Johnny Ruffo
Ruffo at the premiere of Secret Life of Walter Mitty in Sydney, 2013
Born
John Patrick Ruffo

(1988-03-08)8 March 1988
Perth, Western Australia
Died10 November 2023(2023-11-10) (aged 35)
Sydney, Australia
Known for
Musical career
GenresDance-pop
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
  • dancer
  • actor
  • television presenter
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • piano
  • vocals
Years active2008–2023
Labels
Websitejohnnyruffoofficial.com

John Patrick Ruffo (8 March 1988 – 10 November 2023) was an Australian singer, songwriter, musician, dancer, actor, and television presenter. He rose to prominence after finishing in third place on the third season of The X Factor Australia. His debut single "On Top" (2012), peaked at number fourteen on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified platinum. His second single "Take It Home" (2012), peaked at number thirty in Australia and earned a gold music certification. In total he released seven singles during his career.

Outside of music Ruffo ventured into reality television and won the twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars Australia. In 2013, he made his acting debut in Home and Away, portraying the role of Chris Harrington until 2016. For his role he earned a Logie Nomination for Most Popular New Talent.

Early life

John Patrick Ruffo was born on 8 March 1988,[1] in Balcatta, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, to parents Jill and Pascoe Ruffo.[2][3] Ruffo's parents separated when he was three years old.[4] He spent most of his youth living in a small Homeswest unit with his mother.[4] At age 12, he began pursuing his dream in music, following in the footsteps of his idol, Michael Jackson.[4] He also taught himself how to play the guitar and piano, and wrote his first song at age 14.[4] Ruffo was educated at Balcatta Senior High School.[4] Before entering The X Factor, he worked as a concreter and got into the business thanks to his father who works in the trade.[2] He also performed around Perth with electropop band, Supanova.[2]

Career

2011: The X Factor Australia

Ruffo successfully auditioned for the third season of The X Factor Australia in 2011, singing Jay Sean's "Do You Remember".[2] He eventually reached the live shows and was mentored by Guy Sebastian.[2] On 22 November 2011, it was announced that he was the last contestant eliminated in the competition, while fellow contestant Reece Mastin was announced as the winner.[5]

Ruffo performed the following songs on The X Factor:[2][6]

2011–2014: record deal, Dancing with the Stars and Home and Away

Shortly after the completion of The X Factor, Ruffo told News Limited on 30 November 2011 that he was offered a record deal with a major record label, whose name he was not allowed to confirm at the time.[7] He also revealed that he had already recorded several new tracks, stating "I've been in the studio in Perth recording some singles, quite a few different tracks so we can get the right one out there for my first release. The songs are very much my style, which is pop, R&B, mainstream sort of stuff".[7] In December 2011, he told Take 40 Australia that he had recorded a duet with his X Factor mentor Guy Sebastian.[8] On 16 December 2011, he co-hosted the radio program Nova's Fresh Hits with Daniel "Gawndy" Gawned on Nova FM.[9] On 20 December 2011, he performed at the Melbourne State Library as part of the Optus Celebrity Carols initiative to raise money for World Vision Australia.[10]

In January 2012, he announced that he was working on his debut album in New York City.[11] He was a supporting act for Reece Mastin's first headlining national tour in Adelaide on 28, 29 and 31 January.[12][13] In March 2012, it was revealed that the record label he had signed with was Sony Music Australia.[14] The following month, he became a celebrity contestant on the twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars and was partnered with professional dancer Luda Kroitor.[14][15] Later that month, he was a supporting act for One Direction's Australian leg of their Up All Night Tour.[16] On 18 April 2012, he was announced as the runner-up of Cleo magazine's 2012 Bachelor of the Year contest.[17] In May 2012, he was a supporting act for New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys' Australian leg of their NKOTBSB Tour.[18]

His debut single "On Top" was released on 15 June 2012.[19] The song peaked at number 14 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of 70,000 copies.[20][21] Ruffo was announced as the winner of Dancing with the Stars on 17 June 2012.[22] His winnings from the show were donated to the Youth Off The Streets charity.[22] In September 2012, he joined the live shows of the fourth season of The X Factor as the host of the digital live streaming show, The X Stream.[23][24] His second single "Take It Home" was released on 19 October 2012, and reached number 30 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[20][25]

