Jimmy Barnes
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James Dixon Barnes ( Swan; born 28 April 1956) is an Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band
Cold Chisel Cold Chisel are an Australian Pub rock (Australia), pub rock band, which formed in Adelaide in 1973 by mainstay members Ian Moss on guitar and vocals, Steve Prestwich on drums, Les Kaczmarek on bass and Don Walker (musician), Don Walker on pia ...
, has made him one of the most popular and best-selling Australian music artists of all time. By 2022 he had achieved 15 solo number-one albums in Australia, more than any other artist. He has won many awards, and been nominated for many more. In 2005 he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame as a solo artist, after also having been an inductee in 1992 as a member of Cold Chisel. His music has covered many genres, including
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
,
blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre, genre and form of rock music, rock and blues music that relies on the chords/scales and instrumental improvisation of blues. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electri ...
,
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
, R&B,
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
,
country rock Country rock is a music genre that fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal sty ...
, and electronic. Some of his albums were recorded at his own recording studio, Freight Train Studios. Several of his children are musicians who have on occasion joined him on stage, including drummer Jackie, his sisters Mahalia, Eliza-Jane ("EJ"), and Elly-May, and elder half-brother David Campbell. His wife Jane formed the Jane Barnes Band in the family home during the
COVID-19 lockdowns During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of Non-pharmaceutical intervention (epidemiology), non-pharmaceutical interventions, particularly lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar socie ...
, which in 2023 toured Australia. Barnes' first memoir, which told of his poverty-stricken and traumatic childhood years, '' Working Class Boy'' (2016), was followed by a sequel published the following year, '' Working Class Man''. For these, he won the Biography of the Year award at the Australian Book Industry Awards for two consecutive years.


Early life and education

Barnes was born James Dixon Swan in in
Dennistoun Dennistoun () is a mostly residential district in Glasgow, Scotland, located north of the River Clyde and in the city's Glasgow#East End, east end, about east of the city centre. Since 2017 it has formed the core of a Dennistoun (ward), Dennist ...
,
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
, to Dorothy and James Ruthven Harvey Swan. He has four siblings: John, Dorothy, Linda, and Alan. His maternal grandmother was Jewish. He was raised
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and later became a
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
. Barnes has said that he recalls living in the slums of Glasgow "vividly". The family, including parents and four siblings John, Dorothy, Linda, and Alan, emigrated on 7 December 1961 under the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme, arriving in Australia when he was five years old, on 21 January 1962. Another sister, Lisa, was born later that year. They originally lived in
Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
, though they eventually settled in the satellite town (now regarded as a suburb) of Elizabeth. Jimmy's older brother John became a successful musician as founder and lead singer of the rock band Swanee. John encouraged and taught Barnes how to sing, as he was not initially interested. Barnes' father was an alcoholic, and the children endured violence, abuse, and trauma growing up. After his parents divorced, his mother remarried, to Reg Barnes. Jimmy adopted the name James Dixon Barnes after his stepfather, as did all of the other siblings except for the eldest, John. John Dixon became the target of sexual abuse from his parents' friends' son, and left home at 13, but Barnes has said that he was one of two heroes (the other being Reg); that he "would have been killed if it weren't for him". Barnes later said "Jim Swan was my father, but Reg Barnes was my dad". He has expressed anger towards his mother, who deserted the family, leaving Reg to bring up the children.


