Johnny Ruffo
Australian singer and actor (1988–2023)
title: "Johnny Ruffo" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1988-births", "2023-deaths", "21st-century-australian-male-singers", "australian-contemporary-r&b-singers", "australian-male-dancers", "australian-male-singer-songwriters", "australian-people-of-italian-descent", "australian-pop-singers", "dancing-with-the-stars-(australian-tv-series)-winners", "deaths-from-brain-cancer-in-australia", "musicians-from-perth,-western-australia", "the-x-factor-(australian-tv-series)-contestants", "21st-century-australian-singer-songwriters"] description: "Australian singer and actor (1988–2023)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Ruffo" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Australian singer and actor (1988–2023) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Johnny Ruffo |
| image | Johnny Ruffo @ Walter Miffy premiere 2013.png |
| caption | Ruffo at the premiere of Secret Life of Walter Mitty in Sydney, 2013 |
| birth_name | John Patrick Ruffo |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Perth, Western Australia |
| death_date | |
| death_place | Sydney, Australia |
| known_for | |
| module | {{infobox musical artist |
| instruments | |
| genre | Dance-pop |
| occupations | |
| years_active | 2008–2023 |
| label | |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = Johnny Ruffo | image = Johnny Ruffo @ Walter Miffy premiere 2013.png | caption = Ruffo at the premiere of Secret Life of Walter Mitty in Sydney, 2013 | birth_name = John Patrick Ruffo | birth_date = | birth_place = Perth, Western Australia | death_date = | death_place = Sydney, Australia | known_for = | module = {{infobox musical artist|embed=yes | instruments = | genre = Dance-pop | occupations = | years_active = 2008–2023 | label = | website =
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, in Balcatta, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, to parents Jill and Pascoe Ruffo. Ruffo's parents separated when he was three years old. He spent most of his youth living in a small Homeswest unit with his mother. At age 12, he began pursuing his dream in music, following in the footsteps of his idol, Michael Jackson. He also taught himself how to play the guitar and piano, and wrote his first song at age 14. Ruffo was educated at Balcatta Senior High School. Before entering The X Factor, he worked as a concreter and got into the business thanks to his father who works in the trade. He also performed around Perth with electropop band, Supanova.
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". He eventually reached the live shows and was mentored by Guy Sebastian. 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.
Ruffo performed the following songs on The X Factor:Songs performed by Johnny Ruffo on The X Factor:
- Live show 1:
- Live show 2: In this competition he met his best friend Zoe.
- Live show 3:
- Live show 4:
- Live show 4 (bottom two):
- Live show 5:
- Live show 6:
- Live show 6 (bottom two):
- Live show 7:
- Live show 8:
- Semi-final:
- Final:
::data[format=table]
| Show | Song choice | Original Artist | Theme | Result | Auditions | Bootcamp | Home visits | Live show 1 | Live show 2 | Live show 3 | Live show 4 | Live show 4 (bottom two) | Live show 5 | Live show 6 | Live show 6 (bottom two) | Live show 7 | Live show 8 | Semi-final | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Do You Remember" | Jay Sean | Free choice | Through to bootcamp | ||||||||||||||||
| "With You" | Chris Brown | Through to home visits | |||||||||||||||||
| "The Edge of Glory" | Lady Gaga | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Burn" | Usher | Through to live shows | |||||||||||||||||
| "Moves Like Jagger" | Maroon 5 | Judges' choice | Safe | ||||||||||||||||
| "Down" | Jay Sean | Party anthems | Safe | ||||||||||||||||
| "Here Without You" | 3 Doors Down | Rock | Safe | ||||||||||||||||
| "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" | Meat Loaf | The 90s | Bottom two | ||||||||||||||||
| "Just the Way You Are" | Bruno Mars | Free choice | Safe | ||||||||||||||||
| "What Goes Around... Comes Around" | Justin Timberlake | Number-one hits | Safe | ||||||||||||||||
| "Lost Without You" | Delta Goodrem | Australian hits | Bottom two | ||||||||||||||||
| "Billie Jean" | Michael Jackson | Free choice | Safe | ||||||||||||||||
| "Without You" | David Guetta ft. Usher | Dance | Safe | ||||||||||||||||
| "Sir Duke" | Stevie Wonder | Legends | Safe | ||||||||||||||||
| "So Sick" | Ne-Yo | Emotional song | Safe | ||||||||||||||||
| "Tonight Tonight" | Hot Chelle Rae | Uplifting song | |||||||||||||||||
| "Do You Remember" | Jay Sean | Audition song | Eliminated | ||||||||||||||||
| "Sir Duke" | Stevie Wonder | Song of the series | |||||||||||||||||
| "Shoop"/"Push It" (with Salt-n-Pepa) | Salt-n-Pepa | Superstar duet | |||||||||||||||||
| "You Don't Wanna Know" | Ruffo | Winner's single | |||||||||||||||||
| :: |
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. 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". In December 2011, he told Take 40 Australia that he had recorded a duet with his X Factor mentor Guy Sebastian. On 16 December 2011, he co-hosted the radio program Nova's Fresh Hits with Daniel "Gawndy" Gawned on Nova FM. 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.
