‘Luckiest man I know right now:’ singer John Farnham says he is cancer-free

Key Points

Legendary Australian singer John Farnham said he is cancer-free, 12 months on from a marathon surgery to remove mouth cancer.Farnham thanked fans for their support and said he was “the luckiest man I know right now”.“Last month, John was formally given confirmation by his medical team that he is ‘all clear’ of cancer,” Wednesday’s statement said.

The 74-year-old Farnham underwent an 12-hour surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his mouth and part of his jaw, and then reconstruct it.

“It’s only now that I can start to appreciate and comprehend, for myself, how many messages of love and support have been sent to me over the past year,” he said in a statement.”I don’t know what to say, other than thank you so very much. It honestly means the world to me. Thank you to everyone who took the time to write and send a message.

“Today is a special day. And I’m going to mark it by having a pizza – because I can! I can’t wait to see what might be next on the menu. Bring on 2024.”

John Farnham is one of Australia’s most celebrated entertainers. Source: Getty / Impressions

The singer has been in and out of rehabilitation care, including eight weeks of radiation treatment, as well as surgery following complications. “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,” Farnham 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.”

The Farnham family also thanked medical professionals and “everyone across Australia” for sending supportive messages to the You’re the Voice singer.Farnham was born in 1949 in Dagenham, England. He migrated to Australia aged 10 with his family, who settled in Melbourne.He is the only Australian artist to have a number-one record in five consecutive decades. He has also won 19 ARIA Awards and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.

In 1987 he was named Australian of the Year, and in 1996 he was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia.