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John Farnham AO (b. 1949), singer-songwriter, tasted his first success in 1968 with the throwaway single 'Sadie'. He was voted Australia's King of Pop five years in a row between 1969 and 1973, when he also appeared in a variety of stage shows and musicals. His career stalled for the second half of the 1970s. He formed a band and went back on the performance circuit from 1982, briefly as the lead singer of the Little River Band, before returning to the charts with a version of the Beatles' song 'Help' in the mid-eighties. The solo record he released in 1986, Whispering Jack, became Australia's first CD album and the nation's biggest-selling album to date, going platinum 17 times on the domestic market alone. He was Australian of the Year in 1987; his albums Age of Reason (1988) and Chain Reaction (1990) both debuted at number 1. The genial Farnham remains one of Australia's best-loved celebrities, finishing high on the list of the ABC'S My Favourite Australian poll in 2008 and being recognised as
Australian of the Year in 1987.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2000
© Polly Borland
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.
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