Jess Kelly grew up watching his uncle John Farnham take to the stage and hoped he would start on a similar path on The Voice Australia, but it wasn’t meant to be.
The 38-year-old auditioned on Tuesday, August 18, performing Cold Chisel’s Hit When the War is Over, which his uncle also famously sung.
From the moment he started singing, all four coaches mused that he sounded just like the famous Aussie, and praised his vocal abilities. However, none of them turned around.
A source exclusively tells New Idea that John encouraged him to audition, and did not expect that result for his “undeniably talented” nephew.
“John was shocked that none of the coaches turned their chairs for Jess,” the source close to the family exclusively reveals to us.
What did John Farnham work on with Richard Marx?
Before his audition, Jess acknowledged the pressure of performing, especially when John worked with coach Richard Marx. He was also aware that he could sound similar to his uncle.
They first met when Richard did his first tour in Australia in 1988, and they quickly became friends.
The pair famously worked together on several songs, with the Grammy winner writing The Reason Why, Treated This Way, Talent for Fame and So Long In Love for the singer.
Sounding “uncanny” to John Farnham
And it was the similarities that sent Jess undone, with Richard saying the vocal resemblance was “uncanny”, with Ronan Keating unknowingly accusing him of “mimicking” the Age of Reason singer.
“John was particularly surprised that his good friend Richard didn’t turn,” the insider dishes to us.
“The pair have known each other for years, and John had thought that, if there was one coach who would recognise Jess’s talent and give him a chance, it would be Richard.”
Despite Tones and I being secretly on board as a fifth coach and loving his tone, in the end, she chose not to save him.
Even though he was unsuccessful, New Idea understands that John was “proud” of his nephew for taking a leap of faith.
“He felt that not turning a chair didn’t change what he knew about Jess’s ability as a singer, and encouraged him not to let the experience knock his confidence,” the source shares.
“For John, the audition was ultimately about Jess having the courage to step outside his comfort zone and pursue his passion for music. He reckons Jess has what it takes to build a career of his own and hopes the experience will motivate him to keep working on his craft.”
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