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'Reminiscing' singer John Farnham may NEVER sing again after most of lower jaw removed in major cancer surgery

Legendary Aussie singer John Farnham recently underwent a 12-hour long operation for oral cancer and is now stable

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: The 73-year-old legend John Farnham endured a lengthy operation on August 23 that lasted 12 hours. The surgery, which was completed by a total of 26 health experts, was aimed at surgically eradicating an oral cancer tumor. Farnham wasn't diagnosed with cancer until his wife urged that he visit the physician for a screening.
 
According to sources familiar with the matter, a significant portion of his jaw was removed during the procedure, which might suggest the iconic musician will never be able to sing again. His wife, Jill Farnham, said, "The cancer tumor was located in his mouth and it has been successfully removed. There is still a long road of recovery and healing ahead of us, but we know John is up for that task. " Farnham is currently stable in the intensive care facility and will stay there while he continues to heal for a while.

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On August 24, Gaynor Wheatley, the wife of Farnham's closest pal and ex-manager Glenn Wheatley, said in a statement to The Today Show, "I think John suffers from that man thing that says, 'I'm fine,' and was lucky, and we have Jill to thank to take him to the doctors, where they found this lesion in his mouth, which has now been taken out and addressed." She praised the doctors who performed surgery on Farnham and said that he suffered zero difficulties the following day. "I think at one stage there was 26 surgeons, so they're our heroes, they're our rockstars." She further mentioned that by Christmas time, Farnham will have recovered completely. "There will be a period of time in hospital just recovering from the surgery, and ongoing treatment to ensure we've got it all," she added.

The Farnham family thanked the medical personnel for their services. They stated, "We are in awe of the incredible teams of healthcare professionals who have guided us through this very challenging time with such compassion. All of you undertook this big job today and gave us a magnificent outcome. To all the surgeons, doctors, nurses, and consultants: thank you one and all so very much. "

According to entertainment expert Peter Ford, Farnham had been laughing and joking with the hospital workers before the risky operation. Ford claimed that Farnham was in a good mood during the procedure, which stretched from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. In a statement on Twitter, he said: "John now out of surgery and in ICU. He is in a stable condition. Surgery, as I reported this morning, went almost 12 hours."

In a previous interview, Farnham talked about his smoking problem, which he claims started when he was 14 years old. After appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar in 1992, he gave up smoking, but later in 2004, he started smoking cigars once more. A little before his 70th birthday, he made a formal decision to stop smoking. In 2019, he told the Herald Sun, "Stupid habit. It was a little easier to quit from cigars, but I'm better off not smoking, I'm a bloody singer for God's sake. I'm using my lungs. I've already noticed the change. I've increased my range, I've got a bit more to give, I've taken a blockage out. "
 
Farnham added in a second message released by the family that countless individuals deal with receiving a cancer prognosis and that many people have traveled this route before him. "The one thing I know for sure is that we have the very best specialist health care professionals in Victoria, and we can all be grateful for that. I know I am," he said. His family has asked for privacy for the moment.
 
Ford stated previously on August 23 that Farnham's family was sure that everything would be alright and that the doctors were hopeful about completely removing all signs of the malignant tumor. Ford stated on Sunrise, "They don't want people panicking. His wife is there. His two sons are there with him. The doctors are confident that they're able to get it. What is it, we do now know, the family did not want to specify what type of cancer it is or where on the body it is. Fingers crossed it'll be a good outcome."
 
Farnham was born in 1949 in Dagenham, England, and immigrated to Melbourne, Australia with his family when he was 10 years old. According to a source, Farnham's wife, Jill, and two adult children, Robert and James, provide him with necessary help. Farnham's struggle with cancer is not his first significant medical setback. The singer was rushed to the doctor in 2019 with a serious renal illness and was compelled to abruptly stop his performance in Australia. He said in a message at that time, "I didn't realize until too late. I'd been feeling uncomfortable. My wife Jill had been telling me to go to the doctor. I was very unwell there for a while," he said, adding that he was "good now" and that it gave him "a wake-up call" to look after himself a bit more.
 
Three months following his surgery, he acquired a kidney infection. Following the medical crisis, Farnham claimed to have fully changed his habits, stopping smoking and drank less alcohol. He gave a fundraising performance after his renal illness to aid Australia's local farmers amid the catastrophic drought, raising over $4.4 million. "We're talking about generations of farmers losing their properties or animals because of drought and, in some cases, losing their lives or hurting themselves," the musician stated at that time. Farnham is best known for his iconic Aussie anthem 'You're the Voice'. He has received numerous prestigious honors and accolades, such as the 1987 Australian of the Year Award, the 1996 Officer of the Order of Australia, 19 ARIA Awards, and the 2003 Hall of Fame Induction.