Cold Chisel

Barnes took up an apprenticeship in a
foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
with the
South Australian Railways South Australian Railways (SAR) was the organisation through which the Government of South Australia built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 until March 1978, when its non-urban railways were incorporated into Australian Natio ...
in 1973, but the love he and his brother had for music led him to join a band. In 1974, his brother Swanee was playing drums with
Fraternity A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...
, which had just parted ways with the singer
Bon Scott Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (9 July 1946 – 19 February 1980) was an Australian singer who was the second lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980. In the July 2004 issue of ''Classic Rock (m ...
. Barnes took over the role but his tenure with the band was brief and, in December 1975, he joined a harder-edged band called Orange, with the organist and songwriter Don Walker, guitarist Ian Moss, drummer Steve Prestwich, and bass guitarist Les Kaczmarek. He later said that Walker had had a profound influence on him, because "he was someone who really cared about what he was doing, and who seemed to have a plan". In 1974, Orange had changed its name to Cold Chisel and began to develop a strong presence on the local music scene. Barnes moved to
Armidale, New South Wales Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale had a population of 23,967 as of the 2021 census. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands, New ...
with the band while Walker completed his masters there, In May 1976 Cold Chisel relocated to
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, but, "frustrated by their lack of progress", they moved on to
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
in early 1977. In late 1977 WEA (later Warner Music) signed the band. Between 1978 and 1984, Cold Chisel released five studio albums and won numerous ''TV Week'' / ''Countdown'' Awards. Barnes would frequently leave and return to the band during this period, and they did not earn enough money to live on, despite pulling huge crowds. After acrimonious arguments had developed among band members, Cold Chisel broke up in December 1983, its final performances at the
Sydney Entertainment Centre Sydney Entertainment Centre, later known as Qantas Credit Union Arena, was a multi-purpose arena located in Haymarket, Sydney, Australia. It opened in May 1983, to replace Sydney Stadium, which had been demolished in 1970 to make way for the ...
running from 12 to 15 December 1983. Cold Chisel reunited in 1997 and released ''Last Wave of Summer'' in 1998. Since then Barnes has continued to perform on and off with the band while also pursuing a solo career. In 2013 they established their own
record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...
under which to publish their own music, and signed a deal for distribution and promotion with the
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. In late 2024 the band did a 50th anniversary national tour, finishing with a gig at the VAILO Adelaide 500 post-race concert in Adelaide on 17 November 2024.


Solo career


1980s

Barnes launched his solo career less than a month after Cold Chisel's ''Last Stand'' tour came to an end in December 1983. He assembled a band that included Arnott, the former
Fraternity A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...
bass guitar player Bruce Howe and guitarists Mal Eastick (ex-
Stars A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by self-gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night; their immense distances from Earth make them appear as fixed points of ...
) and Chris Stockley (ex- The Dingoes) and began touring and writing for a solo album. Signing to
Mushroom Records Mushroom Records was an Australian flagship record label, founded in 1972 in Melbourne. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with Festival Records in 1998. Festival ...
, Barnes released his first single, " No Second Prize", in August 1984, which peaked at number 12 on the Australian charts. His first solo album, '' Bodyswerve'', was produced by Mark Opitz and released in 1984. It debuted at Number One on the Australian charts. Barnes's second album, '' For the Working Class Man'', was released in December 1985 and included the tracks " I'd Die to Be with You Tonight" and " Working Class Man". ''For the Working Class Man'' debuted on the Australian national chart at No. 1 in December 1985 and it remained at No. 1 for seven weeks. Titled simply ''Jimmy Barnes'' in the US, the album was issued in February 1986 to tie in with the release of the
Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American filmmaker and actor. Howard started his career as a child actor before transitioning to directing films. Over his six-decade career, Howard has received List of awards and nominations r ...
film '' Gung Ho'' (titled ''Working Class Man'' in Australia), which used "Working Class Man". The Jimmy Barnes band that toured Australia in support of the album included Howe and Arnott, with the keyboard player Peter Kekell, the former Rose Tattoo guitarist Robin Riley and the American guitarist Dave Amato. With the release of the album in America, Barnes and a band of Canadian musicians hand-picked by his North American management team toured with
ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For almost 56 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard (musician), Frank Beard, and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill prior to his death in 2021. ZZ ...
. In 1986, Barnes recorded two songs with
INXS INXS (a phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian rock band, formed as the Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney. The founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer Jon Farriss, gu ...
, a cover version of the Easybeats' " Good Times" and "Laying Down The Law", which he co-wrote with INXS members Andrew Farriss and
Michael Hutchence Michael Kelland John Hutchence (22 January 1960 – 22 November 1997) was an Australian singer and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lead singer and lyricist of the rock band INXS from 1977 until his death in 1997. The band sold over 50 ...
. Both songs appeared on soundtrack of the
Joel Schumacher Joel T. Schumacher (; August 29, 1939 – June 22, 2020) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Raised in New York City by his mother, Schumacher graduated from Parsons School of Design and originally became a fashion designe ...
film '' The Lost Boys'' (1987). "Good Times" was also used as the theme song for the Australian Made series of concerts that toured the country in the summer of 1986–87. Barnes and INXS headlined, and the rest of the line-up was Mental as Anything, Divinyls,
Models A model is an informative representation of an object, person, or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin , . Models can be divided int ...
, The Saints, I'm Talking, and The Triffids. A concert film of this event was made by Richard Lowenstein and released later that year. In October 1987, Barnes released " Too Much Ain't Enough Love", which became his first solo number-one single. His third album, '' Freight Train Heart'', was released in December 1987 and peaked at number one. ''Freight Train Heart'' had moderate success outside Australia. In November 1988, Barnes released his first solo live album, '' Barnestorming'', which became his fourth solo number one album. A version of the Percy Sledge standard " When a Man Loves a Woman" released from the album peaked at number 3.


