The life of a rock star can take many twists and turns. Some of those can lead them to wild adventures, while others can cross the line into peril. Yet, still others can end up taking a journey that teaches them a hard lesson about the world.
It’s in these moments that inspiration truly strikes and their experience often leads to a heartfelt song. However, some will find that what they’ve learned stays with them far longer than a tour schedule or a record release.
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That certainly seems to be true in the case of Steven Tyler from Aerosmith.
Back in 1989, Aerosmith released “Janie’s Got A Gun,” a song about a girl who kills her sexually abusive father.
According to Rolling Stone , Tyler took inspiration for the song from a Newsweek article about gun violence.
However, the song would later gain a whole new meaning for Tyler when he entered a rehab treatment center.
As WJHL reported, he met numerous young girls who had experienced abuse during his stay.
As he put it, “All the girls I met had been abused either physically, mentally, verbally, you know. At least 90% of ‘em all.”
By the time he left the treatment center, Tyler felt compelled to help girls in similar situations.
As People reported , this culminated in him starting a charity called Janie’s Fund in 2015.
According to WJHL , the fund has raised $4 million so far.
And on Monday, those who gathered at a “scarf-cutting” ceremony outside of Memphis, Tennessee, saw where some of that money went.
There, Tyler announced the opening of Janie’s House, a home where girls who have experienced abuse and neglect can find therapy and support to ease their transition into a more stable life.
The house is part of a campus operated by Youth Villages, an organization that helps children cope with emotional, behavioral, and mental health issues.
According to People , Tyler contributed $500,000 from Janie’s Fund to help renovate the house and shape it into its current form.
Now that it’s open, Janie’s House will be able to host 14 girls at once.
Considering that this type of healing takes special time and care, this means that about 30 guests will stay here per year.
And for residents like 14-year-old JaBrayia, Janie’s House is already having a positive impact.
As she told WJHL , “The reason that I am at Janie’s House is because I experienced sexual abuse at the age of three. Through Janie’s House, I can learn a lot about my past and learn I was not the only one that had been through the same problems.”
So far, Tyler has opened two houses for this purpose.
Before he cut the scarf on this Tennessee location, he had previously opened one in Atlanta back in 2017.
As he said during the ceremony, “I’m gonna bring this Janie’s fund with me wherever I go. It’s like a dream come true.”
h/t: WJHL
