Jimmy Barnes is
Australian rock and
roll royalty. Having
migrated to South
Australia from Scotland
in the 1960s, Jimmy
soon became Australia's
own 'Working Class
Man', racking up a
string of hits, both with
iconic band Cold Chisel
and as a solo artist, and
was renowned for his
wild live performances. personal stories. Was writing the
book and the tour a therapeutic
way to deal with some of your past
born 14 weeks prematurely?
When Elly was born she was so
tiny and beautiful. I held her in
the palm of my hand and bathed
her in a kidney dish. We sat with
her and sang to her for most of
experiences? the day. I would put my hand into
Writing this book set me free in the humidicrib and touch her face
a lot of ways. There were many and whisper that we needed her
very deep personal things in the to fight because her family was
book that hadn’t seen the light of all waiting for her to come home.
day since I was a child. It brought From day one there was no way
back a lot of sad and very dark we were going to let go of her.
memories, which were hard to deal She was meant to be with us and
with, but needed to be dealt with, we were meant to be with her.
so in that sense it was good. It When we found out that she had
also brought back memories that cerebral palsy it was just one more
took me back to the innocence of thing to fight. She would still be
childhood; the good things that with us and we would still love
got me through this life. The love her regardless of anything. Elly-
He recently told of
his dysfunctional and
violent childhood in the
autobiography Working
Class Boy, and explained
how music provided
him with an opportunity
to escape poverty and
create a better future.
As the father of five
adult children, including
entertainer David
Campbell, and a doting
grandad, Jimmy Barnes
is now very much the
family man. myself and my brothers and sisters May was an angel sent to us and
shared, how lucky we were to have we were blessed to be with her.
each other. I feel blessed to have Nothing could change that.
Link entertainment
journalist Marlena
Katene spoke to Jimmy
and his youngest
daughter, Elly-May,
who has cerebral palsy.
linkonline.com.au
had the chance to write this down
and share it with people.
What are some of your favourite
memories from the Cold Chisel days?
There are so many memories from
the Cold Chisel days. I was a child
when I joined the band. I learned
As someone who has cerebral
palsy I appreciate the strength and
courage of my family to literally
stand up and speak for me when
I could not. What were some of
the challenges or obstacles your
daughter may have faced when
about life, about friendship and growing up?
about love. Not to mention how to Our baby went through thousands
fight for what you believe in. Cold of tests. People poking her, jabbing
Chisel always had a strong belief in her, stretching her beyond where
themselves, and we fought to make she could go. And we went through
our way through this tough business it with her. If she could be so strong
that is the music industry. I toured and fight so hard, what could we do
the world and I met the love of my but fight with her and cry with her
life, Jane. The band helped me and laugh with her. Every challenge
achieve everything. she was faced with, she bravely met
it. Sometimes I really didn’t know
Your youngest daughter Elly-May
has cerebral palsy. Can you share
a little about what it was like
getting that news after she was
where she got the strength, but she
did. She has inspired me to be a
better person and shown me what it
is to really fight.
interview
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