1990s

In 1990, Barnes recorded his fourth studio album, which featured songwriting contributions from the likes of Desmond Child, Diane Warren and Holly Knight. '' Two Fires'', released in August 1990. debuted at number one on the Australian chart. The album featured the top-twenty singles " Lay Down Your Guns", " Let's Make it Last All Night" and " When Your Love is Gone". In November 1991, Barnes released his fifth studio album, '' Soul Deep'', an album of
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
covers. Barnes had long fostered a love for soul and for
black music Music of the African diaspora is a sound created, produced, or inspired by Black people, including Music of Africa, African music traditions and African popular music as well as the music genres of the African diaspora, including some Caribbean mus ...
, naming his children after influential black artists and including songs by
Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931  – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...
and Percy Sledge on previous albums. ''Soul Deep'' became Barnes's sixth Australian number-one album and included the track " When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" with
John Farnham John Peter Farnham (born 1 July 1949) is a British-born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until the mid-1970s, billed as Johnny Farnham. He has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer.McFarlane (1999). Enc ...
. In March 1993, Barnes released ''
Heat In thermodynamics, heat is energy in transfer between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings by such mechanisms as thermal conduction, electromagnetic radiation, and friction, which are microscopic in nature, involving sub-atomic, ato ...
'', which was influenced by the then-current grunge trend and by the music of the
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
. ''Heat'' peaked at number two on the ARIA charts, becoming Barnes's first solo album not to peak at number one. The album contained the song " Stone Cold", written by former Cold Chisel bandmate Don Walker. It marked the first time Jimmy Barnes had worked with any member of his old band for almost a decade. The pair teamed up for an acoustic version of the track for an unplugged album '' Flesh and Wood'', which was released in December 1993 and peaked at number two. The album included a version, recorded with The Badloves, of
The Band The Band was a Canadian-American rock music, rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1957. It consisted of the Canadians Rick Danko (bass, guitar, vocals, fiddle), Garth Hudson (organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophone), Richard Manuel (piano, d ...
's "
The Weight "The Weight" is a song by the Canadian-American group the Band that was released as a single in 1968 and on the group's debut album '' Music from Big Pink''. It was their first release under this name, after their previous releases as Canadian ...
", which became a top-ten hit. Also in 1993, Barnes teamed up with
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...
for a duet version of " The Best" in the form of a TV promotion for rugby league's Winfield Cup. The single also reached the top ten in 1993. In the mid-1990s, Barnes's career suffered a slump. He faced financial ruin as his music-publishing company Dirty Sheet Music and his wife's children's fashion label both went broke. The family sold their property in Bowral, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, and settled for some time in
Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...
, France, attracting some adverse publicity when Barnes assaulted a television crew from Channel 7. While there, Barnes did considerable live work throughout Britain and toured with the
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
. In June 1995, Barnes released his eighth studio album, '' Psyclone'', which peaked at number 2 in Australia and featured the top-twenty single " Change of Heart". In September 1996, Barnes released " Lover Lover", which peaked at number 6 on the singles chart. This was followed in October 1996 with Barnes's first greatest-hits compilation, '' Barnes Hits Anthology'', which became Barnes's seventh solo number-one album. In 1998, Cold Chisel reformed and Barnes returned to Australia with his family after three years in France. In March 1999 Barnes performed the 1978
Sylvester Sylvester or Silvester is a name derived from the Latin adjective ''silvestris'' meaning "wooded" or "wild", which derives from the noun ''silva'' meaning "woodland". Classical Latin spells this with ''i''. In Classical Latin, ''y'' represented a ...
hit " You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" live onstage at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras annual party. Later that year Barnes released the heavy-rock single "Love and Hate", followed by its parent album '' Love and Fear''. An autobiographical record combining hard rock with
electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
, ''Love and Fear'' was Barnes's first album to miss the Australian top ten, peaking at number 22.


