What Is Jimmy Barnes' Net Worth?
Jimmy Barnes is an Australian music icon and author with a net worth of $20 million. He gained fame with the Australia-based band Cold Chisel. After several relocations and internal strife, the band signed with WEA in the late 1970s. Cold Chisel split up in 1983; their farewell tour remains the highest-grossing tour in Australian history. The band has since reunited multiple times, releasing several albums including "Cold Chisel" (1978), "Breakfast at Sweethearts" (1979), "East" (1980), "Circus Animals" (1982), "Twentieth Century" (1984), "The Last Wave of Summer" (1998), "No Plans" (2012), "The Perfect Crime" (2015), and "Blood Moon" (2019).
As a solo artist, Barnes has achieved numerous #1 albums, such as the 7x Platinum "For the Working Class Man" (1985), the 6x Platinum "Two Fires" (1990), and the 10x Platinum "Soul Deep" (1991). He has also published several memoirs, including "Working Class Boy" (2016), "Working Class Man" (2017), and "Killing Time: Short Stories From the Long Road Home" (2020). Additionally, Barnes has written children's books like "Och Aye the Gnu" (2017) and "Rosie the Rhinoceros" (2021). In 2017, he was appointed an Officer of the Order Of Australia (AO).
Early Life
Jimmy Barnes was born James Dixon Swan on April 28, 1956, in Glasgow, Scotland. His parents are Dorothy Swan and prizefighter Jim Swan. Raised in a Protestant household, Barnes grew up with five siblings—Linda, John, Alan, Lisa, and Dorothy. The family immigrated to Australia in the early '60s, first settling in Adelaide and later moving to Elizabeth. After his parents' divorce in 1962, Barnes took the surname of his stepfather, Reg Barnes.
Career
In 1974, Barnes joined Cold Chisel, contributing to the highly successful albums "Cold Chisel" (1978), "Breakfast at Sweethearts" (1979), "East" (1980), "Circus Animals" (1982), and "Twentieth Century" (1984). Cold Chisel disbanded in 1983, reuniting periodically to release albums like "The Last Wave of Summer" (1998), "No Plans" (2012), "The Perfect Crime" (2015), and "Blood Moon" (2019). The band was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1993.
Barnes launched his solo career with the 1984 album "Bodyswerve," which topped the ARIA Charts. Subsequent albums like "For the Working Class Man" (1985), "Freight Train Heart" (1987), "Two Fires" (1990), and "Soul Deep" (1991) also saw immense success. In 2000, he performed at the Sydney Olympics' closing ceremony and released "Soul Deeper… Songs From the Deep South." His later work includes albums like "Double Happiness" (2005), "The Rhythm and the Blues" (2009), and "30:30 Hindsight" (2014). In 2017, Barnes released a children's album, "Och Aye the G'nu," and his latest works include "My Criminal Record" (2019), "Flesh and Blood" (2021), and "Blue Christmas" (2022).
Personal Life
Jimmy married Jane Mahoney on May 22, 1981, and they have four children: Elly-May, Jackie, Mahalia, and Eliza-Jane. Barnes also has three other children from previous relationships: David, Megan Torzyn, and Amanda Bennett. His brother-in-law, musician Mark Denis Lizotte (stage name Diesel), frequently collaborates with him. Barnes practices Buddhism, supports the Port Adelaide Football Club, and is a member of the Australian Labor Party. In 2022, Barnes announced plans for hip and back surgery due to chronic pain.
Awards and Nominations
Barnes has been inducted into the ARIA Awards Hall of Fame twice—once with Cold Chisel in 1993, and as a solo artist in 2005. He has won several awards, including Best Male Artist for "Barnestorming" in 1989 and "Soul Deep" in 1992, Best Children's Album for "Och Aye the G'Nu" in 2017, and Best Original Soundtrack for "Working Class Boy: The Soundtracks" in 2018. Additionally, he has received accolades at the APRA Awards, the Country Music Awards of Australia, and the Astra Awards.
Real Estate
In 2014, Barnes acquired a four-bedroom, four-bathroom warehouse in Botany, New South Wales, for AUD$1.6 million. This property, which includes a caterer's kitchen, lounge area, and two recording studios, was put up for auction in 2021 with an asking price of AUD$4 million.
