John Farnham tribute: Céline Dion, Chris Martin and Hugh Jackman honour ‘living legend’ at livestreamed concert — SkimNews
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- John Farnham was absent from his sold-out Melbourne tribute 'the celebration concert' at Rod Laver Arena, with his family confirming on Saturday that the 77-year-old now needs 24-hour nursing care, continuous oxygen and a wheelchair
- Céline Dion, Chris Martin and Hugh Jackman appeared via live telecast, while Keith Urban, Human Nature, Tina Arena, Jimmy Barnes, Vanessa Amorosi and Jessica Mauboy performed Farnham songs on stage
- The tribute raised money for Head and Neck Cancer Australia, the charity that supported Farnham during his 2022 oral cancer battle; his surgeries mean he can no longer sing, with his last live performance at a February 2020 bushfire benefit
- Dion performed You're the Voice via video from Paris, where she is on her first full-length concert tour since being diagnosed with stiff person syndrome; she recalled singing the song with Farnham eight years ago
- The concert was also livestreamed to Australian cinemas including a Sydney Hoyts, drawing retirees, teenagers and mother-daughter duos; the final You're the Voice opened in Gamilaraay with Mitch Tambo before more than 100 performers joined on stage
- Farnham's career — 1987 Australian of the Year for Whispering Jack (still Australia's highest-selling domestic album), 21 Aria awards and the only Australian artist with a No 1 across five consecutive decades — explains why 120 performers turned up
Why it matters: Farnham's absence turned what was billed as a celebration into a public disclosure about his deterioration since his 2022 oral cancer diagnosis, with his family sharing his condition only now. The symmetry with Dion — his duet partner on 'You're the Voice,' herself silenced by stiff person syndrome — gave the Head and Neck Cancer Australia fundraiser a deeply personal edge.
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