80s icon John Farnham no longer able to open mouth to sing after having part of jaw removed

The Australian star, 75, was diagnosed with oral cancer in August 2022 and underwent a 12-hour surgery to remove the cancerous tumour, but the procedure left him unable to open his mouth or sing

Australian singer John Farnham has revealed how past cancer treatment has left him unable to sing.

The 75-year-old musician was diagnosed with oral cancer in August 2022. He underwent a gruelling 12-hour operation to remove the tumour, which involved a team of 26 doctors and resulted in part of his jaw being removed and subsequent reconstructive surgery.

In March 2023, the iconic 80s singer - best known for his hits You’re the Voice, A Touch of Paradise and Pressure Down - admitted it was unlikely he would ever take to the stage again after being rushed to hospital with a respiratory infection just months on from the mammoth cancer operation.

John, who shot to fame as a teenage pop idol from 1976 to 1979 before reinventing himself in the 80s, has now confirmed that despite being cancer-free, his previous operations have left him unable to sing. The shares his struggle to open his mouth since the surgery in his new memoir.

"My facial disfigurement from the surgery means I can’t open my mouth wide enough for a strip of spaghetti, let alone to sing," he writes in an excerpt from his book published by the Sydney Morning Herald. "I can’t get the movement to make the sounds I want to make, that’s where the vibrations and my voice come from. It’s a very disconcerting thing."

Despite the pain, John is hopeful he may return to the stage one day and perform again. "I was given a gift and to be able to get out there and affect people in some way was special, I would like to continue doing that," he pens. "Though I am not putting all my hopes into it, we’ll see." John also reflects on his past love of smoking, admitting: "Cancer doesn’t discriminate, but as soon as I was told the results, I couldn’t help thinking it was my own fault, I smoked very heavily all my life."

John's memoir, titled The Voice Inside, is co-authored by Poppy Stockell and in addition to chronicling his cancer treatement, also follows the singer's rise to stardom, from his 1960s debut to the release of Whispering Jack in 1986 – the highest-selling Australian album ever.

Dad-of-two John announced he was finally cancer-free in 2023, a year after undergoing surgery. Sharing the news on Instagram at the time, John said he was at home surrounded by his loving family and felt like 'the luckiest man I know'. He told fans: "It’s been a year since my first surgery and to be honest, I’ve lost count as to how many other procedures there’s been since then.

"I’m sure someone’s kept track of them all – let’s just say, there’s been a few. But, I’m home now and I’m a very grateful and happy man. I’m sitting here in my living room lapping up the attention from my beautiful wife, Jill, my boys Rob and James and my mini Schnauzer, Edmund."

Earlier this year, John was seen for the first time since his surgery. Attending his oldest son Robert Farnham's wedding, John looked dapper in a black suit with a bronze tie and matching pocket square.

The Voice Inside by John Farnham and Poppy Stockell is available from October 30 from Hatchette Australia.

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