When I first started, all the reviews of Cold Chisel would say, 'This singer won't have a voice in six months.'

Jimmy Barnes

Categorized in : Say Singer Voice Cold

The music industry is quite brutal and quite harsh and can be spirit shattering, but it's an honour to be a musician because your job is to make sure people enjoy themselves; to make people forget about their troubles.

job enjoy music people

People change naturally when they have children.

people-change change children people

I've been writing books because it's been my way of dealing with the demons. The act of sitting down and writing the books down has started healing process that's been long overdue.

demons down long way

We still had all our problems growing up as a struggling immigrant family, but Australia was like a breath of fresh air, literally. Playing on grass, having good schools - trees. I didn't even know trees where I'd come from. So from the day I got here, I've loved Australia.

problems day good family

I love spending money. I always have.

always spending-money money love

I used to think that if someone asked for help, they were weak. But the toughest thing I ever did was reach out and ask for help. And that was when I started to heal.

reach help someone think

As a teenager, I didn't really think about anything. I was just stumbling around trying to find something.

find something think trying

Politicians have been spreading fear, saying if we're letting in refugees, we're letting in terrorists. It's not the truth. We've got to recognise the difference between terrorism and people who are refugees; people who are struggling.

terrorism truth fear people

I used to think I was tough, but there's a difference between bravado and courage, and I only started to show courage when I began to get help. So now I make a point of telling people, 'Hey, it's a good thing to ask for help, not a bad thing.'

good think courage people

I come from a multicultural family. My wife's Thai. My children are half-Asian, half-Scottish; we're all immigrants.

immigrants family wife children

Iggy Pop is legendary - he is awesome - and I am a massive Bruce Springsteen fan. His song 'Cautious Man' is my favourite song. It's really poignant, dark, and moody, like myself.

i-am myself man song

I learned that the public and the press don't need to know everything about you, or they might turn on you.

need everything know you

I think I got stamina from my dad, although he didn't have a lot of drive.

i-think drive think dad

Cold Chisel had their moments, but basically, they were all decent, quiet chaps. I was just a lunatic. Those guys didn't know what had hit them when I joined the band.

know cold moments quiet

I used to think anyone with abandonment issues was a waste of space. But you do need to get help. Blokes don't talk about those things. It's a taboo in the bloke world.

think you space world

My childhood in Adelaide was filled with sport. I played soccer from morning until night.

childhood morning soccer night

My dad was a prize fighter in his youth. My boxing skills are very limited. I did train for most of my youth but couldn't really see the point of getting punched in the head. I'm a lover, not a fighter, but I do enjoy the sport in its purest form. As a child, my heroes were my dad and Muhammad Ali.

child youth enjoy dad

If there was one thing I tried to instil in my children as they were growing up, it was that you get nothing for nothing. You have to work hard to get any rewards. That applies in music or whatever you choose to do. The same goes in relationships; you will only get back what you put in.

you music work children

I find that cooking is relaxing and makes me feel at home.

feel me cooking home

I don't want to become a laid-back artist by any stretch of the imagination.

become artist imagination want