In January 2012, he announced that he was working on his debut album in New York City. He was a supporting act for Reece Mastin's first headlining national tour in Adelaide on 28, 29 and 31 January. In March 2012, it was revealed that the record label he had signed with was Sony Music Australia. 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. Later that month, he was a supporting act for One Direction's Australian leg of their Up All Night Tour. On 18 April 2012, he was announced as the runner-up of Cleo magazine's 2012 Bachelor of the Year contest. In May 2012, he was a supporting act for New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys' Australian leg of their NKOTBSB Tour.
His debut single "On Top" was released on 15 June 2012. 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. Ruffo was announced as the winner of Dancing with the Stars on 17 June 2012. His winnings from the show were donated to the Youth Off The Streets charity. 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. His second single "Take It Home" was released on 19 October 2012, and reached number 30 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
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. His third single "Untouchable" was released on 12 July 2013, and debuted at number 39 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
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. On 11 December 2015, he released a Christmas single, a cover of "White Christmas". 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." 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. House of Bond aired on 24 and 25 April 2017.
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". A week later, he confirmed that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer and would begin aggressive treatment as soon as possible.
During a radio interview in May 2019, he told radio hosts Fitzy & Wippa that he was "currently clear of cancer". 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." In 2020, he had a small recurring role in Neighbours as prison guard Owen Campbell.
In November 2020, Ruffo announced that his brain cancer had returned. 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." In August 2022, he released his memoir, entitled No Finish Line.
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.
In August 2022, Ruffo revealed that his cancer was terminal and in the following month in September, he said that he wanted to live until Christmas. He died on 10 November 2023, at the age of 35.
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.
Tours
Supporting act
- Reece Mastin's Australian Tour (2012)
- One Direction's Up All Night Tour: Australian leg (2012)
- New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys' NKOTBSB Tour: Australian leg (2012)
Discography
Singles
::data[format=table title="List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications"] | Title | Year | Peak chart position | Certifications | AUS | "On Top" | "Take It Home" | "Untouchable" | "She Got That O" | "White Christmas" | "Broken Glass" | "Let's Get Lost" | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 2012 | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | 30 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | 39 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2015 | — | | | | | | | | | | | | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2019 | — | | | | | | | | | | | | 2021 | — | | | | | | | | | | | ::
Notes
Album appearances
::data[format=table title="List of album appearances"]
| Title | Year | Album | "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Spirit of Christmas 2012 | ||
| :: |
Music videos
::data[format=table title="List of music videos"]
| Title | Year | Director(s) | "On Top" | "Take It Home" | "Untouchable" | "She Got That O" | "Broken Glass" |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | |||||||
| 2013 | |||||||
| 2015 | |||||||
| 2019 | Michael Tan | ||||||
| :: |
Filmography
::data[format=table title="Television"]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The X Factor | Himself; contestant | Season 3 | last=Sams |
| 2012 | Better Homes and Gardens | Himself; guest | 1 episode | |
| The Price Is Right | Himself; celebrity contestant | 1 episode | ||
| Dancing with the Stars | Himself; celebrity contestant | Season 12 | ||
| The X Stream | Himself; host | |||
| 2013–2016 | Home and Away | Chris Harrington | Regular role; Seasons 26–29 | |
| 2013 | Slide Show | Himself; celebrity contestant | 1 episode | last=Knox |
| 2014 | Beauty and the Geek Australia | Himself; guest | Season 6, episode 7 | |
| 2015 | Better Homes and Gardens | Himself; guest | 1 episode | |
| 2017 | Studio 10 | Himself: guest | 1 episode | |
| 2017 | House of Bond | Dave King | 2 episodes | title=Cast Announced |
| 2020 | Neighbours | Owen Campbell | 6 episodes | |
| :: |
Awards and nominations
::data[format=table title=""]
| Year | Type | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Poprepublic.tv Awards | Favourite Australian Male Artist | |
| 2014 | Logie Awards | Most Popular New Talent (Home and Away) | |
| :: |
References
References
- (14 May 2023). "Johnny Ruffo music, videos, stats, and photos".
- "The X-Factor Australia Performers – Johnny Ruffo". [[Yahoo!7]].
- McRae, Ross. (21 November 2011). "Ruffo 'charms the pants off'". [[Seven West Media Limited]].
