Although JIMMY BARNES would elevate himself to the status of a genuine Australian Rock superstar the gravel voiced vocalist, born James Swan, had started out from humble origins in Cowcaddens, Scotland. His erudite and impassioned blend of hard Rocking Blues, Soul ballads and R&B material scored Barnes a popular mass appeal that drew from both the popular music audience and more discriminating Rock fans.

To illustrate the quite enormous success of the man, a quite staggering statistic is that a population of twenty million people has brought over seven million JIMMY BARNES albums. His solo ascendancy was so massive that his former band, COLD CHISEL, sold twice as many records, over two million of them, only after they had disbanded.

The Barnes family relocated from Glasgow to the more temperate climes of Adelaide in Southern Australia during 1961. However, being brought up in the run down suburb of Elizabeth, known for its working class migrant population, kept the youngsters feet firmly on the ground. An attribute which would serve him well in later years. With his mother's second marriage Jimmy took on his step-father's surname of Barnes and before long his passion for music saw him fronting a variety of local acts delivering DEEP PURPLE covers including TARKUS, FEATHER and the famously mis-spelt SOUL ONION (The drummer did not know how to spell 'Union' and so painted 'Onion' on his bass drum). His next port of call would be FRATERNITY, Barnes actually superseding the renowned AC/DC vocalist Bon Scott in this outfit. The budding singer would still be in his mid teens at this juncture, ditching FRATERNITY to enroll with ORANGE in 1973 at the age of sixteen. ORANGE, comprising Barnes, guitarist Ian Moss, bassist Phil Small, keyboard player Don Walker and drummer Steve Prestwich, would, re-billed as COLD CHISEL, gravitate themselves out of the Adelaide bar circuit and onto national acclaim. For nearly a decade the band remained a major force on the Australian Rock scene but would collapse in 1983 following their swansong 'Last Stand' tour. Barnes would bow out of COLD CHISEL leaving his former band mates on a high with a number one album 'Twentieth Century'.

Decamping from COLD CHISEL Barnes set about a solo career that would rapidly eclipse that of his former band. His debut album 'Bodyswerve', issued in September of 1984, brought together a collection of old comrades ex-STARS guitarist Mal Eastick and the AXIOM, DINGOES and CAM-PACT credited Chris Stockley, the FRATERNITY veteran Bruce Howe on bass and COLD CHISEL drummer Ray Arnott. Fuelled by radio hits 'No Second Prize', reaching no. 11 on the singles charts, and the number 14 'Daylight', not to mention huge fan anticipation from the COLD CHISEL fan base 'Bodyswerve' crashed straight into the Australian album charts at number one. Taking to the road Stockley was bumped out in favour of ROSE TATTOO and REDHOUSE guitarist Robin Riley whilst KING DOG, BEAST and SWANEE man Peter Kekel took on the keyboard role.

The 1985 'Jimmy Barnes' record was Geffen's first attempt to break the singer onto the international market. As such it featured five new songs recorded in Los Angeles and New York brandishing a whole array of name guests including FLEETWOOD MAC drummer Mick Fleetwood, JOURNEY men bassist Randy Jackson and keyboard player JONATHON CAIN, drummers Tony Braunagel and THE BABYS man Tony Brock, guitarists Waddy Wachtel, Billy Burnette and Charlie Sexton. Making up the album would be remixes culled from the 'Bodyswerve' sessions. Although striking home at no. 1 in Australia, bolstered by two top ten singles 'I'd Die To Be With You Tonight' and the Cain penned 'Working Class Man', the album mysteriously failed to catch on internationally.

With the exception of Peter Kekel, Barnes employed an all Canadian backing band for his patriotic 'Australian Made' 1987 shows. He would then unite with another Australian success story, INXS, to craft two tracks ''Good Times', a cover from THE EASYBEATS, and 'Laying Down The Law' for the high profile teen horror flick 'The Lost Boys' soundtrack. 'Good Times' duly delivered up another Australian number one. December 1987's 'Freight Train Heart', another Australian no. 1 record, found Barnes collaborating with JOURNEY's Jackson and Cain once more plus their guitarist colleague NEAL SCHON. Backing vocals came courtesy of Huey Lewis and GIUFFRIA's DAVID GLEN EISLEY. Brock handled drums once again. 'Freight Train Heart' was spurred on by the no. 1 single 'Too Much Ain't Enough' with follow up Driving Wheels' and 'When A Man Loves A Woman' also both going top five. The live album 'Barnestorming', recorded in Melbourne on a 1987 run of dates, was delivered in 1990 and repeated Barnes' seemingly effortless run of number one albums.

His Don Gehman produced 'Two Fires' album of 1991 continued the trend, launching a quintet of hit singles 'Lay Down Your Guns', 'Let's Make It Last All Night', 'Little Darling', 'When Your Love Is Gone' and 'Love Is Enough'. His sixth album 'Soul Deep' would prove to be a major undertaking, comprising a collection of cover versions in homage to Soul and R&B classics assembled with such heavyweight guests as TINA TURNER and DIESEL. He also duetted with another bona fide Aussie superstar JOHN FARNHAM on the Hayes / Porter song 'When Something Is Wrong With My Baby', this track reaching no. 3 on the charts. The TINA TURNER collaboration 'Simply (The Best)' peaked at no. 14 in June of 1992. The record went on to become a landmark event, being Mushroom Records highest ever selling album.

April 1993's 'Heat', clutching three hit singles 'Sweat It Out', 'Stand Up' and 'Stone Cold', gave the man another Aussie chart topper. His touring band for that year featured guitarist Jeff Neill, bassist Michael Hegerty, keyboard player Matt Heydon and drummer Angus Burchill. An acoustic album 'Flesh And Wood', with guests JOE COCKER and DIESEL. In November that year he would guest for BON JOVI's antipodean dates, easily outshining the headliners who received a rude awakening when the full extent of their support act's popularity became evident.

Barnes put his career into hiatus, relocating to France for a term, before returning for the much lauded 1995 set 'Psyclone'. 'Change Of Heart' reaped more chart action and in 1996 he was back in the top ten with Lover Lover'. None too surprisingly his anthology collection 'Hits' scored the number one spot, going platinum three times over. Barnes was to front up a re-forged COLD CHISEL in October of 1997. He would re-activate his solo work by signing to Warner Bros. for the 2000 album 'Soul Deeper ... Songs From The Deep South'. This offering, a return to his love of sixties Soul, was crafted at Jimmy's insistence in Memphis with a set of seasoned players from the area.

Following on from a successful New Zealand tour in early 2003 June of that year brought news of a high profile project as it was learned that Barnes had ensconced himself in a Florida studio with none other than the DEEP PURPLE pairing of guitarist STEVE MORSE and keyboard player JON LORD and the URIAH HEEP and OZZY OSBOURNE credited rhythm section of bass player Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake. Initially going by the title of THE MEEK the group then adopted the LIVING LOUD tag, crafting an album comprising original material alongside re-worked OZZY OSBOURNE tunes. DEEP PURPLE man DON AIREY superseded Lord for keyboards on the record.

A 2005 album, 'Double Happiness', comprised Barnes' earlier duet recordings plus new tracks, including no less than four songs in vocal partnership with his children - David Campbell, Mahalia, Jackie, E.J and Elly-May Barnes. Amongst the other artists vocalising alongside Barnes would be Dallas Crane, Tim Rogers, The Living End, Roachford, Mica Paris, Diesel, Troy Cassar-Daley and Billy Thorpe. The record shot straight to no. 1 on the Australian album charts, marking a first for the DVDplus format.