John Farnham

Short Biography
JOHN FARNHAM LIVE!
FOR HIS FIRST A DAY ON THE GREEN EVENTS
CONTINUES 10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
 
Australia's favourite winery concert series continues its 10thanniversary season with Aussie icon John Farnham set to play his first a day on the green events.
 
Farnham will perform three a day on the green shows in VIC, NSW and WA as part of his John Farnham Live! national tour in October/November. Concerts dates are October 23 Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley VIC, October 30 Robert Oatley Wines, Mudgee NSW and November 27 Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth WA.
 
Announcing the tour today, John said: "I love doing outdoor shows and the vi...

Short Biography
JOHN FARNHAM LIVE!
FOR HIS FIRST A DAY ON THE GREEN EVENTS
CONTINUES 10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
 
Australia's favourite winery concert series continues its 10thanniversary season with Aussie icon John Farnham set to play his first a day on the green events.
 
Farnham will perform three a day on the green shows in VIC, NSW and WA as part of his John Farnham Live! national tour in October/November. Concerts dates are October 23 Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley VIC, October 30 Robert Oatley Wines, Mudgee NSW and November 27 Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth WA.
 
Announcing the tour today, John said: "I love doing outdoor shows and the vineyards around Australia aresuch beautiful venues to perform at."  
 
For a man who has sold more tickets, more albums and notched up more achievements than any other Australian musician, performing live is still an absolute joy.  This next round of shows continues Farnham's ever-evolving musical life, which these days remains in balance with his time away from centre stage.
 
The concerts will once again feature Farnham's long-time and hugely acclaimed band, featuring Chong Lim (musical director), Angus Burchell (drums), Stuart Fraser (guitar), Brett Garsed (guitar), Steve Williams (saxophone, harp), Bob Coassin(trumpet), Craig Newman (bass), Lindsay Field (backing vocals), Lisa Edwards (backing vocals) and Dannielle Gaha (backing vocals).
 
Together they will work through Farnham's phenomenalsongbook, giving audiences the chance to once again see this consummate singer and entertainer in full flight. These select shows will also give Farnham fans an exclusive sneak preview of some brand new songs that he is currently recording for his new album.
 
Whilst Farnham's achievements are far too many to document, perhaps these two require acknowledgement. On record, ‘Whispering Jack' remains Australia's highest selling album by a domestic artist ever and on stage, Farnham has performed a staggering total of 164 concerts at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena and the Sydney Entertainment Centre - a feat unlikely toever be topped.
 
So, please welcome this much-loved Australian icon back to centre stage for John Farnham - Live!  
 

In-depth Biography
In a country of 20 million people John Farnham is the one Australian artist who stages arena sized concerts whenever he tours to satisfy the demand. He is without challenge Australia's most successful solo artist, on stage and on record. His Whispering Jack album was the first album to sell over a million copies in Australia alone.

In September 1967 at the age of 18 he was signed to a recording contract and in December of that year released the novelty single " Sadie the Cleaning Lady" which became the biggest selling single in Australia at that time. As a song the record's success almost defies logic. What fans were responding to was "Johnny" Farnham's bright boy-next-door personality. He was someone teenage girls and the mothers could both like. Farnham was also a fine singer and survived "Sadie" to release a long string of pop hits between 1967 and 1973, including the local hit versions of Three Dog Night's "One," B J Thomas' "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" (#1) and David Cassidy's "Rock Me Baby. He also starred in the stage musicals Dick Whittington And His Cat, Charlie Girl and Pippin. His schedule denied Farnham trying his luck internationally or developing on record. Success continued virtually on the basis of his talent and that personality alone and in the late to mid seventies his career was reduced to nightclub and cabaret performances trading on his past. Even his record company lost faith in him and dropped him.

In 1980, changing from Johnny to the more mature John Farnham, he set about resurrecting his career. The trigger was a dramatically rearranged impassioned performance of the Beatles' "Help" on a nationally broadcast Royal Command TV concert. He reminded everyone what a fine singer he was, and in July released Uncovered, a well received comeback album recorded under the production eye of Little River Band's Graham Goble. In September 1982 long-time Farnham fan Goble was inspired to convince the rest of LRB they should take the radical move of removing Glenn Shorrock, singer of all the band's hits, and making Farnham their lead singer. The band's American record company was in shock. So were non-Australian fans. It was a hurdle Farnham could not overcome, and at the end of 1985 he left LRB and began work on a new make or break solo album.

The anthemic single "You're The Voice restored Farnham to #1 for the first time in 17 years. The carefully crafted adult contemporary October 1986 album Whispering Jack was No.1 for 18 weeks, and became the biggest selling album in Australian history. "You're The Voice" sold a million copies in Europe and reached the top ten in England. A consummate singer and performer since 1986 Farnham has been Australia's No.1 attraction, with successive big selling albums and sold out concert tours. International interest has continued to beckon but the dedicated family man is happy with his career as it is. ~ Ed Nimmervoll, Rovi