Barnes, Jimmy (1956-…), is a Scottish -born Australian rock singer and songwriter. He is known for his raw, soulful singing voice and intense live performances. His lyrics often highlight the lives of working-class people in Australia. With the Australian rock band Cold Chisel and as a solo performer, Barnes has been one of the most popular and best-selling contemporary Australian artists.
Barnes was born James Dixon Swan on April 28, 1956, in Glasgow. He moved with his family to Adelaide, South Australia, in 1962. His name was later changed to Barnes, his stepfather’s last name. Jimmy Barnes began singing in rock bands as a teenager. In 1973, he joined a band called Orange. The band changed its name to Cold Chisel in 1974. In 1975, Jimmy briefly performed with a rock band called Fraternity with his older brother, John Swan, a singer and musician known as Swanee. Later that year, Barnes returned to Cold Chisel. The group’s first album, Cold Chisel, was released in 1978. By 1980, Cold Chisel had become one of the most popular music groups in Australia.
Cold Chisel’s live double-album Swingshift (1981) became the group’s first album to reach number one on the Australian chart. The group’s fourth studio album, Circus Animals (1982), topped both the Australian and New Zealand album charts. The album’s singles “You Got Nothing I Want,” “Forever Now,” and “When the War Is Over” were all big hits in Australia. Cold Chisel recorded four number-one albums in Australia before the group broke up in 1983. Barnes began a successful career as a solo performer the following year.
Barnes’s first solo album, Bodyswerve (1984), debuted at number one in Australia. It contained the hit single “No Second Prize.” Barnes’s second album, For the Working Class Man (1985; titled Jimmy Barnes in the international market) was also a hit. The album’s hit single “Working Class Man” became Barnes’s signature song as a solo artist.
Barnes’s other hit songs as a solo artist include “Too Much Ain’t Enough Love” (1987 in Australia; 1988 in the United States); “Lay Down Your Guns” and “Let’s Make It Last All Night” (both 1990); “Simply the Best” (1992), a duet with the American rhythm and blues and rock singer Tina Turner; “Stone Cold” (1993); and “Sit on My Knee” (2005), with the Australian rock band Dallas Crane. Barnes has also recorded a number of hit remakes of songs made popular by American rhythm and blues and soul singers. In addition, with the Australian group INXS, Barnes recorded a 1987 hit remake of the 1968 song “Good Times” by the Australian group the Easybeats for the soundtrack of the motion picture The Lost Boys (1987).
Barnes reunited with Cold Chisel in 1998 to record the album The Last Wave of Summer. The album was supported with a sold-out concert tour in Australia. Since then, Barnes has reunited with the group a number of times to tour and record. Barnes also continues to perform as a solo artist. He wrote the autobiography Working Class Boy (2016). In 2017, Barnes was made an Officer of the Order of Australia , Australia’s highest award for service to the country or to humanity.
