{"id":293968,"date":"2025-11-19T03:30:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T03:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/293968\/"},"modified":"2025-11-19T03:30:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T03:30:10","slug":"john-laws-funeral-live-radio-titan-farewelled-by-friends-and-family-at-sydney-cathedral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/293968\/","title":{"rendered":"John Laws funeral live: Radio titan farewelled by friends and family at Sydney cathedral"},"content":{"rendered":"

13m agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 3:16am<\/p>\n

Reverend’s tribute to Laws\"Anton<\/p>\n

Reverend Jonathan Adams is sharing some insights on his time with the late broadcaster, joking that Laws once quipped that Jesus “was a good bloke”.<\/p>\n

“Surprisingly for a man who had a chauffeur, he spoke as an ordinary Australian to ordinary Australians,” Reverend Adams said.<\/p>\n

“John Laws was extraordinary, but especially in the way that he spoke ordinary.”<\/p>\n

23m agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 3:06am<\/p>\n

‘Be kind to each other’: Crowe’s nod\"Miriah<\/p>\n

Laws signed off every show by telling his loyal listeners to “be kind to each other”.<\/p>\n

In his eulogy, Russell\u00a0Crowe gave a nod to his friend’s signature mantra.<\/p>\n

“One of the things I\u2019ve learned over time … is kindness is wisdom, kindness is strength, acts of kindness are proof of intelligence.<\/p>\n

“John Laws … was a very kind man.”<\/p>\n

25m agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 3:04am<\/p>\n

John Williamson begins rendition of True Blue\"Anton<\/p>\n

Country music and folk singer John Williamson is performing a rendition of his classic True Blue.<\/p>\n

“I promised him [Laws] this and it’s a great honour,” Williamson said.<\/p>\n

\"\"John Williamson performing at Laws’s funeral. (ABC News)29m agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 2:59amRussell Crowe speaks\"Anton<\/p>\n

Actor Russell Crowe has begun his eulogy.<\/p>\n

“A long, long time ago, John asked me if I would speak at his funeral,” Crowe said.<\/p>\n

“I said yes, and then he just kept on living. Year after year after year.<\/p>\n

I mean, he lived so long that I thought at one point I might have lost the gig.”<\/p>\n

\"\"Russell Crowe giving his eulogy to John Laws. (ABC News)<\/p>\n

Crowe joked his eulogy was “just like ‘cash for comments’ but less obvious” and referred to Laws as his “mischievous mate”.<\/p>\n

“I can probably quite confidently say that we hardly ever agreed on anything, from bike lanes to politics,” he said.<\/p>\n

“We were quite often on opposite sides of any issue.<\/p>\n

“However, we did agree that we liked each other’s company and differing perspectives never stopped us from making each other laugh.”<\/p>\n

32m agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 2:57am<\/p>\n

Russell Crowe among famous mourners\"Miriah<\/p>\n

39m agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 2:50am<\/p>\n

Poet, promoter and salesman\"Anton<\/p>\n

Laws’s close friend Paul Warren has started off the eulogies.<\/p>\n

Speaking of their 55-year friendship Mr Warren said Laws could do “absolutely anything”.<\/p>\n

“He could sell anything from Valvoline to Toyotas,” Warren said.<\/p>\n

“Beyond that, he was a poet, a passionate music promoter, proving time and time again that there was very little he couldn’t do and do extremely well.”<\/p>\n

Mr Warren signed off in typical Laws fashion.<\/p>\n

“He always ended his show with: ‘You be kind to each other’, so I feel it’s right to finish with the same message today,” he said.<\/p>\n

“John, thank you for being kind to us, your family, your friends and all the people who lives you touched.”<\/p>\n

46m agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 2:42am<\/p>\n

Pictures from inside the cathedral\"Miriah<\/p>\n

We’ve just received images from inside the cathedral, where Laws’s casket has been carried in.<\/p>\n

If you take a closer look there’s a touching tribute to the man with the ‘golden mic’.<\/p>\n

Displayed at the front is the Order of the British (OBE) medal presented to Laws in 1974 for his services to broadcasting and charity.<\/p>\n

\"\"The coffin and a golden microphone during a state funeral service. (AAP: James Brickwood)47m agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 2:41amFuneral now under way\"Anton<\/p>\n

The service has started, opening with El Presidente by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, the iconic opening theme to John Laws’s radio show.<\/p>\n

58m agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 2:30amJohn Howard arrives\"Gavin<\/p>\n

\u00a0Former prime minister John Howard has arrived for the service.<\/p>\n

Mr Howard said John Laws’s death was a “big loss”.<\/p>\n

“Australia’s produced some great broadcasters. He was top of the box,” Mr Howard said.<\/p>\n

\"\"John Howard, outside St Andrew’s Cathedral for John Laws’s funeral. (ABC News: Abubakr Sajid)<\/p>\n

1h agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 2:21am<\/p>\n

Scandals and controversies\"Miriah<\/p>\n

Despite his ability to hold and grow a loyal audience, Laws was not free of controversy.<\/p>\n

