Jimmy Barnes reveals how fellow music legend John Farnham supported him during health battle that left him convinced he was going to die: ‘I was in so much pain’

Jimmy Barnes is almost fully recovered from open heart surgery.

And the rocker has now revealed that he did not get through the difficult times alone.

The singer, 67, with the help of his attentive wife Jane, has often kept his fans updated on his health journey since contracting bacterial pneumonia.

But on Sunday, he revealed an encouraging phone call from his close friend John Farnham also helped him get through the worst, reported Herald Sun.

‘I was critical before they said they had to operate on my heart. There were moments when I said to Jane, “I don’t think I’m going to make it,” he admitted.

‘I was so hot and in so much pain, I was working just to think… John called me in hospital. It was so amazing. He made a joke with me and we laughed.’

Jimmy continued: ‘I hadn’t heard his voice since he had the operation and he says, “Oh, I just thought I’d call and I’d like to encourage you to come through.”

He said hearing the contemporary singer, 74, offer encouragement after undergoing his own surgery ‘lifted my spirits so much’.

On Sunday, he revealed an encouraging phone call from close friend John Farnham, 74, (pictured) helped him get through the worst, as reported by the Herald Sun

The Scottish-born Australian went on to say that he and John joked about performing When Something Is Wrong (With My Baby) in hospital gowns together.

John was able to relate to Jimmy better than anyone after the You’re The Voice hitmaker underwent his own 12-hour operation for throat cancer in 2022.

Doctors removed a cancerous tumor from his mouth during the procedure and the singer was declared cancer-free just 12 months later.

The singer, with the help of his attentive wife Jane, has often kept his fans updated on his health journey since contracting bacterial pneumonia

Jimmy’s battle with bacterial pneumonia last year became a fight for survival when doctors discovered he had a staph infection that spread to his heart.

However, he has since landed back on his feet and his last health update came just a few weeks ago when he told fans he was ‘doing more around the house’.

In a gallery of photos posted to his Instagram, the loved-up singer looked fit and healthy as he helped his wife carve out a delicious roast.

A few days before, he told his followers that he faced ‘a long recovery’.