Jimmy Barnes Battles Bacterial Pneumonia, Cancels Concert
Jimmy Barnes has fallen ill just days after opening the Mushroom 50 Live concert in Melbourne.
The Australian rock legend was hospitalized and received treatment after contracting bacterial pneumonia, forcing the cancelation of a planned performance on the seas.
“I’m sorry to let you know that I’ve been receiving intravenous antibiotics over the last 36 hours to treat bacterial pneumonia,” he writes on a social post.
“Unfortunately,” he continues, “this has stopped me travelling to Noumea to join Rock The Boat 2023 as planned. My band will still perform on board, together with my daughter Mahalia and other special guests.”
Barnes went on to apologize “for the inconvenience and disappointment this has caused,” and points out his doctors have ordered two days’ bed rest. “The timing couldn’t be worse.”
He’s expected to make a full recovery in time to perform live at By The C in Torquay, on Saturday, Dec. 2.
When it comes to dominating the national charts, no one can touch Barnesy, as he’s affectionately known in these parts.
The Scotland-born singer has 15 leaders on the ARIA Chart, an all-time record, most recently topping the tally last December with Blue Christmas (via Liberation/Universal). Including his five leaders with Cold Chisel, Barnes boasts an unprecedented 20 No. 1s, comfortably eclipsing the Beatles (with 14), Madonna (12), Eminem and U2 (11).
Barnes has overcome several health issues in recent years. In 2022, he wiped clear his touring schedule when surgeons gave him the news that he required back and hip surgery.
He also underwent back surgery in 2014, which kept him in hospital on Fathers Days (Sept. 7)
The 67-year-old singer is twice inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, first with Cold Chisel (in 1993), and again as a solo artist (2005), and is the first Australian solo act to have a No. 1 album in every decade since the 1980s.
The rocker was in full voice at the top of the Mushroom 50 Live concert at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, where he delivered a two-song performance of “No Second Prize” and his signature song, “Working Class Man.”
Lars Brandle
Billboard
