John Farnham is fighting fit as he makes rare appearance at family gathering after cancer surgery

John Farnham made a rare appearance at a family gathering on Saturday, as he continues recovering from cancer surgery.  

The iconic rocker, 76, beamed as he posed with family and friends, including his son James Farnham, his baby grandson and television star Denise Drysdale. 

He was also supported by his loving wife, Jillian, in the sweet photo, which was shared to James' Instagram over the weekend. 

'Smiles all round,' James captioned the photo, which marks the first time Farnham has been seen publicly since Christmas. 

John beamed for the camera and appeared to be fighting fit following his recent health struggles.  

Over the festive season, the legendary Aussie singer had emerged for the first time in months. 

The iconic rocker was seen celebrating Christmas with his wife Jill, his two sons and other family and friends in a social media post made at the time.

John looked to be in good spirits as he sat at the front of the dining table and beamed for a family photo, surrounded by loved ones.

His son James captioned the photo with some sweet words: 'Merry Christmas from the Farnhams.' 

Last August, John's sons shared an update about the Australian rocker's cancer battle, revealing their dad was 'stubborn' as ever.

Rob and James Farnham sat down with Sunrise's Matt Shirvington and Natalie Barr to discuss their famous dad's health after he was diagnosed with oral cancer in August 2022. 

The Aussie crooner immediately underwent a strenuous 12-hour surgery to remove the tumour and reconstruct his jaw.

Since then, the singer has had a number of smaller operations on his road to recovery. 

Reflecting on his father's three-year cancer journey, Rob shared an update with fans. 

'He's doing good… you go through such a dramatic surgery, particularly on your face, it’s going to affect you.'

He added: 'But he's resilient, he's strong... stubborn.'

'He's doing quite well, he's sticking to his regime. My mum makes sure he's doing all the right things - shout out to her.'

In 2022, the hitmaker discovered he had a cancerous growth in his mouth after his wife Jill insisted he get a persistent mouth ulcer checked out.

Having found a malignant tumour, the resulting operation saw parts of his mouth and jaw removed, and lasted nearly 12 hours.

John then underwent eight gruelling weeks of radiation and, 12 months later, was declared cancer-free.

In his memoir The Voice Inside, John detailed his cancer ordeal and how it robbed him of his life's passion.

'My facial disfigurement from the surgery means I can't open my mouth wide enough for a strip of spaghetti, let alone to sing,' he wrote.

'I can't get the movement to make the sounds I want to make, that's where the vibrations and my voice come from. It's a very disconcerting thing. And trying hurts.'

While he has temporarily been robbed of what was regarded as one of the great voices of popular music, he still has hopes that one day he will perform again.