Jillian Billman, a former dancer, and John Farnham, a British-born Australian singer have been married for 51 years and have experienced marital bliss’s beauty in good and bad times.
Billman met Farnham in the early 1970s when she was one of the dancers in the West London musical comedy Charlie Girl. She married him in 1973 in front of family, friends, and well-wishers, and they have two boys, Robert Farnham and James Farnham.
Her spouse was diagnosed with throat cancer in August 2022 and underwent an almost 12-hour operation to remove a tumor from his mouth, which included a jaw reconstruction in which a portion of it was removed. Robert, her eldest son, just reported that his father is cancer-free.
Jillian Billman: She Was A Dancer And The Daughter Of Mr. & Mrs. Bob Billman
Although there is no information on Jillian Billman’s early life and family background, we do know that she was born to Mr. and Mrs. Bob Billman. The number of siblings she has is unknown; however, her sole mentioned sibling is her sister, Grech Judy.
Her husband, John Farnham, was born on July 1, 1949, in Dagenham, Essex, England, to John Peter Farnham Sr. and Rose Pemberton. His mentioned siblings are Jean Farnham (sisters) and Alan Farnham (brother)
While Billman’s schools are unknown, her husband attended Yarranman Park State School, Lyndale Primary School, and Lyndale High School. He attended these schools in Australia after his family moved there when he was 10 years old.
Going further, Jillian was a dancer in her younger days. It was through dancing that she would meet Farnham, who would eventually become her husband.
Billman Met Her Husband In 1971 At The West London Musical Comedy Charlie Girl And Married In 1973
In 1971, Jillian and Farnham met in Melbourne during the West London production of the musical comedy Charlie Girl. He sang in the production, while she was one of the dancers.
It was love at first sight when the British-born Australian singer saw her backstage. He was taken aback by her beauty, especially her hair and physique.
After 3 months of meeting, the two began dating. The relationship blossomed and led to a happy ever after.
The two just needed 2 years of dating to realize they could be together for the rest of their lives. On April 11, 1973, Jillian and Farnham exchanged vows at St. Matthew’s Church of England in Glenroy, Melbourne.
Other than their family members, there were 200 people at the wedding. Jillian’s parents, Mr. & Mrs. Bob Billman, her sister and matron of honor, Grech Judy, and Farnham’s parents, John Farnham Sr., and Rose Pemberton, as well as his sister Jean Farnham and his brother Alan Farnham, who was also one of his groomsmen, were all in attendance at the wedding.
At the moment, Jillian Billman and John Farnham have been married for 51 years and are blessed with 2 children.
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Meet Jillian Billman’s Two Children, Robert Farnham and James Farnham
As established, Farnham and Billman have 2 children, Robert and James Farnham. Eight years after the wedding, she gave birth to their first child, Robert on September 27, 1981. A year later, she welcomed their second, James, in 1988.
Of her 2 children, the oldest, Robert, took a page off his father’s book, while the youngest, James is far away from it.
From what we gathered, Robert is a singer and a member of a band known as “Rival Fire.” He has even performed before a crowd of about 15,000 people. Besides, he is an actor and a had a few roles in movies such as The Wilde Girls (2001) and Queen of the Damned (2002).
James’ focus on the other is farther away from entertainment. He is a helicopter pilot.
Her Husband Struggled With Some Health Challenges: He Is Cancer Free After 11 Months
In both good and difficult circumstances, Billman is by her husband’s side. He has faced a couple of health challenges in addition to financial difficulties that led to the sale of their property.
Her husband’s first major health challenge started in 2019 when he was forced to cancel his tour of Australia and New Zealand due to a severe kidney infection. Additionally, this made him stop his drinking and smoking habits.
On August 23, 2022, Jillian Billman’s spouse was diagnosed with cancer. The growth in his mouth was revealed to be a malignant tumor.
He had a nearly 12-hour surgery with roughly 26 medical personnel to remove the tumor from his mouth. A part of his jaw was also removed during the surgery. He was in the intensive care unit for several weeks recovering.
The British-born Australian singer was hospitalized in March 2023 due to a respiratory infection. Months later, his family announced that he had made a full recovery from the chest infection and would continue to be treated.
Farnham is cancer-free 11 months after his cancer diagnosis and tumor removal. In July 2023, his oldest son, Robert Farnham, said this.
According to sources, Billman’s oldest son stated that his father was cancer-free and in a good mood. He went on to say that his father began walking around, dancing, and even singing.
