David Campbell is mid-way through a charity concert in Adelaide when the rain starts. Within minutes the stage is a slippery hazard, but instead of standing still or perching on a stool, the king of swing can’t help himself. He spins to the beat of Just A Gigolo and, sure enough, comes crashing down in front of a crowd of giggling school children and their amused parents.
Lying on the stage, he continues singing, before hoisting himself up and grinning, “Cor, that was a real banana-skin slide, wasn’t it kids?”
Falling down and picking himself up again is a theme in David’s life. At 11, he was told that the woman he thought was his sister was actually his mother and that the woman he called “Mum” was in fact his grandmother. Then, of course, there was the revelation that his dad is Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes.
After years of struggle, David has come out the other side and credits the love of his gorgeous fiancée, actress Lisa Hewitt, with his recent success. Woman’s Day spent three days with the couple on board the Indian Pacific train as David and his band travelled the country charming everyone from Aboriginal kids to jackeroos.
As we crossed the Nullarbor, David, 34, and English-born Lisa, 27, talked about the depth of their love, their desire to create a solid family and, as David puts it, “our plastic surgery nightmare!”
Read the full interview in Woman’s Day (on-sale December 17)
So will you live here or in England?
Lisa: We’ve bought a house together in Sydney and we’ve set up a production company together. I want to do producing rather than acting because I don’t want my life dictated by how I look or how I speak. David and I are making a kids TV show with a focus on literacy.
David: She’s also producing my tours so it means we get to spend all our time together. I’m a better person since Lisa turned up in my life. I’ve been more successful and people like me more.
Lisa: I’m not sure if that’s true but having somebody adore him unconditionally has allowed David to accept himself. There’s a picture of him on our fridge from his time in Dancing With The Stars and he’s got a dark spray tan and blonde tips. He was desperately trying to keep skinny and doing the rock stuff and there was so much fallacy about it. Now look at him on the cover of his CDs — there’s no pretence about him.
David, you and your Dad have both done the train journey on the Indian Pacific taking Christmas to the Outback. Have you any plans to sing together?
David: It’s good to give back and give back properly. It’s unbelievable but Jimmy and I are both in the Top 20 at the moment however he’s really cool and I’m the other end of cool. I’d love to do a TV series with him but I wouldn’t want it to be like The Osmonds. I cringe when I think about my relationship with him in the past. I was wanting to be loved, then I’d think, ‘Stuff you, you bastard’. It’s all good now and I’ve learnt from watching him get out and communicate with people. He’s got a heart as big as the Outback.
Read the full interview in Woman’s Day (on-sale December 17)
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