John Cornell (right), pictured with Paul Hogan, has died aged 80. Photo / News Corp Australia
John Cornell (right), pictured with Paul Hogan, has died aged 80. Photo / News Corp Australia
John Cornell, a legend of the Australian screen and the man behind Paul Hogan's success, has died at age 80 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.
The producer and comedian behind The Paul Hogan Show and Crocodile Dundee films died peacefully this morning in Byron Bay with his wife and eldest daughter nearby. His youngest said her farewells over the phone from the UK.
His family said in a statement this morning: "A classic Australian character, John Cornell made the lives he touched much richer, not only through donations, but also through his generosity of spirit, humour, humility and honour. A true egalitarian, John sought equity and equality, and fought for a fair go."
Cornell, affectionately known as "Strop", battled the illness for 20 years. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Delvene Delaney, and daughters Melissa, Allira and Liana.
Cornell married Australian television personality Delvene Delaney in 1977 after meeting on The Paul Hogan Show, and they had Allira and Liana together.
John Cornell, Delvene Delaney and Paul Hogan pictured during the taping of The Paul Hogan Show. Photo / Getty Images
He was married twice before, and had a daughter from one of those marriages, Melissa, born in 1970.
Born in 1941, Cornell began his long media career as a journalist in Perth. In 1971, while working for Mike Willesee on A Current Affair, he met Hogan and became his manager.
The two Aussie icons worked together on The Paul Hogan Show, on which Cornell appeared as the character Strop, prompting the nickname by which he was known for much of his life.
In 1986, they produced Crocodile Dundee, the most profitable Australian movie of all time, having raked in $47 million.
Not only did Cornell make a significant mark on Australian cinema, he was responsible for taking the concept of World Series Cricket to Kerry Packer.
John Cornell. Photo / Getty Images
After presenting the idea of a one-off match involving Australia's best players to Packer, who had just inherited Channel 9 and Australian Consolidated Press at the time, the two men set ahead secretly signing cricketers to be involved.
While the first season tanked, by 1978, an estimated crowd of 52,000 filled the SCG when Australia played the West Indies, all passionately singing C'mon Aussie C'mon!, a sports jingle so popular it hit No. 1 on the Australian charts.
Cornell was the driving force behind the event's marketing, approaching Allan Johnston and Alan Morris to pen the song.
Cornell is also known as the former owner of the Beach Hotel in Byron Bay until its sale for a record price of $65 million in 2007. He and his wife have owned the Hotel Brunswick in Brunswick Heads, NSW, since 1981.
Delvene Delaney and John Cornell pictured at the Hotel Brunswick. Photo / Supplied
Speaking to News Corp of his devastating condition last year, Delaney said: "I don't mean there haven't been difficult moments, but John is probably the bravest man I know.
"He never complains, he never asks 'Why me?' and he's always trying to make sure other people are all right."
From his home in LA, longtime pal Hogan told News Corp of the couple's enduring love: "Delvene has been there through thick and thin with John.
"Well it's got very thin, and she's still there, by his side, as always."
He added: "We keep in touch a lot, she constantly lets me know what's going on – some days John can't really talk on the phone, so she's like the conduit from him to me, and me to him, and he knows I'm there for him, always."
