Australian music icon John Farnham has been declared cancer-free after undergoing several surgeries and treatments last year. To celebrate the news of his remission, Sony Pictures Entertainment is releasing a documentary about the beloved pop star’s life, John Farnham: Finding The Voice, on DVD and Blu-ray today (August 23).
John’s eldest son Robert spoke to NME about the film, sharing a positive update on his father’s health and the outpouring of love and support they received when they initially shared the news of his diagnosis last August.
“Being in this family can be a double-edged sword,” Robert said. “Yes, you have to live a lot of your life in the public eye – but, at the same time, because of that, you’re able to get all of this incredible support from all these different people from all over the world. It made us all feel pretty special, and it definitely made Dad feel pretty special.”
Finding The Voice is a comprehensive look at John’s career, from his early days as Johnny Farnham in the ’60s to today. The film was directed by Poppy Stockell, who made sure to tell the Farnham family story truthfully. Since its release in cinemas nationwide in May, it has become the highest Australian-grossing feature-length documentary of all time (excluding IMAX), raking in $2.24million at the box office within two weeks.
Robert, James and their mother Jill Billman were originally “at arm’s length” from Finding The Voice, Robert shared, but the more they got to know Stockell and the late Glenn Wheatley, Farnham’s longtime manager, the more involved they became.
“I knew Dad’s story was in good hands with Poppy,” he said. “She’s a lovely, passionate person – and watching her at work, you can really tell she is a fan first and foremost. She really did her research, and I think she really made an effort to tell the story truthfully.”
The family first saw the documentary at a private, pre-premiere screening for them at the Sony Pictures offices in Sydney. Robert and his brother didn’t feel the need to pick away at it, as he said, “Poppy really found a way to capture everything.”
John himself has yet to watch the film. Robert said he’s “a difficult sell,” as he’s never been one to be self-interested. “He doesn’t like reading about himself, he never listens back to his own music, and he’s not the kind to watch himself either,” he said. “But as he’ll tell you, he doesn’t need to see a film about himself – he lived it.”
John Farnham: Finding The Voice is now available on DVD and Blu-ray, giving fans a chance to learn more about the Australian music icon and his incredible life and career.
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