In April 2013, he made his acting debut in the Australian television soap opera Home and Away as Chris Harrington. He was initially contracted to appear in 16 episodes, but this was later extended.[26][27] His third single "Untouchable" was released on 12 July 2013,[28] and debuted at number 39 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[20]

2015–2016: Independent Artist: "She Got That O" and "White Christmas"

In May 2015, he released his fourth single "She Got That O". It was released independently, but failed to chart.[29] On 11 December 2015, he released a Christmas single, a cover of "White Christmas".[30] On 27 April 2016, Channel 7 announced that Ruffo had left Home and Away to pursue new challenges. He stated, "I've loved my time in Summer Bay. There's a lot more coming up for Chris and I hope fans continue enjoying his time on screen."[31] His final episode of Home and Away screened on 22 September 2016. On 10 May 2016, it was announced that he would be featuring in the Channel Nine miniseries, House of Bond, about former WA businessman Alan Bond, to be filmed in Perth and Sydney.[32] House of Bond aired on 24 and 25 April 2017.[33]

2017–2023: Brain tumour, "Broken Glass", and "Let's Get Lost"

On 10 August 2017, Ruffo announced that he had undergone surgery to remove a brain tumour, which was discovered after he went to the hospital suffering from a migraine. He posted post-surgery photos on his social media accounts asking fans to "keep him in their thoughts".[34] A week later, he confirmed that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer and would begin aggressive treatment as soon as possible.[35]

During a radio interview in May 2019, he told radio hosts Fitzy & Wippa that he was "currently clear of cancer".[36] In June 2019, he released his first new single in four years titled, "Broken Glass". Ruffo told Channel 7: "This song is probably the most vulnerable song I've written. It's very personal for me. It's loosely about my experiences in the past two or three years – and about being down and out – not necessarily about cancer, but about anything like depression or losing a loved one."[37] In 2020, he had a small recurring role in Neighbours as prison guard Owen Campbell.[38]

In November 2020, Ruffo announced that his brain cancer had returned.[39] In June 2021, he confirmed his cancer was "now stable". He released a single "Let's Get Lost", which he told The Morning Show was inspired by wanting to "pack up the car and get lost, just get away from everything for a while... the whole rigmarole of medication and chemotherapy, the stress of all of that."[40] In August 2022, he released his memoir, entitled No Finish Line.[41]

Personal life, illness, and death

Ruffo was first diagnosed with brain cancer in 2017 and after treatment it went into remission. In 2020, he announced on his social media pages that his cancer had returned.[42]

In August 2022, he revealed that his cancer was terminal and the following month in September, he said that he wanted to live until Christmas.[43]

Ruffo died on 10 November 2023, at the age of 35.[44]

Influences

Ruffo cited Michael Jackson, Usher, and Justin Timberlake as his musical influences because they led him to combine his love for singing and dancing.[2][45]

Tours

Supporting act

Discography

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Year Peak chart position Certifications
AUS
[20]
"On Top" 2012 14
"Take It Home" 30
"Untouchable" 2013 39
"She Got That O"[50] 2015 —
"White Christmas"[51] —
"Broken Glass"[52] 2019 —[A]
"Let's Get Lost"[40] 2021 —[B]

Notes

  1. ^ "Broken Glass" did not enter the ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 5 on the Australian Independent Singles Chart in the week following his death.[53]
  2. ^ "Let's Get Lost" did not enter the ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 8 on the Australian Independent Singles Chart in the week following his death.[53]

Album appearances

List of album appearances
Title Year Album
"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" 2012 The Spirit of Christmas 2012[54]

Music videos

List of music videos
Title Year Director(s)
"On Top"[55] 2012
"Take It Home"[56]
"Untouchable"[57] 2013
"She Got That O"[58] 2015
"Broken Glass"[59] 2019 Michael Tan

