Some friendships are built over years of shared memories.

For Richard Marx and John Farnham, it appears to have started with something much simpler — one extraordinary voice.

Long before they became close friends, Marx heard Farnham sing and was struck by something he could not easily explain. Decades later, that first impression would become a friendship, a creative partnership and one of the quieter connections between two major names in music.

It started with a voice

Marx has spoken about the first time he heard Farnham perform You’re the Voice.

The moment made such an impression on him that he compared the feeling to the first time he saw Elvis Presley on television.

It was more than admiration for a successful Australian singer.

Marx recognised something distinctive in Farnham’s voice — something that stayed with him.

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia records Marx recalling the impact Farnham had on him, describing how the pair eventually toured together and became close friends.

Then came the meeting that changed everything

Marx met Farnham during his first Australian tour in 1988.

At the time, Marx was already an international star, while Farnham was firmly established as one of Australia’s most celebrated performers.

Yet the admiration between the two musicians was striking.

In an archived account from the period, Marx reportedly praised Farnham as having one of the best voices he had heard and expressed a desire to work with him.

What began as musical admiration soon became something much more personal.

Their friendship found its way into the music

The relationship did not remain backstage.

In 1993, Marx became part of Farnham’s Then Again… album, contributing as a songwriter and musician.

He co-wrote several tracks on the record, including “The Reason Why”, on which he also played piano, as well as Treated This Way, Talent for Fame and So Long in Love.

That detail makes their story even more meaningful.

They weren’t simply two famous singers who happened to become friends.

They became collaborators.

And Marx’s contribution became part of Farnham’s musical legacy.

But Marx saw more than a music icon

To Australians, Farnham has long represented something much bigger than a successful recording artist.

He is an Australian music institution.

For Marx, however, Farnham was also the friend he had met during those early Australian tours — a musician he admired before their friendship ever began.

That distinction matters.

Their connection wasn’t built simply on fame or industry status.

It began with genuine respect between two musicians.

Nearly four decades later, the connection remains

So much has changed since those early years.

Farnham stepped away from performing after his battle with mouth cancer, while Marx continued his international music career.

Yet their connection has remained.

In 2026, Marx is among the artists taking part in The Songs of John Farnham: A Living Legend, a special concert celebrating Farnham’s career at Rod Laver Arena, with proceeds supporting Head and Neck Cancer Australia.

For Marx, appearing at the tribute carries a significance that goes beyond simply performing the songs of an Australian legend.

He is returning to celebrate a friend he has known for almost 40 years.

A friendship that began with one unforgettable voice

Perhaps that is what makes the story of Richard Marx and John Farnham so special.

Not simply that they were both major names in music.

Not simply that they worked together.

But that almost four decades ago, one artist heard another artist sing and immediately recognised something extraordinary.

That moment led to tours, songs, years of friendship — and a connection that has endured through some of the biggest changes in both men’s lives.

And now, as Marx prepares to once again honour Farnham on stage, their story seems to come full circle.

One musician heard a remarkable voice.
Then, somehow, he became a friend to the man behind it.

Sometimes, the longest friendships in music begin with nothing more complicated than one artist truly listening to another.