Judith Durham is dead. The singer died on August 5, 2022 in her native city of Melbourne at the age of 79. The record companies Musicoast Pty. ltd and Universal Music Australia announced their deaths via the official Facebook page of Durham’s band The Seekers.
“It is with overwhelming sadness that Musicoast Pty. Ltd. and Universal Music Australia announce the death of international music legend Judith Durham at the age of 79,” the post read. After a short stay in a hospital, the singer was admitted to the palliative care unit. There she “passed away peacefully” on Friday evening. The cause of death was given as complications from a long-standing chronic lung disease.
Athol Guy (82), bassist for The Seekers, paid tribute to his colleague on behalf of fellow band members Keith Potger (81) and Bruce Woodley (80) in the post. “The loss of our cherished lifelong friend and our shining star changed our lives forever,” Guy writes. “Her struggle was intense and heroic – she never complained about her fate and fully accepted his end. Her great musical legacy is a blessing to Keith, Bruce and I.”
Durham’s sister Beverly Sheehan also spoke. “Judith’s zest for life, her constant optimism, her creativity and generosity have always been an inspiration to me,” she said.
Judith Durham formed The Seekers in 1962 with Guy, Potger and Woodley. In 1964 the Australians moved to England. There they had their first number one hit in 1965 with “I’ll Never Find Another You”. In 1968 the band broke up. Durham subsequently recorded a number of solo albums. Since 1993, The Seekers have been back together on stage and occasionally recorded songs.
The Australian state of Victoria will hold a state funeral for Judith Durham.