2000s

In October 2000, Barnes performed at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics. In November 2000, Barnes released a second album of soul tunes, titled '' Soul Deeper... Songs From the Deep South''. The album peaked at number 3 on the ARIA charts. A number of live albums followed with little commercial success. In 2004, Barnes recorded an album with
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guitarist Steve Morse, Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake, bass player
Bob Daisley Robert John Daisley (born 13 February 1950) is an Australian musician and songwriter. A bassist, he is perhaps best known for his intermittent relationship with vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, for whom he contributed bass, co-production and songwriti ...
and keyboard player Don Airey under the name '' Living Loud''. The self-titled album featured a number of songs originally written and recorded with
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
by Kerslake, Daisley, and Airey. In July 2005, Barnes released his eleventh studio album, '' Double Happiness'', which debuted at number one on the ARIA Charts. ''Double Happiness'' was an album of duets, including several with his children, daughters Mahalia and Elly-May, sons Jackie Barnes and David Campbell. After its initial success, it was re-released as a double CD/DVD package featuring many of his duets from previous albums, including those with
INXS INXS (a phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian rock band, formed as the Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney. The founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer Jon Farriss, gu ...
,
John Farnham John Peter Farnham (born 1 July 1949) is a British-born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until the mid-1970s, billed as Johnny Farnham. He has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer.McFarlane (1999). Enc ...
,
Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances featuring expressive body movements. Most of his best-known singles, such as "Feelin' Alright ...
, and
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...
. In September 2007 he started recording his twelfth studio album, '' Out in the Blue''. Produced by Nash Chambers at Barnes' own studio Freight Train Studios, it was released on 24 November 2007. The songs were written while he recovered from his heart surgery, and was described as a change in direction, "very much a rootsy, rock album with
rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
shuffles, powerful ballads and flat chat rock & roll". "When Two Hearts Collide" is a duet with Kasey Chambers, and other musicians featured on the album include
Jim Moginie James 'Jim' Moginie (born 18 May 1956) is an Australian musician. He is best known for his work with Midnight Oil, of which he is a founding member, guitarist, keyboardist and leading songwriter. Career In addition to Midnight Oil, Moginie ha ...
(
Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by H ...
), Mark Punch, and Chris Haigh, as well as his four children Mahalia, EJ, Jackie, and Elly-May. In March 2008, Barnes appeared as a special guest during soul singer
Guy Sebastian Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer who rose to fame after winning the Australian Idol (season 1), first season of ''Australian Idol'', in 2003. Born in Malaysia and raised in Adelaide, Australia, Sebastian h ...
's tour. November 2008 saw the release of a duet with son David Campbell, a cover of
The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the L ...
' " You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" that featured on Campbell's album '' Good Lovin'''. In September 2009, Barnes released his thirteenth studio album '' The Rhythm and the Blues'' which became Barnes's ninth Australian number one album; thus giving him more No. 1 albums than any other Australian artist.


