Keith Urban, Celine Dion lead headline list of musicians paying tribute to John Farnham in Melbourne concert

A raft of Aussie musicians and international headliners have led tributes to John Farnham at a Melbourne concert raising funds for head and neck cancer on Sunday night.

Farnham, 77, underwent life-changing surgery in 2022 to remove cancerous growth in his mouth, with his family revealing in recent days he now requires 24-hour care at home and continuous oxygen support.

Despite the legend being too unwell to attend the Rod Laver Arena spectacle, the event — MC’d by Richard Wilkins — proceeded as a springboard for the Lend Your Voice campaign, which has set out to raise $1 million for Head and Neck Cancer Australia over the next year.

Dubbed The Songs of John Farnham: A Living Legend, the concert featured shared performances by Aussie musicians Jessica Mauboy, John Stevens, Kate Ceberano, Jack Jones, Mahalia Barnes, and Human Nature, with a duet by Jimmy and Jane Barnes also entertaining audiences on the bagpipes.

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin appeared from afar with a song dedicated to the Aussie, performed acoustically from his studio.

Returning to the stage from her own bout of chronic illness, Canadian icon Celine Dion appeared on screen from a stage in Paris with a rousing rendition of You’re The Voice.

Dion is currently enjoying a residency in the French capital as she continues to manage the effects of stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes muscle spasms and rigidity.

“John, you’ve always been such a deep inspiration to me; I always loved to hear you sing,” she said.

“The way you sang one song in particular is one of my very, very favourite performances ever.”

Wilkins drew cheers upon announcing one guest had flown in from Nashville to be part of the show, introducing country singer Keith Urban who performed Farnham’s 1990 hit Burn for You.

A-list actor Hugh Jackman also popped up on screen from abroad as he thanked an ailing Farnham for imparting stage wisdom over the years, and offered his take on 1993’s Talk of the Town.

“I’ve been a fan of yours as long as I can remember. I have seen you at least 30 times live, and I would say you are one of the greatest I have ever seen onstage,” Jackman said.

“The person I am onstage, the entertainer I am, is largely because of you.”