“Cancer diagnosis is something that so many people face every single day, and countless others have walked this path before me,” John Farnham said in a statement announcing his diagnosis
Australian singer John Farnham is in the hospital after being diagnosed with cancer.
On Tuesday, the “You’re the Voice” singer’s family announced that he is hospitalized after receiving the diagnosis and is set to undergo surgery, per ABC News’ Monique Hore, The Guardian, and The Sydney Morning Herald.
“Cancer diagnosis is something that so many people face every single day, and countless others have walked this path before me,” Farnham said in the statement.
He added, “The one thing I know for sure is that we have the very best specialist healthcare professionals in Victoria, and we can all be grateful for that. I know I am.”
His family concluded by asking for privacy. They did not specify the type of cancer Farnham, 73, was diagnosed with.
A representative for Farnham did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
News of his condition comes more than two years after he opened up about another health scare.
He told The Daily Telegraph in 2019 that he abruptly ended his tour in Australia following a “severe” kidney infection that left him in the hospital. The infection occurred after he underwent surgery, and caused him to be dehydrated and “very unwell.” He did not explain why he had the operation at the time.
“I didn’t realize until too late,” he told the publication of his condition, adding that his wife Jill Billman urged him to see a doctor. “I’d been feeling uncomfortable. My wife Jill had been telling me to go to the doctor.”
The legendary singer credited the incident as a “wake-up call to look after myself a bit more.”
Earlier this month, Farnham paid tribute to actress and singer Olivia Newton-John after she died of breast cancer.
“The Farnham family send love and sympathies to Olivia’s family,” a post on his official Facebook page read alongside a photo of him and Newton-John performing together. “Behind that iconic smile was a tenacious fighter. A beautiful voice and a loyal friend. She will be greatly missed.”
Farnham first signed a record deal in September 1967, per his website. He was 18 years old at the time. His career took off that December when he released “Sadie the Cleaning Lady,” which quickly became the best-selling song in Australia at the time.
Between 1967 and 1973 he released a series of local renditions of hits like B.J. Thomas’ “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” and David Cassidy’s “Rock Me Baby.”
He also notably performed in the musicals Dick Whittington & His Cat, Charlie Girl, and Pippin. Farnham was also the lead singer of Little River Band from 1982 to 1985.
After facing the realities and uncertainties of the music industry, Farnham released his infamous song “You’re the Voice,” marking his first No. 1 song in 17 years. It sold 1 million copies in Europe and made it to the top 10 in the U.K.
“You’re the Voice” was featured on Farnham’s Whispering Jack album. Released in October 1986, Whispering Jack became the highest-selling album by an Australian act in Australia at the time.
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