He’s the iconic Australian rock star that rose to fame as the front man for Cold Chisel.
But now, Jimmy Barnes has given his fans a rare insight into his former life, in the sequel to his 2016 memoir ‘Working Class Boy’, appropriately titled ‘Working Class Man.’
The 61-year old honestly outlines his volatile past in the new book, one that tells of personal destruction, heartache, severe substance abuse, and an ongoing cry for help.
What a story! Jimmy Barnes has given his fans a rare insight into his former life, in the sequel to his 2016 memoir ‘Working Class Boy’, appropriately titled ‘Working Class Man’
‘I flirted with death regularly. Almost every night. I stared into its eyes and never learned a thing,’ Jimmy writes.
The Khe Sanh singer claimes that the best thing he ever did following years of feeling as if he was in a ‘black hole’ was get professional help.
‘I used to think that if someone asked for help they were weak,’ Jimmy writes.
‘But the toughest thing I ever did was reach out and ask for help.’
‘I flirted with death regularly. Almost every night. I stared into its eyes and never learned a thing’: The 61-year old honestly outlines his volatile past in the new book, one that tells of personal destruction, heartache, severe substance abuse, and an ongoing cry for help
‘But the toughest thing I ever did was reach out and ask for help’: Jimmy claims that the best thing he ever did following years of feeling as if he was in a ‘black hole’ was get professional help
During the late 1970’s, Cold Chisel experienced unprecedented success in Australia, despite Jimmy’s hostile relationship with his band mates.
Threatening to leave the band several times, including once while they were mid-tour, Jimmy embarked on his own solo career following the group’s dissolution in 1983.
It was at this time he had become known as a hard-drinking, partying wild man, who was rumoured to down two bottles of vodka every day.
Fortunately sober these days, Jimmy claims his substance abuse caused him critical memory loss, but in a preface to the book, promises to bare the truth ‘warts and all.’
‘I drank and smoked and snorted my way through a lot of this life and I ask you to cut me some slack,’ he writes.
‘I drank and smoked and snorted my way through a lot of this life and I ask you to cut me some slack’: Fortunately sober these days, Jimmy claims his substance abuse caused him critical memory loss, but in a preface to the book, promises to bare the truth ‘warts and all’