Jimmy Barnes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jimmy Barnes
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Barnes in 2014
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Dixon Swan |
| Born | 1955/1956 (age 68–69) Glasgow, Scotland |
| Origin | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Labels | |
James Dixon Barnes (born James Dixon Swan on 28 October 1956) is a famous rock singer from Australia, originally from Scotland. He is known for his amazing voice and energetic performances. Jimmy Barnes has had a very successful career, both as a solo artist and as the lead singer of the rock band Cold Chisel. He is one of Australia's most popular and best-selling music artists ever.
By 2022, Jimmy Barnes had 15 solo albums reach number one in Australia. This is more than any other artist! He has won many awards and was even put into the ARIA Hall of Fame twice. First, in 1992, as a member of Cold Chisel, and then again in 2005 for his solo work. His music covers many styles, like hard rock, blues, soul, R&B, and country. Some of his songs were recorded at his own studio, Freight Train Studios.
Many of Jimmy's children are also musicians. They sometimes join him on stage. His children include drummer Jackie, and singers Mahalia, Eliza-Jane ("EJ"), and Elly-May. His older half-brother, David Campbell, is also a well-known entertainer. Jimmy's wife, Jane, even started her own band, the Jane Barnes Band, during the COVID-19 lockdowns. They toured Australia in 2023.
Jimmy Barnes has written two popular books about his life. The first, Working Class Boy (2016), tells about his childhood. The second, Working Class Man, came out a year later. Both books won the "Biography of the Year" award at the Australian Book Industry Awards for two years in a row.
Early Life and Beginnings
Jimmy Barnes was born James Dixon Swan in Glasgow, Scotland, on 28 October 1956. His parents were Dorothy and James Ruthven Harvey Swan. He has four older siblings: John, Dorothy, Linda, and Alan. His family moved to Australia on 7 December 1961, when he was five years old. They arrived in Australia on 21 January 1962. Another sister, Lisa, was born later that year.
The family first lived in Adelaide, Australia. They later settled in a town called Elizabeth. Jimmy's older brother, John, became a successful musician known as Swanee. John encouraged Jimmy to sing, even though Jimmy wasn't very interested at first. After his parents separated, his mother remarried Reg Barnes. Jimmy and his siblings, except for John, took on the name Barnes. Jimmy once said, "Jim Swan was my father, but Reg Barnes was my dad."
Cold Chisel: The Band Years
In 1973, Jimmy Barnes started working as an apprentice in a factory. But his love for music, shared with his brother, led him to join a band. In 1974, his brother Swanee was playing drums for a band called Fraternity. Their singer, Bon Scott, had just left. Jimmy took over as the new singer, but he didn't stay with the band for long.
In December 1975, Jimmy joined a band called Orange. This band included Don Walker, Ian Moss, Steve Prestwich, and Les Kaczmarek. Jimmy later said that Don Walker had a big impact on him. He felt that Don really cared about his music and had a clear plan.
In 1974, Orange changed its name to Cold Chisel. The band quickly became popular in the local music scene. They moved around, living in Armidale, New South Wales and Melbourne, before settling in Sydney in 1977. Later that year, a big music company, WEA (now Warner Music), signed the band.
Between 1978 and 1984, Cold Chisel released five studio albums. They won many awards during this time. Even though they played to huge crowds, the band members often struggled to earn enough money to live on. There were also many arguments within the band. Cold Chisel decided to break up in December 1983. Their final performances were held in Sydney from 12 to 15 December 1983.
Cold Chisel got back together in 1997 and released a new album in 1998. Since then, Jimmy Barnes has continued to perform with the band while also having a solo career. In 2013, they started their own record label to release their music. In late 2024, the band went on a national tour to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
Jimmy Barnes: Solo Career Highlights
Starting Out in the 1980s
In November 1979, Jimmy met Jane Mahoney. She was the stepdaughter of an Australian diplomat. They fell in love and got married in Sydney on 22 May 1981. Their first child, Mahalia, was born on 12 July 1982. They went on to have three more children: Eliza-Jane, Elly-May, and Jackie.
Jimmy started his solo career very quickly after Cold Chisel broke up in December 1983. He formed a new band and began writing songs for his first solo album. He signed with Mushroom Records. His first solo song, "No Second Prize", came out in August 1984. It reached number 12 on the Australian charts. His first solo album, Bodyswerve, was released in September 1984 and immediately went to number one.