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes Ref
2011 The X Factor Himself; contestant Season 3 [60]
2012 Better Homes and Gardens Himself; guest 1 episode [citation needed]
The Price Is Right Himself; celebrity contestant 1 episode [61]
Dancing with the Stars Himself; celebrity contestant Season 12 [60]
The X Stream Himself; host [24]
2013–2016 Home and Away Chris Harrington Regular role; Seasons 26–29 [60][31]
2013 Slide Show Himself; celebrity contestant 1 episode [62]
2014 Beauty and the Geek Australia Himself; guest Season 6, episode 7 [63]
2015 Better Homes and Gardens Himself; guest 1 episode [64]
2017 Studio 10 Himself: guest 1 episode [65]
2017 House of Bond Dave King 2 episodes [66]
2020 Neighbours Owen Campbell 6 episodes [38]

Awards and nominations

Year Type Award Result
2013 Poprepublic.tv Awards[67] Favourite Australian Male Artist Nominated
2014 Logie Awards[68] Most Popular New Talent (Home and Away) Nominated

References

  1. ^ "Johnny Ruffo music, videos, stats, and photos". 14 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "The X-Factor Australia Performers – Johnny Ruffo". The X Factor Australia. Yahoo!7. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011.
  3. ^ McRae, Ross (21 November 2011). "Ruffo 'charms the pants off'". The West Australian. Seven West Media Limited. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e McRae, Ross (21 November 2011). "Ruffo poised for big moment". The West Australian. Seven West Media Limited. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015.
  5. ^ Byrnes, Holly (22 November 2011). "Reece Mastin wins Channel Seven's The X Factor from Andrew Wishart and Johnny Ruffo". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  6. ^ Songs performed by Johnny Ruffo on The X Factor:
  7. ^ a b "Johnny Ruffo signs a deal with major record label". PerthNow. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  8. ^ "Johnny Ruffo To Release Duet With Guy Sebastian". Take 40 Australia. MCM Entertainment. 28 December 2011. Archived from the original on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  9. ^ "Johnny Ruffo joins Gawndy for Nova's Fresh Hits". Nova. DMG Radio Australia. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  10. ^ "Ricki-Lee, Johnny Ruffo And Shannon Noll To Busk For Charity!". The Hot Hits Live from LA. MCM Entertainment. 8 December 2011. Archived from the original on 7 June 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  11. ^ Eliezer, Christie (11 January 2012). "Industrial Strength: January 11". The Music Network. Peer Group Media. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012.
  12. ^ "X Factor winner Reece Mastin puts runner-up Johnny Ruffo on concert tour". The Daily Telegraph. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  13. ^ "Shows". Reece Mastin Official Website. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012.
  14. ^ a b "Johnny Ruffo | Dancing with the stars | People". Throng. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  15. ^ "Johnny Ruffo to show X Factor on Dancing with the Stars alongside Brendan Fevola". PerthNow. 10 March 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  16. ^ "Justice Crew And Johnny Ruffo To Support One Direction On Their Australian Tour". The Hot Hits Live from LA. MCM Entertainment. 3 April 2012. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  17. ^ "Hayden Quinn named CLEO bachelor". The West Australian. Seven West Media Limited. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  18. ^ "Johnny Ruffo To Support New Kids on the Block And Backstreet Boys Tour!". Take 40 Australia. MCM Entertainment. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  19. ^ "iTunes – Music – On Top – Single by Johnny Ruffo". iTunes Store (Australia). Apple. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  20. ^ a b c d "Discography Johnny Ruffo". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  21. ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  22. ^ a b Jackie, Epstein; Frost, Carleen (17 June 2012). "Johnny Ruffo wins 2012 Dancing with the Stars as Kerri-Anne Kennerly with breast cancer cries at Brendan Fevola's gift". Herald Sun. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  23. ^ "The X Factor Australia – Judges & Hosts". The X Factor Australia. Yahoo!7. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  24. ^ a b "The X Stream!". The X Factor Australia. Yahoo!7. Archived from the original on 26 September 2012.
  25. ^ "iTunes Music – Take It Home – Single by Johnny Ruffo". iTunes Store (Australia). Apple. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  26. ^ Knox, David (21 October 2012). "Johnny Ruffo for Home and Away". TV Tonight. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  27. ^ "Johnny Ruffo". Home and Away. Yahoo!7. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  28. ^ "Untouchable by Johnny Ruffo". iTunes Store (Australia). Apple. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  29. ^ "She Got That O – Single". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  30. ^ "White Christmas by Johnny Ruffo". iTunes Store (Australia). Apple. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  31. ^ a b "Johnny Ruffo leaving Home And Away". TV Week. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  32. ^ "Samantha Jade and Johnny Ruffo to feature in Alan Bond mini-series". The West Australian. 10 May 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  33. ^ Knox, David (21 April 2017). "House of Bond". TV Tonight. Retrieved 11 November 2023. House of Bond airs 9pm Monday & Tuesday...
