The legendary Jimmy Barnes shared a heartfelt message to WA’s sick children before he closed out this year’s Telethon extravaganza with his daughter Mahalia.
Barnes, 67, performed songs Khe Sanh, Working Class Man and (Simply) The Best on the RAC Arena stage alongside his 41-year-old daughter to celebrate the end of another massive fundraising effort for the State’s sick children and their families.
The Scottish-born Aussie rocker was back on the Telethon stage for the first time in 15 years and before he rocked out to the audience he had this message for the kids at Perth Children’s Hospital.
“Everybody in the country and your State is here thinking about you over the weekend, we love you all the time but this is a special weekend celebrating with you and for you and we’ve come to Perth, we played in northern NSW last night, especially because we wanted to sing for you,” he said.
Telethon holds an extra special place in his heart as his youngest daughter Elly-May was born premature with cerebral palsy and his family spent months in Sydney’s West Mead hospital.
“If it wasn’t for the care, love and attention that these nurses and doctors gave us, my daughter wouldn’t be alive,” he said.
“She’s now 34-years-old and making music because of work continually offered to her. Money like this (for Telethon) goes into funding things and also to invest in new technology to help kids.
“It brings a tear to my eye when I think about it because I can’t thank them (nurses and doctors) enough for that.”
Barnes said he had missed WA deeply and was honoured to sing with Mahalia.
“WA, and Perth particularly, has always been a huge part of my career, I’ve been coming here since the early 70s with Cold Chisel, it’s always been a great music town with great fans coming to see me for the odd 40 years now and it’s great to get back,” he said.
“It’s extra special to come and do Telethon, it’s a great community thing that everybody gets together and all thinking about kids, I’m a parent and grandparent and anybody who’s had sick kids knows we need all the help we can get.”
Meanwhile, little Telethon star Emily Houston was honoured to finally meet her rock icon after waiting all weekend.
Along with her three other buddies — Connor, Sophia and Harrison — the foursome were ecstatic when Barnes came to see them backstage.
They all gave their best rock ‘n’ roll poses as they took a photo with the music icon.
When asked what advice they could offer children aspiring to be a musician or performer, Mahalia had this message.
“Follow your dreams, practice and put yourself out there and be brave. The kids who have been through a lot gone through medical issues know what it is all about and how to be brave,” she said.
Barnes said they shouldn’t let anything, not even sickness, get in their way of success.
“Don’t think of the hurdles you’ve faced as something that’s going to stop you from being successful, all these hurdles you can use them every time you sing or perform, draw on those feelings and find strength,” he said.
‘You’ve got through the hardest things in life so if you apply that to when you sing or act you’ll be fabulous.”
For some final words of kindness, Barnes urged everybody who hasn’t donated to Telethon yet to do so.
“I just want to stress you don’t have to wait for Telethon to give money to the hospital, you donate anytime you want,” he said.
Telethon supports 107 children’s charities across WA thanks to the donations raised — which hit a record of $71.4 million last year — to help build a better and brighter future for sick children.
Barnes has been a big supporter of Telethon, having also previously been here in 2003, 2004 and 2009.
He rounded out an incredible weekend of entertainment, which included performances by disco diva Marcia Hines, along with Russell Morris and the dazzling Rhonda Burchmore.
To donate, call 1300 737 507 or visit telethon7.com/donate.