J
ust in time for
the festive season,
music legend Jimmy
Barnes has welcomed
a new addition to the family
band – a little drummer
boy born to talented son
Jackie and his stunning
wife Stephanie.
Cute Kai James Barnes
entered the world surprisingly
peacefully – given his
gravel-voiced grandad –
despite presenting back to
front and putting his poor
mother through almost 12
hours of labour.
“It was a long day,” beams
talented drummer, songwriter
and sports fanatic Jackie, 34,
gently cradling his tiny son
in giant hands. “But Kai was
calm most of the time and so
was Steph.”Jimmy is
thrilled with
little Kai’s
arrival.WD 35Words: Jenny Brown. Pictures: Sheila Powell.Less serene were the
couple’s delighted daughters
Isabella, seven, and Zoey, four,
who couldn’t wait to become
big sisters to the new addition.
“They were so excited,”
smiles Stephanie, 34, speaking
from the family’s beachside
hacienda on Queensland’s
Sunshine Coast. “They had
been asking for a baby brother
for a long time, so they finally
gottheirwish.”“JustlikeI gotmywish,”
laughs Jackie, who grew up
with three sisters – soulful
singers Mahalia, Eliza-Jane
and Elly-May.
“We found out his sex pretty
early on because we’re too
curious. With two girls already,
we thought a boy would be
nice, so we were stoked!”
The rest of the Barnes clan
was equally thrilled by Kai’s
safe delivery at Buderim Private
Hospital on the evening of
November 10, weighing 3.65kg
and measuring 53cm.For all of them, his birth
signalled a return to
something like normality
after the darkest days
of COVID-19.
“2020 was a tough year for
a lot of reasons, but the silver
lining was the arrival of this
beautiful baby boy,” a heartfelt
Jimmy, 64, told Woman’s Day.MUSICAL LOCKDOWN
Throughout the lockdown,
unable to go on the road and
tour, Jimmy and adored wife
Jane kept the flame alive with
daily performances of favourite
songs live-streamed from home,
which often featured extended
family and friends like Diesel,
Neil Finn and Ian Moss.
“A lot of people were isolated
and alone, so we wanted to reach
out and take their mind off
things,” he explained in an
earlier interview with the ABC.
“It’s the kind of thing we
always do, making music
together, so why not share it
and give people a bit of the joy
they obviously need at the
moment,” adds good-humoured
Jackie, who has seen out the
pandemic supporting Stephanie
through her pregnancy, working
at a local music shop and
passing on his skills to students.
“It’s been a weird year, but for
me it’s been good to be able to
spend more time at home,” says
the in-demand musician, who
normally spends months of
every year touring Australia,
Europe and Canada with his
famous father and other bands.
“It’s been an enforced break,
but very welcome.”
And that’s a sentiment
gleefully seconded byStephanie, who adds, “When
I was pregnant with Bella and
Zoey, Jackie was away on the
road most of the time, so it’s
been great having him around
to help out with my mum
Sheila, who’s a retired midwife.
He’s a very hands-on dad.”
Luckily, the couple’s baby
boy – his name Kai is the
Hawaiian word for ocean,
while James comes from his
legendary grandad – is a
mellow, chilled and cuddly soul
who loves to eat and sleep.
Who knows if, one day, he or
his sisters will take after their
upbeat dad and play rhythm?
“There’s a drum kit set up
in the house and the girls
definitely show some interest,”
grins Jackie. “There’s an artistic
side there, but whether or not it
turns out to be the drums is up
to them. We’re just giving them
the freedom to follow whatever
they’re passionate about.”
But there’s one thing of which
he’s certain – growing up with
big sisters is a major bonus. “It
was great for me,” he confides.
“Sisters keep you grounded and
teach you to respect women.
My sisters are all wonderful.
Bella and Zoey will look out for
Kai, you know. My sisters have
always looked out for me.”
It’s early days yet, but as one
of four kids – not forgetting
three Barnes half-siblings,
including TV host David
Campbell – does Jackie hope for
another baby down the track?
“When’s that next Lotto draw?”
he jokes. “You never say never,
but we’re pretty happy with this
number at the moment. We
have a boy now, so we’re ready
to pull up stumps.”‘The silver
lining was the
arrival of this
beautiful boy’