Jimmy Barnes says hiding truth from son “was a mistake”

Jimmy Barnes has reflected on the moment he finally told David Campbell he was his father, admitting keeping it secret for years “was a mistake”.

Speaking on The Assembly, Barnes said the situation was “very complicated” when Campbell was born, as the singer was only 16 years old at the time.

For the first decade of Campbell’s life, Barnes posed as a “Scottish uncle”, while Campbell was raised by his maternal grandmother.

“David was born… and really, at that point, I couldn’t look after myself, let alone him,” Barnes said.

“You know, I didn’t just waltz back into David’s life when he was 10 and say, ‘Hey, I’m your dad!’.

“I was going to see David from the day he was born, but he didn’t know who I was.”

Barnes said Campbell’s grandmother had wanted to keep his identity a secret.

“And I think that was a mistake,” he said.

“And it got more complicated as I got more famous.

“And as he was growing up, the grandmother got more demanding. Eventually, my wife – who’s much wiser than me – she sort of said, ‘Look, he needs to know’. So we told him.”

Barnes recalled the revelation being a “huge shock” for Campbell.

“He was reeling for a long time, and I think music, like me, saved his life,” he said.

The pair have previously spoken openly about the challenges of building a relationship in the years that followed.

“We started off rocky because – let’s face it – I was 16 when David was born and it was a tough time for all of us,” Barnes told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2019.

“We weren’t ready to deal with ourselves, let alone having a child come along. I wasn’t capable of being a decent parent at that age and for a long time.

“But I always tried to stay close enough so he’d know who I was, so we could be friends.”

Barnes said he now feels immense pride watching his son.

“I see myself in David. I see the good side of myself in David and I watch him and I just feel so proud and he gives me hope. And I hope to be just like him when I grow up.”

Campbell has also reflected positively on how their relationship developed over time.

“Building a base as friends first – because we had to – has actually made it easier to be father and son now,” he said.

“There’s no words to describe a world where he doesn’t exist in it for me,” Campbell added.

“I would be so lost. I’d hate to think where I would be.

“I hate to think what closed-off a human I would be. Because I’m only open and, I hope, as evolved as I am now, because of him in my life.”

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