John Farnham’s son Rob pays moving tribute to his father on his 76th birthday following cancer scare

John Farnham’s son Robert has shared a sweet tribute to the Aussie music icon to mark his 76th birthday on Tuesday.

The actor, 45, posted a photo to Instagram of his iconic father alongside a sweet message.

‘Massive happy birthday to my dad. You’re my idol and my hero. Love you heaps,’ he wrote.

John recently underwent jaw reconstruction surgery, which lasted 12 hours and required 26 doctors, after he was diagnosed with oral cancer in 2022.

After a long recovery out of the spotlight, the hitmaker is back to enjoying life with his loved ones.

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John Farnham ‘s son Robert has shared a sweet tribute to the Aussie music icon to mark his 76th birthday on Tuesday

John’s son James revealed in February that his famous father was recovering well after having a cancerous growth removed from his mouth in 2022.

‘He’s doing great,’ James said on Sunrise at the time.

‘He’s walking around, kicking goals, and annoying mum as normal.’

‘As long as he’s annoying someone, you know he’s on the mend,’ host Natalie Barr said.

John spent long months in recovery during a harrowing cancer battle.

He discovered he had the cancerous growth in his mouth after his wife Jill insisted he get a persistent mouth ulcer checked out.

Having found a malignant tumour, the resulting operation saw parts of his mouth and jaw removed, and lasted nearly 12 hours. 

John then underwent eight gruelling weeks of radiation and, 12 months later, was declared cancer-free.

The actor, 45, posted a photo to Instagram of his iconic father alongside a sweet message

In his memoir The Voice Inside, John detailed his cancer ordeal and how it robbed him of his life’s passion.

‘My facial disfigurement from the surgery means I can’t open my mouth wide enough for a strip of spaghetti, let alone to sing,’ he wrote.

‘I can’t get the movement to make the sounds I want to make, that’s where the vibrations and my voice come from. It’s a very disconcerting thing. And trying hurts.’

While he has temporarily been robbed of what was regarded as one of the great voices of popular music, he still has hopes that one day he will perform again.

‘I was given a gift and to be able to get out there and affect people in some way was special, I would like to continue doing that,’ he shared.

John also said he believes the tumour came about as a result of his long-term smoking habit, which he eventually managed to kick.

‘Cancer doesn’t discriminate, but as soon as I was told the results, I couldn’t help thinking it was my own fault, I smoked very heavily all my life,’ he said.

He said he started smoking at the age of 14 and would do so in secret after his disapproving parents once caught him.