2010s

In August 2010, Barnes released his 14th solo studio album, '' Rage and Ruin''. Barnes stated that the ideas for most of the lyrics and song themes came from a journal he kept during a period in his life (late 1990s to early 2000s) when he struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. ''Rage and Ruin'' debuted at number 3 on the ARIA Charts on 5 September 2010. Barnes headlined at Celebrate in the Park, playing a 90-minute set which included his solo hits and some Cold Chisel greats. He was joined by daughter Mahalia in a soulful rendition of " When the War Is Over", which he dedicated to the memory of Steve Prestwich. In August 2014, Barnes released '' 30:30 Hindsight'', an anniversary album celebrating 30 years since his chart-topping debut solo album, '' Bodyswerve''. The album debuted at No. 1 in Australia, becoming Barnes's 10th solo No. 1 album. In 2015, Barnes asked the Reclaim Australia Political Party to stop playing his music at their rallies. In July 2015, it was announced that Barnes would release '' Best of the Soul Years'' compilation. The album would be compiled of soul and R&B classics, from his three soul albums; "Soul Deep" (1991), "Soul Deeper" (2000) and "The Rhythm and the Blues" (2009). A fourth album of soul covers was released in June 2016 called, '' Soul Searchin''', which became Barnes's 11th number one album in Australia and tied Barnes the equal second-most (with
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
and U2) of all time behind
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
at 14. In 2017, he featured in the song " Big Enough" by
Kirin J. Callinan Kieran John Callinan (born 21 January 1986), known by his stage name Kirin J. Callinan, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is also a founding member of Mercy Arms and has played with the Night Game, Jack Ladder and the Dream ...
, alongside Alex Cameron and Molly Lewis. The song was featured on '' The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon'' in a comedic skit. In addition to this, his cameo in the song's music video became a popular
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in late 2017. In March of the same year, Barnes released a children's album called '' Och Aye the G'nu''. It won the ARIA Award for Best Children's Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2017, although the brand that appeared on the album, as well as the poetry books that were released on the first of April are related to
The Wiggles The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. As of 2022, the group members are Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce, Tsehay Hawkins, Evie Ferris, John Pearce (entertainer), John Pearce, Caterina Mete ...
. In January 2019, Barnes announced his forthcoming eighteenth solo studio album, '' My Criminal Record''. It was released on 17 May 2019. It was Barnes's 12th solo number-one album, and 16th when including releases with Cold Chisel on the Australian albums chart, making him the artist with the most chart-topping albums in Australian chart history, having previously tied at 11 number ones with
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
and U2. At the APRA Music Awards of 2020, " Shutting Down Our Town" was nominated for Most Performed Rock Work of the Year.


2020s

In 2021, Barnes stated that he formed a
rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
band with Slim Jim Phantom and Chris Cheney. In April 2022, Barnes announced the forthcoming release of ''Soul Deep 30'', celebrating the 30th anniversary of ''Soul Deep'', alongside a national tour. In November 2022, Barnes released his first Christmas album, '' Blue Christmas''. It became his fifteenth number-one solo album. In March 2023, Barnes announced the formation of supergroup The Barnestormers, featuring Barnes, Chris Cheney, Slim Jim Phantom, Jools Holland and Kevin Shirley. A self-titled album was released on 26 May 2023.


Freight Train Studios

Barnes' Freight Train Studios were originally located at Bowral, later moving to
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in Sydney. Among others, the following albums were recorded in the studio: *'' Hey Rudolph!'' ( The Tin Lids, 2006); a collection of Christmas carols *''Out in the Blue'' (2007) * ''Rage and Ruin'' (also at Conway Recording Studio A,
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, and Woodcliff Studios, Sherman Oaks (LA)


