Judith Durham, lead singer of The Seekers and Australia’s folk music icon, dies at 79

Seekers lead singer Judith Durham, with fellow band member and guitarist Athol Guy, attends at media conference in Melbourne, Australia in 2013. (AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia — Judith Durham, Australia’s folk music icon who achieved global fame as the lead singer of The Seekers, has died. She was 79.

Durham died in Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on Friday night after suffering complications from a long-standing lung disease, Universal Music Australia and Musicoast said in a statement on Saturday.