | 1976 | TV Series | Himself - Host: Sydney |
| The Don Lane Show | 1975-1976 | TV Series | Himself |
| Opportunity Knocks | 1976 | TV Series | Himself - Host |
| The Ernie Sigley Show | 1974-1975 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Graham Kennedy Show | 1972-1975 | TV Series | Himself |
| Countdown | 1974 | TV Series | Himself - Host / Himself |
| It's Magic | 1974 | TV Series | Himself (as Johnny Farnham) |
| Ted Hamilton and Johnny Farnham, Together Again for the Very First Time | 1973 | TV Movie | Himself (as Johnny Farnham) |
| The 15th Annual TV Week Logie Awards | 1973 | TV Special | Himself |
| Caravan Holiday | 1972 | Short | Himself (as Johnny Farnham) |
| The 14th Annual TV Week Logie Awards | 1972 | TV Special | Himself |
| The 13th Annual TV Week Logie Awards | 1971 | TV Special | Himself |
| In Melbourne Tonight | 1969-1970 | TV Series | Himself |
| Sounds Like Us | 1970 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 12th Annual TV Week Logie Awards | 1970 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Mike Walsh Show | 1969 | TV Series | Himself |
| Popcorn | 1969 | Documentary | Himself (as Johnny Farnham) |
| The Johnny Farnham Special | 1969 | TV Movie | Himself (as Johnny Farnham) |
| The 11th Annual TV Week Logie Awards | 1969 | TV Special | Himself |
| Uptight | 1968 | TV Series | Himself |
| Country and Western Hour | 1963 | TV Series | Himself (as Johnny Farnham) |
