Jimmy Barnes says he is 'healthier now than at 21' following ...

Aussie rocker Jimmy Barnes has said he’s healthier now than he was at 21.

The Working Class Man singer appeared on Sunrise on Tuesday, speaking about his health.

Barnes underwent open heart surgery in 2023, after a bacterial infection spread to his heart valve.

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In August last year, he was admitted to the intensive care unit after the infection spread to his hip.

“I’m healthier now than I was when I was 21,” Barnes said.

“I’m healthy, besides the obvious. When I got the staph infection that was an accident.

“But before that, I was swimming 30 laps of the pool every day, I was doing Pilates.

“I’m looking after myself. I have a lot to do that I want to get done in my life.

“As far as being a performer goes, I feel like I am just starting to find my feet.”

“My best work which is still to come. And hopefully, I will be like that until the day I die. You always want to be pushing yourself.”

The rocker said he had only recently had a check-up, saying he is ready to rock for another 20 years.

Barnes will now embark on a new tour, named Defiant, to mark his 21st studio album. The rocker will play shows in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Canberra.

The album has a country flavour to it, with Barnes calling it “soulful”, before adding it “tells stories”.

“I see country music as white man’s soul music. They tell stories and they are always very emotional. So, there’s a bit of that going into the writing of these songs,” he said.

Barnes said he intends on making the tour a family affair.

“Years ago, somebody said to me, ‘how can you let your kids get into this treacherous business?’ - the music business - and I said for me, the fact that my children go into the business where the job was to make them happy is a good thing,” he said.

“At the moment, my granddaughter Ruby Rogers, has just turned 15 and she has a record deal.

“She is halfway through making her first album. It’s really good.”

The first single from the new album, Defiant, is called New Day and features Troy Cassar-Daley and Laurel Edwards, and Beyond the River Bend, in the music video.

Tickets for Barnes’ shows can be purchased, here.