He boasts one of the most recognisable voices in Australian entertainment history, but after several high-profile health battles, John Farnham has fallen silent – until now.

The 75-year-old’s voice has been heard publicly for the first time since he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2022, when doctors removed a tumour from his mouth and reconstructed his jaw.

Farnham has voiced the audiobook of his memoir, The Voice Inside, to be released later this month, with publisher Hachette Australia releasing a short audio sample to preview the book chronicling his life and legacy.

“I don’t enjoy talking about myself, I really don’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an egomaniac,” he says in the audio clip.

“But dredging up the past and picking through what has and hasn’t been is just not something I’ve ever really enjoyed. I’ll try to share as much as I can, but that’s not easy because I’ve never really been that open. I guess there are reasons for that. Reasons for my reluctance.”

The memoir was co-written with Poppy Stockell, the creator and director of documentary Finding the Voice, also about Farnham’s career.

The book charts Farnham’s upbringing in Melbourne in the 1960s, the 1986 release of Whispering Jack, the highest-selling Australian album of all time, as well as his diagnosis of mouth cancer and the death of his manager, Glenn Wheatley.

Farnham’s wife, Jill Farnham, wrote two chapters and will narrate them in the audiobook herself. In a release provided by Hachette, Farnham said narrating the audiobook was a roller-coaster ride. “There were more than a few laughs and some tears, but it made me realise how lucky I’ve been,” he said.