Person · Male
Jimmy Barnes
Australian rock singer-songwriter, frontman of Cold Chisel
- From
- Glasgow, Australia
- Since
- 1956–present
- Rating
- ★ 5
- Releases
- 62
- hard rock
- rock
- soul
About
James Dixon Barnes (né 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, has made him one of the most popular and best-selling Australian music artists of all time. By 2022 he had achieved 16 solo number-one albums in Australia, more than any other artist. 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, blues rock, soul, R&B, country, country rock, and electronic.
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Several of his children are musicians who have on occasion joined him on stage, including his son Jackie (a drummer), daughters Mahalia, Eliza-Jane ("EJ"), and Elly-May, and son David Campbell (all singers). His wife Jane formed the Jane Barnes Band in the family home during the COVID-19 lockdowns, 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.
Member of
-
INXS additional, lead vocals
Discography
Albums
-
Bodyswerve Apple Music
-
Jimmy Barnes
-
For the Working Class Man Apple Music
-
Freight Train Heart Apple Music
-
Two Fires Apple Music
-
Soul Deep Apple Music
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Flesh and Wood Apple Music
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Heat Apple Music
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Psyclone Apple Music
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Love and Fear Apple Music
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Soul Deeper… Songs From the Deep South Apple Music
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Double Happiness Apple Music
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Out in the Blue Apple Music
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The Rhythm and the Blues Apple Music
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Rage and Ruin Apple Music
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30:30 Hindsight
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Soul Searchin’ Apple Music
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Och Aye the G’nu!
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My Criminal Record Apple Music
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Flesh and Blood Apple Music
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Blue Christmas Apple Music
-
DEFIANT Apple Music
-
My First Gig
Singles
Live
-
My Criminal Record / Modus Operandi: Live at The Hordern 2019
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Live at the Playroom '84 Apple Music
-
Live at the Enmore Apple Music
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Live at The Sydney Opera House Apple Music
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Live in London
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Ride the Night Away - Live / Shepherds Bush Empire / 2001
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Live at The Chapel Apple Music
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Raw Apple Music
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Barnestorming Apple Music
-
Soul Deeper: Live at the Basement Apple Music
Compilations
Links
Official
Social
Concerts
Buy
Married
Parent
Sibling
Also known as
James Dixon Swan · Jim Barnes · Jimmy Barns
Tags
- aln-sh
- blues-rock
- rhythm and blues
Identifiers
- MusicBrainz
- acaacdc4-194e-45ae-9959-c8e83e3120b2
- ISNI
- 000000007142790X
- IPI
- 00044138991
- IPI
- 00165618260
Data from MusicBrainz, saved 6 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.