His second album, For the Working Class Man, came out in December 1985. It included popular songs like "I'd Die to Be with You Tonight" and "Working Class Man". This album also went to number one and stayed there for seven weeks! The song "Working Class Man" was even used in a Hollywood movie called Gung Ho.
In 1986, Jimmy recorded two songs with the famous band INXS. One was a cover of "Good Times" by The Easybeats. This song became the theme for a big concert series called "Australian Made" in 1986–87. Jimmy Barnes and INXS were the main acts. "Good Times" reached number 2 on the Australian charts.
In October 1987, Jimmy released "Too Much Ain't Enough Love", which became his first solo song to reach number one. His third album, Freight Train Heart, came out in December 1987 and also hit number one. This album was even named one of the top 100 rock albums of all time by a British magazine in 2003.
In November 1988, Jimmy released his first live album, Barnestorming. This became his fourth solo number one album.
The 1990s and Beyond
In August 1990, Jimmy released his fourth studio album, Two Fires. It also debuted at number one in Australia. This album featured popular songs like "Lay Down Your Guns" and "Let's Make it Last All Night".
In November 1991, Jimmy released Soul Deep. This album was a collection of soul music covers. Jimmy had always loved soul and black music. Soul Deep became his sixth Australian number one album. It included a duet with John Farnham called "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby".
In March 1993, Jimmy released Heat. This album had a different sound, influenced by the grunge music of the time. Heat reached number two on the charts. It included the song "Stone Cold", written by his former Cold Chisel bandmate, Don Walker. This was the first time they had worked together in almost ten years. Later in 1993, Jimmy also teamed up with Tina Turner for a duet version of "The Best".
In June 1995, Jimmy released his eighth studio album, Psyclone, which peaked at number 2 in Australia. In October 1996, his first greatest hits album, Barnes Hits Anthology, became his seventh solo number one album.
In 1998, Cold Chisel reformed, and Jimmy moved back to Australia with his family. In 1999, he released a heavy rock album called Love and Fear.
2000s and Recent Years
In October 2000, Jimmy Barnes performed at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics. In November 2000, he released another album of soul songs called Soul Deeper... Songs From the Deep South. This album reached number 3 on the charts.
In July 2005, Jimmy released his eleventh studio album, Double Happiness. It debuted at number one. This album featured duets with many artists, including his children Mahalia, Elly-May, Jackie, and David Campbell.
Jimmy Barnes was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on 23 October 2005 for his solo career. In late 2006, he became a supporter of the Choir of Hard Knocks. This is a choir made up of homeless and disadvantaged people in Melbourne. Jimmy has often performed with them.
In February 2007, Jimmy had heart surgery. On 7 July 2007, he was a presenter at the Live Earth concert in Sydney. In September 2007, he started recording his twelfth studio album, Out in the Blue. This album was released on 14 November and reached number 3 on the charts. The songs were written while he was recovering from his surgery.
In September 2009, Jimmy released his thirteenth studio album, The Rhythm and the Blues. This became his ninth Australian number one album, giving him more number one albums than any other Australian artist at that time.
In August 2010, Jimmy released his fourteenth solo studio album, Rage and Ruin, which debuted at number 3. In August 2014, he released 30:30 Hindsight, celebrating 30 years since his first solo album. This album also went to number one, becoming his 10th solo number one.
In 2015, Jimmy asked a political party to stop playing his music at their rallies. In June 2016, he released his fourth album of soul covers, Soul Searchin'. This became his 11th number one album in Australia.
In 2017, Jimmy released a children's album called Och Aye the G'nu. It won an ARIA Award for Best Children's Album. He also appeared in a music video for the song "Big Enough" by Kirin J. Callinan, which became a popular internet meme.
In January 2019, Jimmy announced his eighteenth solo studio album, My Criminal Record. It was released on 17 May 2019 and became his 12th solo number one album. This made him the artist with the most chart-topping albums in Australian history.
In 2021, Jimmy formed a rockabilly band called The Barnestormers with Slim Jim Phantom and Chris Cheney. In November 2022, he released his first Christmas album, Blue Christmas, which became his fifteenth number one solo album. In March 2023, The Barnestormers released their self-titled album.
Other Activities and Interests
Jimmy Barnes has been involved in many projects outside of music. In 1992, he worked with his friend Mandawuy Yunupingu, the lead singer of the band Yothu Yindi. They started a project called "Sister Schools". The goal was to connect schools with few or no Aboriginal children with schools that had many Aboriginal children. This helped to build understanding and friendship. Jimmy's children, in their band The Tin Lids, even recorded a song for the project.
