Jimmy Barnes' critically acclaimed new memoir
Working Class Man went straight to number 1 on the Neilsen Bookscan chart, knocking
Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown from the top spot nationally. The
Working Class Man: An Evening of Stories & Songs tour has also struck a deep chord around Australia with many shows all selling out.
Jimmy Barnes
which details Barnes' rock and roll excesses, sold over twenty thousand books and eBooks in its first week. This is more than any memoir/ autobiography/biography – local or international - since records have been kept in Australia. Its predecessor,
Working Class Boy, has also returned to the Top 10 of the Neilsen Bookscan Non-Fiction chart.
As a result of so many schedules shows selling out, new shows have been announced at the Sydney Town Hall (2 May) and Newcastle Civic Theatre (6 June).
Working Class Man: An Evening of Stories & Songs and the brand-new book - written entirely by Barnes – begin in 1974 as he leaves Adelaide in the back of an old bread truck with a then unknown rock group called
Cold Chisel.
Jimmy Barnes
The book and the show trace the legendary band's long climb to the top and their subsequent implosion. The story then picks up as Barnes carves out a new solo career for himself.
He becomes the country's biggest rock star before drugs and alcohol bring him to his knees and he eventually rebuilds his life thanks to the love of his wife and his family. Critics agree it's a spellbinding and searingly honest reflection on success, fame and addiction.
Jimmy Barnes
The NSW tour dates are:
15-16 March - Anita's Theatre, Thirroul
5 April - Parklands Resort & Function Centre, Mudgee
6 April - Civic Theatre, Newcastle
7 April - Bathurst Entertainment Centre, Bathurst
2-3 May - Centennial Hall, Sydney
30 May - Saraton Theatre, Grafton
6 June - Civic Theatre, Newcastle
