This brief clip, which is from the 1992 television special celebrating John Farnham’s 25th anniversary, depicts his marriage to Jillian Billman in April 1973. While John was performing on stage as Charlie Girl, they became friends.
Other celebrities might be irritated by the intrusion on their wedding day, but John doesn’t seem to let it ruin his day and seems very content to express his personal opinions on the value of marriage.
The video effectively conveys the singer’s astounding fame at the time. Outside the church, there are frantic scenes with thousands of people, reporters, and photographers lining the streets. Teenage girls in the back seat of a Silver Top Taxi watch as John pulls up to St Matthew’s Anglican church with teary eyes.
The pair had actually met as performers in the musical Charlie Girl. John was a singer in the 1971 production in Melbourne, while Jill was a dancer. At that time, Farnham was Australia’s long-running King of Pop, and a well-known household name. He was just 22.