  34. ^ Vrajlal, Alicia (10 August 2017). "Johnny Ruffo reveals brain tumour". Yahoo7. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  35. ^ Moran, Jonathon (17 August 2017). "Former Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo to start aggressive cancer treatment". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  36. ^ "Former Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo shares update about his health". New Idea. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  37. ^ "Johnny Ruffo releases new song 'Broken Glass' after a four-year music hiatus". 7 News. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  38. ^ a b Harp, Justin (28 May 2020). "Neighbours casts former Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo in guest role". Digital Spy. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  39. ^ Sanders, Krystal (24 November 2020). "Former Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo reveals devastating brain cancer has returned". PerthNow. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  40. ^ a b Patrick, Michael (21 June 2021). "Johnny Ruffo speaks about his brain cancer journey". 7 News. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  41. ^ Cain, Sian (10 November 2023). "Home and Away actor Johnny Ruffo dies aged 35". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  42. ^ "Former Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo diagnosed with brain cancer for second time". The Independent. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  43. ^ "Johnny Ruffo reflects on terminal cancer diagnosis as he tells of emotional Christmas arrival: 'He is everything to me'". 30 August 2022.
  44. ^ "Johnny Ruffo dies after long battle with brain cancer". The West Australian. 10 November 2023.
  45. ^ "Johnny Ruffo: Singers @ EntertainOz". Entertainoz.com.au. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012.
  46. ^ "Reece Mastin Live in Concert". Crown Melbourne. Archived from the original on 3 January 2012.
  47. ^ "Justice Crew And Johnny Ruffo Confirmed As Support Acts For One Direction In Australia". The Hot Hits Live from LA. MCM Entertainment. 4 April 2012. Archived from the original on 9 April 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  48. ^ Symonds, Kristy (27 April 2012). "Johnny Ruffo lands New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys support act". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  49. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  50. ^ "She Got that O – single". iTunes Australia. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  51. ^ "White Christmas – single". iTunes Australia. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  52. ^ "Broken Glass – single". iTunes Australia. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  53. ^ a b "Independent Label Singles – 20 November 2023". Australian Independent Record Labels Association. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  54. ^ "iTunes Music – The Spirit of Christmas 2012 by Various Artists". iTunes Store (Australia). Apple. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  55. ^ Johnny Ruffo – On Top. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012 – via YouTube.
  56. ^ Johnny Ruffo – Take It Home. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2012 – via YouTube.
  57. ^ Johnny Ruffo – Untouchable. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013 – via YouTube.
  58. ^ Johnny Ruffo – She Got That O. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015 – via YouTube.
  59. ^ Johnny Ruffo – Broken Glass. 7 July 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019 – via YouTube.
  60. ^ a b c Sams, Christine (24 March 2013). "Surfing with the stars". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  61. ^ Johnny Ruffo plays Secret X, retrieved 11 November 2023
  62. ^ Knox, David (30 July 2013). "Airdate: Slideshow". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 19 February 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  63. ^ "The BEST episodes of Beauty and the Geek Australia season 6". Episode Ninja. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  64. ^ "Johnny Ruffo right at home with family fun time". The West Australian. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  65. ^ "Johnny Ruffo: "I'm doing good, staying positive" | TV Tonight". TV Tonight. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  66. ^ "Cast Announced". tvtonight.com.au. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  67. ^ Manser, Robert (25 January 2014). "Poprepublic.tv Awards Nominations Announced". Poprepublic.tv. AKA Entertainment. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014.
  68. ^ Knox, David (31 March 2014). "Logie Awards 2014: Most Popular nominees". TV Tonight. Retrieved 31 March 2014.

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