Other activities

In 1992 Barnes worked with his friend Mandawuy Yunupingu, frontman of Yothu Yindi, on a project called "Sister Schools", the aim of which was to ensure that "schools with few or no Aboriginal children will forge educational and social links with schools with large numbers of Aboriginal children, in an attempt to foster tolerance and understanding". Before the launch of the project, "the Yunupingu kids" (Mandawuy's children) recorded a song written by Yunupingu called "School" with Barnes' children in their band The Tin Lids. As part of the project, endorsed by the government, schools with few or no Aboriginal children would forge educational and social links with schools with many Aboriginal children, by exchanging letters, photographs, and other media. Around 100 schools expressed interest in the project, which was launched in August 1992 by connecting the school in Yirrkala with Gib Gate Primary School near
Mittagong Mittagong () is a town located in the Southern Highlands (New South Wales), Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. The town acts as the gateway to the Southern Highlands when coming from Sydney. Mittagong is si ...
in New South Wales. In 1994, a primary school in Deloraine, Tasmania, hosted a group of children from Ali Curung, NT, for six days as part of the scheme. In late 2006, Barnes became patron of the
Choir of Hard Knocks The Choir of Hard Knocks is an Australian choir. History The Choir of Hard Knocks was the brainchild of Jason Stephens of FremantleMedia Australia in conjunction with the charity Reclink, a not for profit community organisation that provides ...
, a choral group formed by Jonathon Welch and consisting of homeless and disadvantaged people in Melbourne. The formation of the choir was documented by the ABC as a five-part series aired in May 2007. Barnes has regularly performed " Flame Trees" with the choir at their concerts. On 14 March 2011 he planted a flame tree, made famous in Cold Chisel's 1984 song " Flame Trees", at the National Arboretum Canberra. Barnes also guest-starred in episode 2 of season 2 of the television comedy series ''These New South Whales'' in 2018.


Personal life


Family

In November 1979, Barnes met Jane Mahoney, the stepdaughter of an Australian diplomat whose mother was Thai. Mahoney had spent the first five years of her life living with extended family in a family compound in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
. Her mother, Phorn, was one of 26 children, and her grandmother was one of seven wives. Her grandfather was a rich businessman who had left two Chinese wives behind when he moved from China to Thailand just before the Communist Revolution of China. Phorn was sent to boarding school in England. She met and married Thai man Suvit Dejakasaya, and the couple had three children before divorcing four years later. Soon afterwards, Phorn met and married Australian diplomat John Mahoney, and moved to
Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
with him. The family moved around following her father's postings, living in Italy, Russia, New Guinea,
Kiribati Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean. Its permanent population is over 119,000 as of the 2020 census, and more than half live on Tarawa. The st ...
, Malta, and Malaysia. Jane studied
pure mathematics Pure mathematics is the study of mathematical concepts independently of any application outside mathematics. These concepts may originate in real-world concerns, and the results obtained may later turn out to be useful for practical applications ...
,
comparative religion Comparative religion is the branch of the study of religions with the systematic comparison of the doctrines and practices, themes and impacts (including human migration, migration) of the world's religions. In general the comparative study ...
,
art history Art history is the study of Work of art, artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Tradit ...
, psychology, and five languages at The
University of Canberra The University of Canberra (UC) is a public university, public research university with its main campus located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The campus is from Belconnen Town Centre, and from Canberra's Civic, Australian ...
, and met Barnes in November 1979. Eventually, she dropped out of university and moved to Sydney to be with him, and they married in May 1981. Barnes has eight children: four with his wife Jane ( Mahalia, Eliza-Jane ("EJ"), Jackie and Elly-Mayall musically known as The Tin Lids). Before that, his eldest son, David Campbell, was born of a teenage relationship with Kim Campbell. He has said about his relationship with David's mother Kim that they were just two scared kids who were being beaten and abused at home, and not ready to bring up a child. David's grandmother raised him, although Barnes was at first told that he had been adopted. He also has three daughters (Amanda, Megan, and Katy Lee) from three other relationships. In 2010, he met Amanda (then 37) and Megan (then 36) for the first time, and accepted them into his family as soon as paternity had been confirmed. He met Katy Lee Carroll around 2019, publishing a post about her on social media for the first time in December 2024. She has got to know the rest of the family since, and posted about it herself. While requesting privacy, she also acknowledged that she had "been embraced by the Barnes family with love, warmth and incredible understanding". Barnes is brother-in-law to fellow musician and long-time collaborator Diesel, who married Jane Barnes's sister Jep in 1989. After Barnes played in Darwin in 1991 and met Mandawuy Yunupingu, frontman of Yothu Yindi, Barnes was "adopted" as a white brother into the Yunupingu clan, based on the Gove Peninsula in east Arnhem Land in the
Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
.


