James Valentine's Last Days

Topic: Radio

James Valentine was dying, but he didn't want to be angry.

James Valentine was a radio presenter and jazz saxophonist who loved music and laughter.

James Valentine said he didn't want his last days to be angry.

James Valentine wanted his last days to be happy and full of joy, friendship, love, and happiness.

James Valentine made a grand entrance to his living wake.

James Valentine sashayed into his living wake with a show-tune-playing sax player.

James Valentine wanted his living wake to be a joyous occasion.

James Valentine played his saxophone at a gig with his son Roy and spent time with his family.

James Valentine recorded a final show, reminiscing with his audience about the laughs and stories they'd shared.

James Valentine had times of overwhelming despair when he learned he had terminal cancer.

James Valentine was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and had to choose between two treatment options.

Neither treatment option guaranteed the cancer would not recur.

James Valentine chose the less invasive option.

The cancer recurred as a distant metastasis in his omentum.

James Valentine pondered the medical choice he'd made for a day or two.

James Valentine decided to stop thinking about the choice and focus on life.

James Valentine's wife, Joanne, and daughter, Ruby, attended his living wake.

James Valentine was on stage at his living wake.

James Valentine focused on life to ensure his children didn't remember his final months as a dreadful time.

James Valentine said he wanted to experience life, be with friends and family, and enjoy beauty.

James Valentine said people shouldn't start mourning before they have to.

James Valentine's time had come to an end.

James Valentine worked as a broadcaster for more than 40 years.

James Valentine's Australian Story will air on ABCTV and ABC iview.

James Valentine's career started with saying 'silly stuff'.

James Valentine emerged as a showman in the 1980s Australian rock scene.

James Valentine played saxophone for bands like Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons and Models.

James Valentine felt jaded by the rock lifestyle and wanted a more stable job.

James Valentine tried television first, but was drawn to radio.

James Valentine's mother was a radio announcer in Ballarat, Victoria.

James Valentine felt at home in a radio booth.

James Valentine loved the immediacy of radio and its improvisation.

James Valentine started on Afternoons at ABC Sydney in 1998.

James Valentine decided to focus on the silly stuff in his head.

The audience phoned in to share their stories about stupid things dogs do or disastrous weddings.

James Valentine had a segment called This is What I Live With.

The segment was comedy gold in James Valentine's expert hands.

James Valentine was happy and his audience was loyal.

James Valentine shared his life with his audience and they shared theirs with him.

James Valentine's producer, Jen Fleming, said he wanted to share his cancer diagnosis on air.

James Valentine told his listeners about his cancer diagnosis and treatment options.

James Valentine had chemotherapy and radiation to shrink the tumour before surgery.

The surgery would be long and risky, involving removal of the oesophagus and stretching of the stomach.

James Valentine joked about eating like a seagull after the surgery.

Recovery would be arduous, with the risk of complications, and James Valentine would have to learn to eat again.

Playing the sax might not be possible after the surgery.

James Valentine's daughter, Ruby, said the surgery had the potential to take away his joys in life.

James Valentine decided to go ahead with the surgery, but then heard about an alternative option.

James Valentine learned about endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) from Dr Michael Bourke.

Dr Bourke thought James Valentine might be a candidate for ESD, which is only viable for early cancer.

James Valentine organised for Dr Fenton-Lee to send his medical reports to Dr Bourke.

Dr Bourke reviewed the material with his team and carried out his own endoscopic checks.

Dr Bourke said James Valentine had an early-stage tumour that was suitable for endoscopic resection.

Dr Fenton-Lee did not recommend the endoscopic option.

James Valentine faced an impossible dilemma with two medical experts giving different advice.

Joanne said one doctor thought the tumour had been there for a long time, while the other thought it was not that big.

James Valentine's family watched as he wrestled with the decision.

James Valentine decided to opt for Dr Bourke's procedure first.

James Valentine had the endoscopic resection, which was followed by another when cancer cells may have been left behind.

The tumour was confirmed as early stage.

James Valentine was thrilled to still have his oesophagus and joie de vivre.

James Valentine began what Joanne likes to call his 'year of living gratefully'.

James Valentine had PET scans at 12-week intervals.

A year of living gratefully was James Valentine's approach to life after his diagnosis.

James Valentine was with his family, including Roy, Joanne, and Ruby.

Nothing could overcome Ruby and Roy's deep sadness after learning their father's cancer was back.

But it helped them to know James Valentine lived that last year with gusto.

James Valentine was ecstatic to have his life back and a second chance.

James Valentine launched a mini-tour called the Upbeat Revue, combining his sax playing with a stand-up routine.

James Valentine told his Sydney concert audience he was trying to bring joy.

Jazz music was one of the great joys in life for James Valentine.

James Valentine had no regrets about his decisions.

James Valentine's brief return to Afternoons on Sydney radio gave him joy.

Ruby said it was wonderful to feel the outpouring of love for James Valentine.

James Valentine's way of going about the process brought community together.

Producer Jen Fleming and James Valentine recorded their final radio show.

James Valentine told Australian Story he always knew the cancer could recur.

Dr Bourke believes it was likely the cells leading to the recurrence had spread before any treatments.

James Valentine had no regrets about the treatment decisions he made.

James Valentine adopted the same attitude when it came to the way he wanted his life to end.

James Valentine accessed voluntary assisted dying, which he considered a civilised process.

James Valentine was made a member of the Order of Australia on the Saturday before he died.

James Valentine made his family laugh one last time, then slipped away.

James Valentine, AM, 1961–2026.

Watch the Australian Story with James Valentine, A Year of Living Gratefully.

Enjoyed this story? Check out these Australian Story reads:

One last song: James Valentine died on April 22, 2026.

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