Jimmy Barnes is considered one of Australia’s most successful and legendary rock stars. He is known as the frontman of the Australian band Cold Chisel. In its early years with Cold Chisel, the band released famous hits like Flames Trees, Khe Sanh, and When the War Is Over
After recording seven albums with his former band, he left in 1983 to start a solo career releasing the best charting albums such as Bodyswerve, For the Working Class, Flesh and Wood, Psyclone, and many others that made him one of the most popular and best-selling Australian musical artists of all time. Jimmy is also the author of the bestselling autobiographies – Working Class Boy and Working Class
Jimmy Barnes Bio
James ‘Jimmy’ Dixon Swan was born on April 28, 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland. When he was five, his family moved to Australia.
According to her autobiographies, her mother suffered physical abuse from her father; this eventually led to his parents’ divorce. His mother remarried a man named Reg Barnes, whom the musician later adopted.
In 1973 he started working in a foundry and joined a band called Fraternity; Shortly after, Jimmy Barnes left the band to join Cold Chisel, which was originally called Orange. The band featured Don Walker as organist and songwriter, Ian Moss as guitarist, Steve Prestwich as drummer, and Les Kaczmarek on bass.
After a successful decade, on December 12, 1983, Cold Chisel gave their final performance in Sydney with The Last Stand tour. It didn’t take too long for Jimmy to kick off his solo career as an acclaimed rock singer. In 1984 his first solo album, Bodyswerve, was released. It was ranked No. 1 in the Australian charts and later that same year Jimmy Barnes was on tour.
In 1985 and 1987, Jimmy released two albums which also took top spots on the charts. He then signed to another label, Atlantic, in 1990 and released a fourth album, Two Fires, which unsurprisingly charted at number one. As expected, the Aussie musician continued to top charts with his next releases, but his success was hampered by financial difficulties and a career downfall.
Luckily, after a few missteps, the iconic singer was able to return to fame and glory.
Jimmy Barnes was able to regain credibility with his latest editions such as Double Happiness, Into the Blue, Rhythm and Blue, Rage and Ruin, 30:30, Recoil, Soul Search, Och Aye the G’nu and Boy of the working class. In 2019, he announced his 17th studio album, My Criminal Record, which immediately became highly anticipated, serving as further proof of his iconic career.
Family life: wife – Jane Mahoney and children
In November 1979, while in Canberra, he met his wife – Jane Mahoney, the daughter-in-law of an Australian diplomat. On May 22, 1981, the pair tied the knot and have been together ever since. Jimmy and Jane have four children together – Mahalia, Eliza-Jane, Elly-May and Jackie. His four children formed a band called “Tin Lids” and were active from 1990 to 1994.
Jimmy Barnes also had a son, David Campbell, when he was 18. Due to the young age of his parents at the time of his birth, David was raised by his grandmother. Jimmy kept in touch with the young boy over time, but it wasn’t until the mid-1980s that David discovered that Jimmy was his father and not just a family friend.
Young David grew up to be a musician and artist just like his father, building a successful career for himself.
His net worth
When it comes to finances, Jimmy Barnes has had a rocky road. Despite his tedious financial troubles, including fiscal ruin in the mid-1990s due to ANZ Bank and being sued by the Australian Tax Office for a $1.3 million debt, Jimmy was able to overcome these hurdles.
The Australian musician is currently estimated at $20 million. He owes his net worth to his hugely successful music career and best-selling books.
Jimmy Barnes height and weight
There is no denying that the musician is in great shape. Jimmy Barnes height is 5 feet 10 inches while his weight is 77 kg. Currently, his workout routine and diet plan are not available to the public, but it can be assumed that he strives to maintain his physique.