Australian singer John Farnham has been admitted to hospital with cancer. The crooner, 73, underwent 12 hours of surgery to remove a cancerous growth doctors had recently detected, his family said in a statement.
“We recently discovered that John’s cancer has progressed,” the singer’s wife, Jill Billman, and their two grown sons, Robert and James, said in a statement obtained by ABC.
“He was admitted to the hospital this morning for surgery and ongoing treatment,” his loved ones added
Farnham, who is best known for her Aussie hit “You’re The Voice,” also issued a statement to fans, saying that cancer is something that “many people face every day.”
“One thing I know for sure is that we have the best healthcare professionals in Victoria and we can be thankful for that. I know I am,” the singer said.
The family did not disclose the type of cancer he was battling.
The worrying news comes after Farnham was plagued with yet another set of health problems in 2019.
In 2019, he told The Daily Telegraph that a “severe” kidney infection had forced him to cut his tour short.
“I didn’t realize until it was too late,” he told the outlet of his condition at the time. I was feeling uncomfortable. My wife Jill was telling me to go to the doctor.
She said the ordeal made her “wake up to take care of myself a little bit more.”
It comes just weeks after Farnham was left heartbroken by the death of his long-time friend Olivia Newton-John.
The “Grease” legend died earlier this month after a long battle with cancer, as Farnham paid tribute on social media.
“Behind this iconic smile was a determined warrior. A beautiful voice and a loyal friend. He will be greatly missed,” the singer wrote on Facebook.
He was the last person to perform on stage with the “Hopelessly Devoted To You” hitmaker. The pair performed three songs together at the Fire Fight Australia bushfire relief gig in February 2020.