Jimmy is a supporter of the Choir of Hard Knocks, a group for homeless and disadvantaged people. He has often performed with them. In 2011, he planted a flame tree at the National Arboretum Canberra. This tree is famous from Cold Chisel's 1984 song "Flame Trees".
Jimmy has also appeared in television comedy shows.
Personal Life
Family Life
Jimmy Barnes met Jane Mahoney in November 1979. They married in May 1981 and have four children together: Mahalia, Eliza-Jane ("EJ"), Jackie, and Elly-May. These children are all musicians and are sometimes known as The Tin Lids.
Jimmy also has an older son, David Campbell, from a teenage relationship. David is a well-known entertainer. Jimmy has three other daughters, Amanda, Megan, and Katy Lee, from other relationships. He met Amanda and Megan for the first time in 2010 and welcomed them into his family. He met Katy Lee Carroll around 2019, and she has also become part of the family.
Jimmy's wife Jane's sister, Jep, is married to fellow musician Diesel. This makes Diesel Jimmy's brother-in-law.
In 1991, Jimmy was "adopted" as a white brother into the Yunupingu clan in Australia's Northern Territory. This happened after he met Mandawuy Yunupingu.
Jane Barnes Band
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Jimmy's wife Jane learned to play the guitar. She and Jimmy, sometimes with their family, started performing in their living room. They shared videos online, and these performances became very popular. This led to the formation of the Jane Barnes Band, which toured Australia in 2023. Jane sings and plays guitar, as well as bagpipes and tin flute.
Health
Jimmy Barnes has had some health challenges. He underwent heart surgery in February 2007. In November 2023, he announced he was in hospital for a bacterial infection. In December, he had open heart surgery because the infection had spread to a heart valve.
Books by Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes has written several books. He is the only author to win the Australian Book Industry Awards for a non-fiction book two years in a row. His first two books sold over 500,000 copies.
- Working Class Boy (2016): This is Jimmy Barnes's childhood story. It was a bestseller and won an award for Biography of the Year.
- Working Class Man (2017): This book is the follow-up to Working Class Boy and tells about his adult life. It was also a bestseller and won the Biography of the Year award.
- Killing Time (2020): A collection of short stories about adventure, love, and loss.
- Rosie the Rhinoceros (2021): A children's book inspired by his granddaughter.
- Where the River Bends (2021): A recipe book written with his wife, Jane.
- Highways and Byways: Tall Tales and Short Stories (2024): More non-fiction short stories.
His book Working Class Boy was even made into a film by Universal Pictures. The film came out in Australian cinemas in August 2018.
Beliefs
Jimmy Barnes practices Buddhism. He also describes himself as a socialist and supports the Australian Labor Party. He is a big fan of the Port Adelaide Football Club.
Discography
Cold Chisel Albums
Solo Studio Albums
- Bodyswerve (1984)
- For the Working Class Man (1985)
- Freight Train Heart (1987)
- Two Fires (1990)
- Soul Deep (1991)
- Heat (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)
Awards and Recognition
Jimmy Barnes's career has made him one of Australia's most popular and best-selling music artists. In 2017, he was given the title of Officer of the Order of Australia. This was for his great work in music and for supporting charities, especially those helping children with disabilities.
Key Awards
- ARIA Awards: Jimmy Barnes has won seven Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards. He was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2005 for his solo career. He was also inducted in 1992 as a member of Cold Chisel.
- 1987: Won Producer of the Year for "Good Times" (with INXS).
- 1989: Won Best Male Artist for Barnestorming.
- 1992: Won Best Male Artist and Highest Selling Album for Soul Deep.
- 2017: Won Best Children's Album for Och Aye The G'Nu!.
- 2018: Won Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album for Working Class Boy: The Soundtracks.
- APRA Awards: These awards recognize songwriting.
- 2016: Cold Chisel (including Jimmy Barnes) won the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music.
- 2020: His song "Shutting Down Our Town" won Most Performed Rock Work.
- Country Music Awards of Australia:
- 2006: Won Vocal Collaboration of the Year for "Birds on a Wire" (with Troy Cassar-Daley).
- TV Week / Countdown Awards:
- 1984: Won Best Male Performance in a Video.
- 1985: Won Best Male Performance in a Video for "Working Class Man".
Images for kids
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Barnes in 2014
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Barnes performing in 2006
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Barnes with Guy Sebastian, 6 March 2008 State Theatre
See also
In Spanish: Jimmy Barnes para niños
