The Australian folk star died in a Melbourne hospital on Friday night after suffering complications from a lung disease
Judith Durham, an Australian folk singer who rose to prominence in 1962 as the lead vocalist for The Seekers, has died. She was 79 years old.
“Judith was admitted to Palliative Care on Friday 5 August, after a brief stint at the Alfred Hospital, and died away quietly that evening,” the statement said. “Her death was caused by complications from a chronic lung ailment she had for a long time.”
Musicoast Pty. Ltd. and Universal Music Australia confirmed her death on Friday via a joint statement issued on The Seeker’s official Facebook page.
Her fellow surviving members of The Seekers, Keith Potger, Bruce Woodley, and Athol Guy, declared in a statement that their lives “are changed forever losing our dear lifelong companion and dazzling star.”
“Her struggle was intense and heroic — never whining about her fate and firmly accepting its outcome,” they said. “Keith, Bruce, and I are so fortunate to be able to share her amazing musical legacy.”
Durham, whose official name was Judith Mavis Cock, was born in Melbourne on July 3, 1943, and began her professional singing career at the age of 18 after asking the leader of the Melbourne University Jazz Band if she could join the group. She joined The Seekers, a band that catapulted her to international fame, in 1962.
The folk music trio has sold over 50 million records worldwide, with singles including “I’ll Never Find Another You,” “I Am Australian,” and “Georgy Girl.”
Durham left the group in 1968 to pursue a solo career, releasing several albums until returning with The Seekers in the 1990s. She married Ron Edgeworth, a British musician, in 1969, but he died nearly 30 years later from motor neuron disease.
Durham’s adored sister Beverley Sheehan spoke about their friendship on Friday, stating, “Judith’s zest for life, her unfailing optimism, creativity, and generosity of spirit were always an inspiration to me.”
After learning of Durham’s death, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to her, calling her “a national treasure and an Australian legend.”
“Judith Durham gave voice to a fresh thread of our identity and helped pave the way for a new generation of Australian artists,” he tweeted. “Many will miss her generosity, and the songs she offered to our country will never be forgotten.”