- McRae, Ross. (21 November 2011). "Ruffo poised for big moment". Seven West Media Limited.
- Byrnes, Holly. (22 November 2011). "Reece Mastin wins Channel Seven's The X Factor from Andrew Wishart and Johnny Ruffo". [[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney).
- (30 November 2011). "Johnny Ruffo signs a deal with major record label". PerthNow.
- (28 December 2011). "Johnny Ruffo To Release Duet With Guy Sebastian". MCM Entertainment.
- "Johnny Ruffo joins Gawndy for Nova's Fresh Hits". [[DMG Radio Australia]].
- (8 December 2011). "Ricki-Lee, Johnny Ruffo And Shannon Noll To Busk For Charity!". MCM Entertainment.
- Eliezer, Christie. (11 January 2012). "Industrial Strength: January 11". Peer Group Media.
- (28 November 2011). "X Factor winner Reece Mastin puts runner-up Johnny Ruffo on concert tour". The Daily Telegraph.
- "Shows". Reece Mastin Official Website.
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- (18 April 2012). "Hayden Quinn named CLEO bachelor". Seven West Media Limited.
- (27 April 2012). "Johnny Ruffo To Support New Kids on the Block And Backstreet Boys Tour!". MCM Entertainment.
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- "The X Factor Australia – Judges & Hosts". Yahoo!7.
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- (10 May 2016). "Samantha Jade and Johnny Ruffo to feature in Alan Bond mini-series". [[The West Australian]].
- Knox, David. (21 April 2017). "House of Bond".
- Vrajlal, Alicia. (10 August 2017). "Johnny Ruffo reveals brain tumour". [[Yahoo7]].
- Moran, Jonathon. (17 August 2017). "Former Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo to start aggressive cancer treatment". [[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney).
- (28 May 2019). "Former Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo shares update about his health".
- (12 July 2019). "Johnny Ruffo releases new song 'Broken Glass' after a four-year music hiatus".
- Harp, Justin. (28 May 2020). "Neighbours casts former Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo in guest role". [[Digital Spy]].
- Sanders, Krystal. (24 November 2020). "Former Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo reveals devastating brain cancer has returned". [[PerthNow]].
- Patrick, Michael. (21 June 2021). "Johnny Ruffo speaks about his brain cancer journey".
- Cain, Sian. (10 November 2023). "Home and Away actor Johnny Ruffo dies aged 35". The Guardian.
- (24 November 2020). "Former Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo diagnosed with brain cancer for second time".
- (30 August 2022). "Johnny Ruffo reflects on terminal cancer diagnosis as he tells of emotional Christmas arrival: 'He is everything to me'".
- (10 November 2023). "Johnny Ruffo dies after long battle with brain cancer". The West Australian.
- "Johnny Ruffo: Singers @ EntertainOz". Entertainoz.com.au.
- "Reece Mastin Live in Concert".
- (4 April 2012). "Justice Crew And Johnny Ruffo Confirmed As Support Acts For One Direction In Australia". MCM Entertainment.
- Symonds, Kristy. (27 April 2012). "Johnny Ruffo lands New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys support act". [[The Sunday Times (Western Australia).
- "Discography Johnny Ruffo". Hung Medien.
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).
- (15 May 2015). "She Got that O – single". iTunes Australia.
- (11 December 2015). "White Christmas – single". iTunes Australia.
- (28 June 2019). "Broken Glass – single". iTunes Australia.
- (20 November 2023). "Independent Label Singles – 20 November 2023". [[Australian Independent Record Labels Association]].
- "iTunes Music – The Spirit of Christmas 2012 by Various Artists". iTunes Store (Australia). Apple.
- (14 June 2012). "Johnny Ruffo – On Top".
- (19 October 2012). "Johnny Ruffo – Take It Home".
- (12 July 2013). "Johnny Ruffo – Untouchable".
- (14 May 2015). "Johnny Ruffo – She Got That O".
- (7 July 2019). "Johnny Ruffo – Broken Glass".
- Sams, Christine. (24 March 2013). "Surfing with the stars". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
- (19 June 2012). "Johnny Ruffo plays Secret X".
- Knox, David. (30 July 2013). "Airdate: Slideshow".
- "The BEST episodes of Beauty and the Geek Australia season 6".
- (21 August 2015). "Johnny Ruffo right at home with family fun time".
- (17 October 2017). "Johnny Ruffo: "I'm doing good, staying positive" {{!}} TV Tonight".
- (9 May 2016). "Cast Announced". tvtonight.com.au.
- Manser, Robert. (25 January 2014). "Poprepublic.tv Awards Nominations Announced". Poprepublic.tv. AKA Entertainment.
- Knox, David. (31 March 2014). "Logie Awards 2014: Most Popular nominees".
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