In 1999, he was named as a key player in the “cash-for-comment” inquiry.<\/p>\n

Laws had always disputed the findings, maintaining “nobody received cash” for his opinions.<\/p>\n

In 2004, he found himself in hot water after a tribunal found comments he made on air were capable of inciting severe ridicule of gay men.<\/p>\n

After an out-of-court settlement, Laws and fellow 2UE presenter Steve Price issued an apology and agreed to make a $10,000 donation to a HIV-AIDS charity.<\/p>\n

Read more about his life and career:<\/p>\n

1h agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 2:20am<\/p>\n

MPs, broadcast stars arrive\"Gavin\"\"2GB host Ben Fordham. (ABC News: Abubakr Sajid)<\/p>\n

Among the high-profile guests who’ve already arrived are 2GB broadcaster Ben Fordham and veteran entertainment journalist Richard Wilkins.<\/p>\n

\"\"Broadcaster Richard Wilkins arrives for the funeral. (ABC News: Abubakr Sajid)<\/p>\n

Nationals MP and former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has also just arrived, and paid tribute to Laws’s common touch with the Australian public.<\/p>\n

\"\"Former deputy PM Barnaby Joyce. (ABC News: Abubakr Sajid)<\/p>\n

“He gave a voice to people, he gave people hope that they would be listened to,” Joyce said.<\/p>\n

“The job of the fourth estate is to stand up against [the] powerful, and I think that’s what he did.<\/p>\n

“He allowed people to have their views.”<\/p>\n

1h agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 2:15am<\/p>\n

The man with a gold mic\"Miriah<\/p>\n

Here’s a throwback of Laws being presented with his golden microphone after signing off on his final show on 2UE in 2007 following 55 years on the air.<\/p>\n

But his retirement was short-lived and he\u2019d be back on the airwaves, this time with 2SM, for another 13 years.<\/p>\n

He hung up his headphones for good last year, announcing his retirement for a second time on November 8.<\/p>\n

\"\"Laws accepting his Golden Microphone from 2UE in 2007. (AAP: Tracey Nearmy)<\/p>\n

1h agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 2:12am<\/p>\n

The John Laws ‘sitcom’\"Anton<\/p>\n

From behind his golden microphone there was never a dull moment while working for John Laws.<\/p>\n

Here’s the ABC’s Murray Olds reliving some of his days working for the broadcaster:<\/p>\n

Loading…<\/p>\n

1h agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 2:10am<\/p>\n

Big names to send off John Laws\"Anton<\/p>\n

Some of the most iconic figures in Australian culture are set to a be a big part of the proceedings today.<\/p>\n

Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe is set to give a eulogy while singer John Williamson will perform True Blue.<\/p>\n

1h agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 1:54am<\/p>\n

From the airwaves to political influence\"Miriah<\/p>\n

Laws’s influence on politics made him equally well respected yet feared by politicians.<\/p>\n

When Australians went to the polls in 1983, the election was famously dubbed the \u201cJohn Laws election\u201d, through his interviews with federal and state leaders.<\/p>\n

In fact, during his tenure he interviewed 17 prime ministers.<\/p>\n

In 2017, Laws told the ABC the PM he admired most was\u00a0John Howard.<\/p>\n

“[And] maybe the one that I’ve liked the most was Paul Keating,” he added.<\/p>\n

“He was a good bloke to have a bit of fun with, a bit outrageous.”<\/p>\n

1h agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 1:54am<\/p>\n

Laws always knew how to hold an audience\"Anton\"\"<\/p>\n

Known for his “golden tonsils”, John Laws could always keep an audience hooked.<\/p>\n

Those skills were on show during a 2012 appearance on 7.30 when he went on to ask then-host Leigh Sales “did you you enjoy it?”<\/p>\n

Read the full story here:<\/p>\n

1h agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 1:47am<\/p>\n

Welcome to our special coverage\"Miriah<\/p>\n

Good afternoon and thank you for joining us for the state funeral of John Laws.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m Miriah and I’ll be posting live updates of today’s memorial service alongside my colleague Anton.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll also be taking a look back at the remarkable and colourful legacy of Laws\u2019s broadcasting career.<\/p>\n

Mourners are gathering at\u00a0St Andrew\u2019s Cathedral at Town Hall, doors opened at 12:30pm AEDT and the service will begin at 1:30pm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"13m agoWed 19 Nov 2025 at 3:16am Reverend’s tribute to Laws Reverend Jonathan Adams is sharing some insights…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":293969,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[64,63,134,158702,168821,168820,168818,168819,160,17282,2733,22177,670],"class_list":["post-293968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-entertainment","tag-john-laws","tag-john-laws-funeral-blog","tag-john-laws-funeral-live-blog","tag-john-laws-state-funeral","tag-john-laws-state-funeral-live-coverage","tag-live-blog","tag-live-coverage","tag-nsw","tag-state-funeral","tag-sydney"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=293968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293968\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/293969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=293968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=293968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=293968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}