John Farnham has claimed that his former manager drugged him “for years” early on in his career.
The iconic Australian singer has made the allegations against his late former manager Darryl Sambell in his upcoming memoir The Voice Inside, which is set for publication on Wednesday (October 30). You can pre-order the book here.
In an excerpt from the book shared via The Australian, Farnham wrote: “He drugged me for years and I had no f—ing idea. I caught him one day. I was drinking a cup of coffee and there was a pill only half-dissolved in the bottom. When I asked him what it was, Darryl replied, ‘That’s just something to help you stay awake.’”
The ‘You’re The Voice’ singer opened up about his discovery and how it had allegedly impacted him in the long run. He shared his regret of keeping silent at the time, writing: “I feel so ashamed of myself for not realising what Darryl was up to or speaking up more often to put him back in his place. I didn’t question any of it, I just went along as if nothing was off-key.”
“I still don’t know why I didn’t react more. I put it down to being young, under stress, tired and feeling unsure and insecure about my own instincts.”
Farnham also went on to claim that Sambell had dominated every aspect of his life and alleged that he controlled “where and when I worked, what I sang, what I wore, what I ate.”
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Sambell served as Farnham’s manager until 1976 when the ‘That’s Freedom’ singer terminated their professional relationship. The split made way for the singer to rebuild his career with manager Glenn Wheatley.
With Wheatley on his team, Farnham released his 12th album, 1986’s ‘Whispering Jack’ which saw him gain international acclaim and saw him earn the Number One spot on the Australian Kent Music Report albums chart.
Reflecting on the trauma brought on from those years, the legendary singer shared: “Many years have passed since then and, up until now, I’ve found it very hard to unpick what happened to me. But now that I’ve confronted on it, I look back on that time with sorrow. I’m annoyed at myself for being so gullible and trusting.”
He continued: “I gave away control of my career, my direction and my life. I was a young bloke and I needed a manager.”
Back in August 2022, Farnham underwent an almost 12-hour surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his mouth, during which part of his jaw was removed. The procedure was followed by reconstructive surgery.
In July 2023, the singer was reportedly “cancer-free” and “doing really, really good” according to his son Robert. “He’s singing at home.”
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