‘Bad news’: Jimmy Barnes shares shock health update

The wife of Aussie rock legend Jimmy Barnes has thanked her husband’s fans, revealing the 68-year-old was “recovering well” following an unexpected surgery. On Saturday night, the rocker took to Instagram on Saturday to reveal he would need to undergo immediate surgery on his hip after experiencing pain during the New Zealand leg of his Hell of a Time tour earlier in the week. The health shock came just a few months after he underwent heart surgery for a life-threatening infection. On Sunday, Barnes’ wife Jane shared two photos of Barnes in hospital: One of his eating some “healing chicken soup,” and another with their two children Mahalia and Jackie. “Hi everybody, It’s (Jane) here to thank you once again for all your messages of support for our Jimmy,” she wrote in the caption. “You are an incredible on line community of family, friends and followers who offer up your kindness and thoughtfulness during trying times like these. “Jimmy is out of ICU and recovering well. I brought in some healing chicken soup and chocolate chip cookies for afternoon tea, a bit of home always helps hospital days. “Our kids always around watching over us. Full of Love.” In his post on Saturday, Barnes said the surgery unfortunately meant he would need to scrap his planned shows in August and September, with his recovery expected to take six weeks. He was due to arrive in Wyong on Monday, then make his way through Toowoomba, Thirroul and Canberra, then perform at the Opera House in Sydney on August 18. “Ticket holders will be contacted with further info in the coming days once we have new plans in place,” Barnes’s post continued. “As you know, I hate to let anyone down, but I’m also never going to compromise the quality of my gigs. “I apologise for the inconvenience this will cause everyone – I HATE moving shows! – but thank you for understanding.” The sudden news follows Barnes undergoing open heart surgery after a bacterial infection spread to his heart valve. He was so close to death doctors had to perform the risky procedure, Barnes told 60 Minutes earlier this year. “Even though I felt like I could even hardly walk, I just had to get there and I’ve got out of bed, I remember being backstage, and I’m sweating and, you know, I had a fever,” he told the program. “There was a lot of pain. “My back was really sore by this point, you know, I could, I was struggling to walk.” Barnes returned to performing with an appearance at Bluesfest. The health scare is in addition to a hip replacement surgery Barnes underwent in 2022 after experiencing more pain while performing. Touted as a “series of stripped back and intimate shows”, Barnes’s latest Hell of a Time tour celebrates the 30th anniversary of his Flesh and Wood album and promises to feature Barnes in an “up-close-and-personal mode, telling short stories and tall tales”. “The Hell of a Time Tour is shaping up to be something special. We think its going to feel like you guys are sitting in our lounge room. I know you’ll love it,” he said upon the announcement