Jane Barnes Band

During the
COVID-19 pandemic in Australia The COVID-19 pandemic in Australia was a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first confirmed case in Aust ...
, with
social distancing In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dise ...
and
lockdown A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...
s enforced to prevent the spread of the disease, Jane Barnes learned how to play the guitar and she and Jimmy, sometimes along with various family members, started the Jane Barnes Band, performing in their lounge room and sharing videos on social media. They proved so popular that the band, later joined by other musicians, went on tour in 2023, and also appeared on ''
Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...
'' on Channel 7. Jane sang and as well as playing guitar, played
bagpipes Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, N ...
and tin flute,


Health

By around the 2000s, both Jane and Jimmy Barnes were not coping, and addicted to alcohol and drugs. Their children, then in their late teens and early twenties, staged an intervention which led their parents to going into rehab and kicking their habits. Barnes underwent heart surgery in February 2007. On 7 July 2007 Barnes was a presenter at the Australian leg of
Live Earth Live Earth was an event developed to increase Environmentalism, environmental awareness through entertainment. Background Founded by producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. Live Earth 2007 The 1st series ...
. In August he became a regular presenter on '' The Know'', a
pop culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, some ...
program on the pay-TV channel
MAX Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...
and has also been a presenter of the ''Planet Rock'' program on the Austereo network. On 28 November 2023, Barnes announced via Instagram that he was being treated in hospital for a bacterial infection. He remained in hospital for two weeks; on 12 December he announced, also via Instagram, that he was undergoing open heart surgery due to the infection having spread to an already-weakened valve.


Autobiographies

In 2016, Barnes published his autobiography, '' Working Class Boy'', which explored his traumatic childhood experiences. In November 2017, Barnes published a second memoir; a sequel to ''Working Class Boy'' titled '' Working Class Man''. On 3 May 2018, Barnes won the
biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...
of the year award at the Australian Book Industry Awards for the second year in a row. His autobiography '' Working Class Boy'' was adapted into a
film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
by
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
. Directed by Mark Joffe, the film premiered in Australian cinemas on 23 August 2018. A
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
was released on 17 August 2018.


Beliefs and politics

Barnes is a practising
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, and describes himself as a
socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
. He is a supporter of the
Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also known as the Labor Party or simply Labor, is the major Centre-left politics, centre-left List of political parties in Australia, political party in Australia and one of two Major party, major parties in Po ...
, as well as the
Port Adelaide Football Club Port Adelaide Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, Alberton, South Australia. The club's senior men's team plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), where it is nicknamed the ...
.


Discography


Cold Chisel


Studio albums

* '' Bodyswerve'' (1984) * '' For the Working Class Man'' (1985) * '' Freight Train Heart'' (1987) * '' Two Fires'' (1990) * '' Soul Deep'' (1991) * ''
Heat In thermodynamics, heat is energy in transfer between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings by such mechanisms as thermal conduction, electromagnetic radiation, and friction, which are microscopic in nature, involving sub-atomic, ato ...
'' (1993) * '' Flesh and Wood'' (1993) * '' Psyclone'' (1995) * '' Love and Fear'' (1999) * '' Soul Deeper... Songs From the Deep South'' (2000) * '' Double Happiness'' (2005) * '' Out in the Blue'' (2007) * '' The Rhythm and the Blues'' (2009) * '' Rage and Ruin'' (2010) * '' 30:30 Hindsight'' (2014) * '' Soul Searchin''' (2016) * '' Och Aye the G'nu'' (2017) * '' Working Class Boy'' (2018) * '' My Criminal Record'' (2019) * '' Flesh and Blood'' (2021) * '' Blue Christmas'' (2022) * '' Defiant (2025)


Written works


Written works by Jimmy Barnes

Barnes has written six books. He is the only author to win back-to-back Australian Book Industry Awards for a non-fiction title. His first two books sold over 500,000 copies.


