The Voice Inside: Illustrated Edition

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· Hachette Australia · Narrated by John Farnham, Gaynor Wheatley, and Jill Farnham
4.6
16 reviews
Audiobook
7 hr 3 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook

WINNER OF THE 2025 ABIA BOOK OF THE YEAR
WINNER OF THE 2025 ABIA AUDIOBOOK OF THE YEAR
WINNER OF THE 2025 ABIA BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR

At last, the unflinching and unforgettable memoir of music and life from the much-loved Australian legend. The Voice, in his own voice.

Growing up in London and Melbourne, music was always part of John Farnham's world. But the young John never dreamed of what was to come. Pop stardom in the 1960s. The release of Whispering Jack, the critically acclaimed and highest-selling Australian album of all time. A decades-long touring career. Twenty-one ARIA awards. Australian of the Year. The list of accolades and achievements is long - so, at first glance, the John Farnham story is one filled with remarkable highs.

It is, however, so much more than that. It is the story of the resilience John found as his stellar career stalled, record companies turned their backs, and he faced financial ruin. John has never shown how hard he fell and how difficult it was to stay true to himself in an industry that can be ruthless. It is the story of family, friendship and finding your voice.

Throughout a lifetime filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, John has remained steadfast, never losing his unique musical talent, creative strength nor his powerful ability to make human connections through his music. After his devastating cancer diagnosis and far too many goodbyes, John is now telling his story, his way.

The Voice Inside is like sitting down with an old friend sharing stories that are both deeply personal and wildly entertaining. Written alongside award-winning filmmaker Poppy Stockell, this is a captivating and powerfully honest insight into the man whose music is the soundtrack to so many of our lives.

Ratings and reviews

4.6
16 reviews
Leslie Kirkpatrick
November 3, 2024
Just phenomenal. You won't be able to put this down (or turn it off) once you start, especially if you've loved John and his music as much as I have through the years. Don't tarry too long. I'm so glad he trusted Poppy enough to do this and with the support of Poppy, his lovely wife Jill, and of course Gaynor - the transparency and candidness of his story left me emotional, especially at the end. It's a glorious story of triumph and encouragement. Get this now! You will not regret it.
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Debbie “AussieDebb” Lawler
November 3, 2024
This was so beautiful - thank you is not enough to say, John, for the love and extraordinary performances and wonderful music you have given us. ❤️ You truly are the Voice and such a beautiful soul. Your music, your humour, your genuiness, your kindness, your acting ability (yes, you can act), are connecting more and more people from all around the world. Reactors and singing professionals on YouTube just have so much joy when they hear your first notes of a song. You make my day every day when I just need a pick me up, I play some John and immediately start feeling better. Of course we would love to see you perform again ❤️ Just hearing your voice again is so wonderful. Listen to Jilly, do your exercises and your dream to sing again will more than likely come true. You have never and will never let any of your fans down and we love you all the more for it. Just be happy and well and continue to get stronger, John. ❤️❤️❤️🌟🌟🌟🤩🤩🤩
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kezza olerhead
November 21, 2024
amazing to take that journey with John n family, you really feel like you're seating there having a chat. been a real fan since human nature these 4 guys are like John to his supporters. love them
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About the author

John Farnham (Author)
JOHN FARNHAM is an Australian national treasure, one of Australia's top performing artists and the greatest singer Australia has ever produced. Born in London, John immigrated to Australia with his family in 1959. From high school, he played in local bands around Melbourne and in 1967, John left a plumbing apprenticeship to pursue a full-time career in entertainment. And what a career it has been.

For five years, from 1969 to 1973, John was voted the King of Pop and his success brought him screaming fans and recording contracts, won him starring roles in stage shows and musicals, and delivered twelve singles and six albums that all achieved gold status. The fickle nature of pop saw his pop career wane in the late seventies, but John's talent continued to develop. In 1982, he was invited to front the Little River Band (LRB) and he toured extensively with the band in the US. But it was after leaving LRB that John truly came into his own. In 1986, he released his solo album, Whispering Jack. This phenomenal album is still Australia's highest-selling album of all time by a local artist.

In August 2022, John was diagnosed with mouth cancer and retreated with his wife of over fifty years, Jill, to fight this cancer battle. In 2023, the documentary called John Farnham: Finding the Voice, which looked at John's career and the creation of Whispering Jack, was released. It became the highest-grossing Australian-made film in 2023.

Poppy Stockell (Author)
POPPY STOCKELL is an award-winning writer, director and producer with a penchant for stories exploring human identity, humour and the inherent contradictions of existence. She has written and directed for all the major networks and her independent projects have played to big audiences at the world's most prestigious festivals including SXSW, Hot Docs, Sheffield Doc/Fest, New Orleans Film Festival and the Sydney Film Festival. Her work has been recognised by an AACTA, a Walkley Award, a UN Media Peace Prize, two Logie nominations and the Audience Award at the Sydney Film Festival.

Poppy's debut feature, John Farnham: Finding the Voice, recently became the highest box-office grossing Australian documentary of all time, and her scripted comedy series Triple Oh! won the coveted Luna de Valencia Grand Jury Prize.

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