Australian music legend Judith Durham has died at the age of 79.
Durham AOM rose to fame as the lead singer of The Seekers, best known for I’ll Never Find Another You, I Am Australian and The Carnival Is Over.
Seven’s entertainment editor Peter Ford tweeted the news of her passing, describing her as “one of this country’s great singers”.
Catch all of your favorite shows on Channel 7 or stream free on 7plus >>
“As part of The Seekers and as a solo performer she was superb,” he said.
“Also a truly kind and generous person.”
She is understood to have died in hospital on Friday night following a battle with chronic illness.
Durham joined The Seekers in the 1960s alongside Athol Guy, Keith Potger and Bruce Woodley in Melbourne.
In 1967, the band members were named as joint recipients of the Australian of the Year award, the only group to be honored to date.
The band disbanded a year later when Durham left to pursue a solo career but reunited for shows over the coming decades.
In 1995, The Seekers were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and, almost two decades later, the members were individually honored as Officers of the Order of Australia.
Durham married her musical director Ron Edgeworth in 1969 before briefly moving to Europe.
In 1990, the couple and their tour manager Peter Summers were involved in a car accident in Victoria, resulting in the death of the driver of the other car, as well as Durham suffering a broken wrist and leg.
The response from fans prompted a meeting of The Seekers for a Silver Jubilee show. During this meeting, Edgeworth would be diagnosed with motor neuron disease, dying in 1994.
In May 2013, the band reunited again for a Golden Jubilee tour. However, Durham would suffer a stroke that impacted her ability to read and write – including reading music sheets.
Her singing was not impacted by the stroke.
In 2015, she was named Victorian of the Year for her services to music and involvement with charities.
.