But it was going to take more than a brief stint in hospital to slow down the beloved rock singer.

The solo career of the man known nationally as Barnesy has spanned 30 years.

The inclusion of his Cold Chisel years brings his musical lifespan to 40 years.

So Barnes is ringing in his 31st year as a solo artist with style.

His recent number one album is 30:30 Hindsight, a “best of” record that sees the iconic rock singer re-record some of his classic tracks with a stellar cast of friends.

These include the likes of Diesel, Steven Van Zandt, Journey, The Living End and Bernard Fanning.

And he’s back on the live circuit in a big way.

Barnes just supported The Rolling Stones – his first gig with the famous rockers since opening for them on the Voodoo Lounge tour in Germany – at the new Adelaide Oval.

He is now gearing up for a series of all-star shows for A Day on the Green.

And despite his back surgery, Barnes is quick to allay any fears that he’s not back to full match fitness.

“I couldn’t do a show unless I was 100 per cent,” he says.

“There’s none of this getting on [stage] and building up to speed.

“I built up to speed and once I was fit I went out and did the shows.

“It’s all great, my back’s good and I’m fighting fit.

“I lost about nine kilos in ­hospital, which is a good thing.

“There are better ways of losing weight.

“But I’m fit and ready to rock.”

Barnes promises his upcoming headline show at Bimbadgen for A Day on the Green to be a full-throttle evening of rock.

He will perform with his own backing band, but also join the supporting acts on stage to sing with them.

The crowd will be treated to The Living End’s rendition of Lay Down Your Guns and Time Will Tell with The Baby Animals, both tracks from 30:30 Hindsight.

“That’s a part of the celebration,” Barnes says.

“The Day on the Green people really know how to put on a good show and they just said, ‘What do you want from the show?’

“So I said, ‘If you can get any of these bands, because these are the bands on the record – I think it will really make a great bill and be exciting for the people.’

“They said, ‘Yep, it’s perfect for us.’

“So I have to thank the Day on the Green people for letting me share the vision.”

The Bimbadgen line-up also includes his daughter’s group Mahalia Barnes and The Soulmates, plus Nick Barker.

“Every band on the bill is going out there to make it as hard as possible for the next band to play, in the nicest possible way,” Barnes says.

“They’re going to go out there and connect with the audience as much as possible.

“It’s healthy competition, we all want to be better than the next guy.

“It makes a great show for the audience.

“I go on after The Living End and they’re going to lift the audience to real heights and that’s where I want to capture [the crowd] and take them higher.”

Barnes’ unwavering passion for performance is apparent on 30:30 Hindsight.

The singer’s record label suggest that his 30 years as a solo act be celebrated with a “tribute” album of other bands performing his songs. But Barnes didn’t want to sit on the sidelines.

“I sat and thought, ‘If I’m going to have a bunch of my mates playing my music, then I want to be involved in it,’” Barnes says.

“I took that [tribute] concept and I changed it slightly and I said, ‘I want them to do the songs more like how they would play it but I’m going to be singing it in the band.’

“So if you get someone like Diesel or Stevie Van Zandt, they play the songs the way they would play them and it adds an edge to the way I sing them.

“It takes [the song] to a different place than where I would have taken it.

“It’s a really nice concept and I’m really, really pleased with every version on the record.”

Barnes invited his favourite artists to perform on 30:30, with John Farnham the only guest that couldn’t be organised in time. 

But he found the recording process an enriching experience.

“I love collaborations, I learn from all the singers I work with,” Barnes says.

“I really think it’s a great thing to share that energy and you push each other.

“One you open up that can of worms you could be doing it all day, there’s a million great singers out there I’d love to work with.

“From Little Richard through to John Fogerty, to Bob Dylan.”

Barnes was not after faithful renditions and wanted each act to bring their own style to his tracks.

“Diesel’s played I’d Die To Be With You Tonight with me since 1987,” Barnes says.

“He’s been my mate since then and he’s played it a million times.

“But when I said ‘play it the way you would with your band’, suddenly it took a different swing.

“[The artists] actually kicked some new life into the songs. 

“I think when people hear this new record, they will get a sense that these are very modern takes on these songs. 

“They sound fresh and they sound new and they sound alive.”

Even though Barnes is one of the country’s most celebrated voices, whose solo music and Cold Chisel anthems are sewn into the fabric of Australian culture, the singer and songwriter never takes his fan base for granted.

“For it [30:30 Hindsight] to come out and debut at number one is really ­important for me,” Barnes says.

“Just to be able to make music that people like and is still relevant.

“I’m the first to acknowledge that my audience, the fan power, the people who have bought my records, they are gems. 

“So I have to tip my hat to them.

“It’s not just 30 years of me making music, it’s 30 years of playing for these people live.

“People come up to me at gigs and say, ‘Hi, I played your music at my dad’s funeral’ or ‘you were ­playing when we got married’ and it’s a shared life.

“My gift is a), making a record and b), going out and playing live for these ­people for 30 years.

“They are as important to this process as me and the bands, I can’t do this alone.”

Jimmy Barnes performs at A Day on the Green on Saturday, November 8.

30:30 Hindsight is out now.

Alive has two copies to give away.

For your chance to win fill out the coupon in Thursday's Maitland Mercury and return it to our office by noon on Wednesday.