Teen idol. King of Pop. Voice of the common man. Australian of the Year. Friend. Icon. Superstar.
John Farnham is the quintessential Aussie legend. As a teenager he gave up an apprenticeship to chase his musical dreams, hitting the big time with ‘Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)’. A family man at heart, and the most loyal of friends, John was sometimes uncomfortable with the spotlight and for many years struggled to take his career to the heights that those close to him, including Molly Meldrum and Glenn Wheatley, felt it could reach.
He finally hit his stride with 1986’s Whispering Jack and the breakaway success of ‘You’re the Voice’, which became the anthem of a generation. John lived it up – holidaying with the Skases and dining at the Lodge with Bob Hawke – but always came back down to earth. And the King of Pop would also become king of the comeback, showing longevity rare in the music industry.
Thanks to the support of those close to John, author and music industry insider Jeff Apter provides a rare glimpse inside Farnsie’s world. Insightful, entertaining and deeply personal, Playing to Win is the definitive John Farnham story.
Jeff Apter is the author of more than 20 books, many dealing with the world of music. He has written biographies of Keith Urban, the Finn brothers, Johnny O’Keefe, Jeff Buckley and the Bee Gees. As ghostwriter, he has worked with Kasey Chambers, AC/DC’s Mark Evans and Richard Clapton. He was also the creative consultant for the Helpmann Award–nominated live production A State of Grace: The Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley and spent four years on staff at Rolling Stone Australia.
John Farnham is the quintessential Aussie legend. As a teenager he gave up an apprenticeship to chase his musical dreams, hitting the big time with ‘Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)’. A family man at heart, and the most loyal of friends, John was sometimes uncomfortable with the spotlight and for many years struggled to take his career to the heights that those close to him, including Molly Meldrum and Glenn Wheatley, felt it could reach.
He finally hit his stride with 1986’s Whispering Jack and the breakaway success of ‘You’re the Voice’, which became the anthem of a generation. John lived it up – holidaying with the Skases and dining at the Lodge with Bob Hawke – but always came back down to earth. And the King of Pop would also become king of the comeback, showing longevity rare in the music industry.
Thanks to the support of those close to John, author and music industry insider Jeff Apter provides a rare glimpse inside Farnsie’s world. Insightful, entertaining and deeply personal, Playing to Win is the definitive John Farnham story.
Jeff Apter is the author of more than 20 books, many dealing with the world of music. He has written biographies of Keith Urban, the Finn brothers, Johnny O’Keefe, Jeff Buckley and the Bee Gees. As ghostwriter, he has worked with Kasey Chambers, AC/DC’s Mark Evans and Richard Clapton. He was also the creative consultant for the Helpmann Award–nominated live production A State of Grace: The Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley and spent four years on staff at Rolling Stone Australia.
