He may have one of the most recognizable voices in Australian music history, but rocker Jimmy Barnes has admitted he also has a lead foot.
In an excerpt from Cold Chisel frontman’s upcoming memoir, Highways and Byways, Jimmy revealed that one quick brush with the law saw him lose his driver’s license after being pulled over by the same police officer three times in one day.
“That’s a true story that I was told three times by the same officer,” he revealed in a chapter obtained by the Daily Telegraph.
‘He was just stunned. I didn’t learn it that day.’
Jimmy recalled the fateful trip where he drove a Mercedes 450 from Bowral to Sydney to rehearse with Cold Chisel.
Driving down the highway with music blaring from the speakers, he was eventually stopped by highway patrol.
Despite the officer recognizing him, Jimmy received a ticket for driving 130 miles per hour.
The violation would be enough for most people to obey traffic laws, but Jimmy stepped on the accelerator again after the officer disappeared from view.
He may have one of the most recognizable voices in Australian music history, but rocker Jimmy Barnes has revealed he also has a lead foot
It wasn’t long before the officer was on Jimmy’s heels again and this time he clocked an even higher speed, resulting in the loss of his driver’s license.
However, Jimmy was able to use his charm to convince the officer to let him continue his journey, insisting that once back in Sydney he was off the road.
The second time proved to be no blessing as the Working Class Man hitmaker was apprehended for a third time just three miles away.
The ordeal caused Jimmy to lose his driver’s license for three months and had to take a driving course due to his problems.
In an excerpt from Cold Chisel frontman’s upcoming book Highways and Byways, Jimmy revealed that a quick brush with the law led to him being stopped by the same police officer three times in one day.
The rocker, who added that he has since changed his behavior as he hasn’t received a ticket in years, said the music blaring from the speakers was the real culprit.
“My problem is that I have the attention span of a small soap dish, so my speed goes with the music,” he said.
‘And that car was built for the highway, it was a ridiculously big 6.9 liter, I was listening to music and looking down and going 150mph. And there were no cars around.”
Jimmy, who kicked off Cold Chisel’s 50th anniversary national tour on Saturday, was shocked when the band’s album 50 Years – The Best Of went to number one on the ARIA charts.
“That’s a true story that I got done three times by the same cop,” he revealed. ‘He was just stunned. I didn’t learn that day
The singer, who struggled with both a hip replacement and open heart surgery, recently shared his progress after enduring another health crisis in August.
The Cold Chisel frontman revealed that a persistent staph infection, which previously targeted his heart, had returned, this time on his hip.
“Staphylococcus infections love to hide in places like scar tissue or prosthetics,” Jimmy told The Daily Telegraph.
“Last year I decided to throw a party on my back and heart, and now it’s on my hip.”
The rock icon had to postpone his solo Hell of a Time tour in August after being hospitalized in New Zealand and experiencing excruciating pain following a series of shows.
Despite the setback, the Cold Chisel 50th anniversary tour remains unaffected.
Jimmy’s book Highway’s and Byways will be published on October 16.
The ordeal caused Jimmy to lose his driver’s license for three months and had to take a driving course due to his problems