Sunrise’s Edwina Bartholomew fights back tears as Jimmy Barnes speaks about late Michael Gidinski

Jimmy Barnes launched his new single Flesh and Blood at Mushroom Records’ founder Michael Gudinski’s state memorial in March.

And on Monday, Sunrise entertainment reporter Edwina Bartholomew became emotional discussing the special tribute with the musician.

Speaking with the legendary rocker in his recording studio, Edwina held back tears as Jimmy spoke from the heart about his late friend Michael.

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Michael Gudinski, who was widely regarded as the ‘father of the Australian music industry’, died in his sleep on March 2 at the age of 68.

The Working Class Man hit-maker’s 2021 single Flesh and Blood is a tribute to his late friend, and is from his recently-released 20th album of the same name.

‘He’s a huge loss… he’s a godfather to my children,’ Jimmy told Edwina of his friend’s sudden passing.

Edwina’s lips then appeared to quiver as she attempted to keep a straight face while Jimmy continued to speak about his late friend.

‘I can’t rub Michael’s phone number off my favourites in my phone, because if anybody is going to call me from the other life it will be Michael,’ Jimmy said.

Michael was laid to rest at a private funeral on March 10, with a state memorial in Melbourne following that on March 24. 

Jimmy paid touching tribute to his late friend at the public service, describing him as his ‘hero’ and ‘one-of-a-kind’. 

‘Michael and I were like flesh and blood, we really were,’ the rockstar said, having signed to his Mushroom Records label to release his single No Second Prize in 1984 before his debut solo album Bodyswerve topped the charts the same year.

Dressed in a kilt to represent his native Scotland, Jimmy turned out a rousing rock performance of Flesh and Blood which brought the house down, before bringing his family onstage to perform a more mellow ballad and admitting: ‘We’re going to try not to cry.’  

Tickets go on sale for Jimmy Barnes’ Flesh and Blood tour on May 5