John Farrar
Biography
John Clifford Farrar (b. 8 November 1945) is an Australian music producer, songwriter, arranger, singer, and guitarist.
Farrar grew up in Moonee Ponds, a suburb of Melbourne. Farrar's mother bought him a country music guitar, which he began playing at twelve years old. In 1961, he began playing in a band (The Jaguars) with his older brother (Reg), and at the age of fifteen years the family relocated to nearby Niddrie. In 1963, he joined The Mustangs. In late January 1964, Farrar joined The Strangers, working in the Melbourne dance scene. In June 1964, with Farrar on board, the band issued its first vocal single, If You Gotta Make a Fool of Someone, which reached the top 30 on the Melbourne charts. They became a popular backing and session band.
As a musician, Farrar is a former member of several rock and roll groups. As a songwriter and producer, he worked with Olivia Newton-John from 1971 through 1989. He wrote her number-one hit singles: Have You Never Been Mellow (1975), You're the One That I Want (1978 duet with John Travolta), Hopelessly Devoted to You (1978), and Magic (1980). He also produced the majority of her recorded material during that time and was a co-producer of the soundtrack for the film Grease.
In July 1970, Farrar relocated to the United Kingdom, and starting in late 1975, they have resided in the United States.
Works for Winds
Resources
- Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music. "John Farrar." Accessed 30 August 2019
- John Farrar, Wikipedia Accessed 30 August 2019