A smiling Jimmy Barnes has tucked into a Sunday roast, enjoyed some fresh air and even managed short strolls as he continues to recover from emergency heart surgery.

Barnes, 66, had the urgent surgery in a Sydney hospital last Wednesday, after a bacterial infection spread to his heart.

On Sunday, his wife Jane said he was recovering well.

“Here’s Jimmy’s first Sunday roast … We’re a lucky FAMILY,” she wrote in a Facebook post featuring snaps of the couple outside the hospital and Barnes enjoying his dinner.

Barnes spent several days in intensive care following last week’s operation. By the weekend, he was out of ICU.

Another Facebook post earlier on Sunday showed him on his feet in what appeared to be a hospital hallway. His post-operative bandaging is clearly visible.

“Jane here with ‘Our Jimmy’ update for all you well-wishers,” Jane wrote.

“Day three post-op, we had a few walks up and down the hallway, 250 metres I’d say. A tough and fragile day but here’s a big, brave smile for us. Keep up the good work, Jimmy.”

The solo artist and Cold Chisel frontman cancelled many of his upcoming shows last week as he revealed his latest health emergency – a development he described as “hugely frustrating”.

Barnes has battled a series of health concerns in recent years and cancelled his summer tour in 2022 to undergo urgent back and hip surgery for severe pain.

Last week, he said his latest surgery was needed to clear out a bacterial infection and replace an infected valve.

“Just a few weeks ago I was the fittest I’ve been in decades,” the rock legend said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“This has all happened very suddenly so it’s going to take a few days to figure out what’s going to be doable with my upcoming shows.

“I’m really sorry for all the inconvenience this will cause but please be patient while my team works hard to figure things out.”

Fresh arrangements for his shows are yet to be announced.

Scottish-born Barnes joined Adelaide-based Cold Chisel in the early 1970s and the band went on to release a string of hit albums.

He embarked on a successful solo career in 1983, with the band reuniting in 1997.

Barnes previously underwent open-heart surgery in 2007 to correct a congenital condition.

He and Jane have four children – Mahalia, Eliza-Jane, Jackie and Elly-May. He is also the father of TV host David Campbell and two other daughters, Amanda Bennett and Megan Torzyn, from previous relationships.

-with AAP