Written works featuring Jimmy Barnes


Recognition, honours, and awards

Barnes' career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best-selling Australian music artists of all time. In 2017 Barnes was appointed an
Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...
for distinguished service to the performing arts as a musician, singer and songwriter, and through support for not-for-profit organisations, particularly to children with a disability.


AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as
AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. History The inaugural 2006 awards were held at Blacket Hot ...
) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. ! , - ,
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
, ''Flesh and Blood'' , Best Independent Rock Album or EP , ,


APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the
Australasian Performing Right Association APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwri ...
to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. , - ,
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
, (Jimmy Barnes as part of) Cold Chisel , Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music , , - ,
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
, " Shutting Down Our Town" (featuring Troy Cassar-Daley) , rowspan="3" , Most Performed Rock Work , , - ,
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
, "Flesh and Blood" , , - ,
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
, "Around in Circles" , , -


ARIA Awards

Barnes has won seven Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards, including his induction into their
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
in 2005. As a member of Cold Chisel, he had also been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1992.


Country Music Awards of Australia

The Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA) (also known as the Golden Guitar Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the
Tamworth Country Music Festival The Tamworth Country Music Festival is an annual Australian music festival held for 10 days from Friday to Sunday in mid to late January each year, sometimes including Australia Day, in Tamworth, New South Wales, Tamworth, New South Wales. The f ...
, celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. They have been held annually since 1973. , - , 2006 , "Birds on a Wire" (with Troy Cassar-Daley) , Vocal Collaboration of the Year ,


Helpmann Awards

The
Helpmann Awards The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical theatre ...
is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group ''Live Performance Australia'' since 2001. Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. ! , - ,
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, ''30:30 Hindsight Greatest Hits Tour 2014'' , Best Australian Contemporary Concert , , , - ,
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, ''Working Class Boy: An Evening of Stories & Songs'' , Best Cabaret Performer , , , -


Rolling Stone Australia Awards

The Rolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year. ! , - , 2022 , Jimmy Barnes , Rolling Stone Readers' Choice Award , , , -


TV Week / Countdown Awards

'' Countdown'' was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987, it presented music awards from 1979 to 1987, initially in conjunction with magazine ''
TV Week ''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news. Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...
''. The TV Week / Countdown Awards were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards. , - , 1980 , rowspan="3" , himself , Most Popular Male Performer , , - , rowspan="2" , 1984 , Best Male Performance in a Video , , - , Best Songwriter , , - , 1985 , himself – "Working Class Man" , Best Male Performance in a Video , , - , rowspan="2" , 1986 , himself & INXS "Good Times" , Best Group Performance in a Video , , - , himself – "Ride the Night Away" , Best Male Performance in a Video , , -


Footnotes


References


Further reading

* ''Who's Who of Australian Rock'' – Chris Spencer, Paul McHenry, Zbig Nowara, 2002; *''Say it Loud'' with Alan Whiticker, Published by Gary Allen, Australia, September 2002; *''Icons of Australian Music: Jimmy Barnes'' – Scott Podmore. Published by Hyperactive Inc. 2008; *Fraternity: Pub Rock Pioneers - Victor Marshall, Published by Brolga Publishing, Australia, 2021 ISBN 978-1920785109


External links

*
Jimmy Barne's Profile on Fraternity's Official WebsiteUnofficial Jimmy Barnes website dedicated to collecting everything JB related
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Jimmy 1956 births Living people ARIA Award winners ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Australian Buddhists Australian male singer-songwriters Australian singer-songwriters Australian people of Scottish-Jewish descent Australian rock singers Scottish rock singers Cold Chisel members Converts to Buddhism Musicians from Adelaide Musicians from Sydney Singers from Glasgow Naturalised citizens of Australia Officers of the Order of Australia Scottish emigrants to Australia Scottish people of Jewish descent Australian autobiographers 20th-century Scottish autobiographers Australian expatriates in France Australian soul singers Australian rhythm and blues musicians Australian soul musicians Australian rhythm and blues singers Australian male writers Swan family (show business) Living Loud members Geffen Records artists Mushroom Records artists Internet memes Provogue Records artists Australian harmonica players Australian socialists Internet memes introduced in 2017