March 2010 Face of a Foster Care Graduate – Jimmy Wayne
March 2, 2010
Our March feature comes to us from Tennessee. He is an accomplished recording artist with a passion for raising awareness in America for the issues faced by homeless youth. He is widely recognized for his beautiful remake of the Hall and Oats classic; “Sara Smile”, which is more than just another hit song for the artist. Jimmy is all too familiar with foster care and group homes, having survived an abusive step father, a mother in prison, and falling through the many cracks of the system, he ended up as a homeless teenager. It was by the grace of god that a couple took him in during his mid teen years and offered him stability, faith, an opportunity to get an education and a place to call home.
Jimmy is currently on the road, traveling across the country on foot, promoting his “Meet Me Halfway” campaign. There are two very detailed articles included below. The first tells you all you need to know about his passion for bringing awareness to the many homeless children and the issues surrounding them. The second details the story of his past, and the importance his favorite song has played in his life. Please welcome Jimmy…….
Name: Jimmy Wayne
State: Tennessee
Occupation: Country music recording artist and homeless youth advocate
Favorite source of inspiration: Raising awareness and money to benefit organizations that assist homeless youth.
Jimmy Wayne
ARTIST WANTS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF HOMELESS PLIGHT AND MONEY TO BENEFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ASSIST HOMELESS YOUTH
Country music recording artist Jimmy Wayne launched his “Meet Me Halfway” campaign on January 1, 2010 when he began his solo walk halfway across America in Nashville, TN. Wayne’s intention is not only to raise awareness of the plight of the homeless, especially at risk children, teens and young adults, but also raise funds for organizations that benefit homeless youth, including HomeBase Youth Services, a Phoenix, AZ — based organization that provides essentials for homeless young adults. Wayne began the walk at 10:00 a.m. CT on January 1st at Monroe Harding in Nashville, another organization that services at risk children and young adults. He plans to walk to Phoenix, AZ.
Road Support Sponsor
“I realize beginning a mission like this in the dead of winter and walking through the middle of the country is going to be difficult, but I hope and pray I am up to the challenge,” Wayne said. “It’s going to be cold, rainy and maybe even snowing and that ground I sleep on at night is going to be really hard. But that’s what the homeless are dealing with each and every winter they go without a home of their own. Our country is too great for us to have people who are suffering so. And events of the past 12 to 14 months have increased the number of people—especially children and young adults—without a safe place to sleep. We as a nation have got to end homelessness and we’ve got to help these kids.”
Young Jimmy holding his nephew.
Wayne grew up in a variety of foster and group homes, and occasionally found himself homeless as a teen. He was given a second chance when Bea and Russell Costner gave him a home and fresh start when he was only 16 years old. He has never forgotten the generosity of the couple, who were in their 70′s when they took Wayne in. “Bea and Russell took a chance on me, and I was certainly no poster child for adoption,” Wayne said. “I was this teenager with long hair and tattoos, but they saw past that to the scared kid I was. They met me halfway by offering me a place to live and the opportunity to go back to school. But in turn I had to meet them halfway by helping myself, which meant studying, doing chores and following the rules. They provided me with a way to help myself make a life. They gave me a home, love and respect.”
Wayne’s concern for the welfare of the homeless has deepened and accelerated during the past year, with so many people losing their homes to decaying real estate and financial markets. “It’s been really hard to sit still and watch everything going on in our country since last year’s troubles on Wall Street began,” Wayne said. “While so many of these people received bailouts, and even bonuses, blue collar and Middle America has suffered. From my past,I know first hand what the homeless are experiencing—no roof over your head, no real certainty that there will be any food for the day and just hoping the pair of shoes on your feet lasts another winter. No one in this country should be faced with that kind of situation — especially kids. But unfortunately thousands of people are going though this each and every day.”
Wayne selected HomeBase Youth Services as the recipient of any donations people care to make because of the work they do with homeless young adults (age 18 –21). Like most charitable organizations, HomeBase has also been hit hard by the economic woes of the country. HomeBase is an Arizona-based, non-profit organization founded in 1991 to address the growing needs of at-risk and homeless youth age 21 and younger. At age 18, many youth “age out” of the foster care or juvenile justice systems without the necessary life skills to live independently; as a result, they quickly end up homeless and on the streets. Other youth choose to flee their homes after years of mental, physical and emotional abuse or neglect. HomeBase addresses the needs of this “forgotten” population, and assists these promising young people with the tools they need to live healthy, independent lives. The programs and services include Street Outreach, Mobile Medical Outreach, Employment and Life Skills Training, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Care, a Resource Center, a Transitional Living Program and an Independent Living Program. The mission of HomeBase Youth Services is to teach at-risk and homeless youth how to become self-sufficient adults.
Likewise Monroe Harding partners with at-risk youth and families to provide a bridge toward independence and success. This is accomplished through foster care and adoption services, residential housing and a center for youth aging out of state custody. On-campus and Independent Living residential programs include progressively independent levels of living experiences for youth in state custody. All levels include education, vocational training, life skills and—most importantly—the support and guidance of a caring adult. Private foster homes provide an array of therapeutic foster care and adoptions services for children of all ages. Youth Connections is Nashville’s resource center for young people between the ages of 18 and 23 and have previously been in foster care. The center provides assistance with housing, employment, well-being, education, life skills education, financial literacy and an on-site thrift store.
“Because I was helped when I needed it, I want to try and help now,” Wayne said. “If the bit of celebrity I have can help me raise awareness of this situation –that there are kids and young people out there who need our help, then I feel like I have accomplished my goal. I’m not asking people to come out and walk with me, but I am asking them to meet me halfway by getting involved– donate money, adopt a kid, learn more about the foster child/foster parent program in your local community. There’s so much one person can do, and so many ways they can make a difference. It just takes one person to help someone to a better life.”
Marmot Sportswear is providing Wayne with essential cold weather clothing for Meet Me Halfway. For additional information on “Meet Me Halfway” and Wayne, please visit www.jimmywayne.com and http://dreama.projectmmh.org. To learn more about HomeBase or make a donation to this organization, please visit www.hbys.org.
For more information on Monroe Harding or make a donation to this organization, please visit www.monroeharding.org.
“Sara Smile” is more than another hit record for Jimmy Wayne. Much more.
“For 13 years, I have been singing that song,” he explains. “I sang it on the prison yard when I worked at the prison. Even though I didn’t write it, I sang it at writers’ nights in Nashville. It is the song that taught me how to play the guitar. In 2002, I sang ‘Sara Smile’ for Scott Borchetta, and he gave me a record deal. This song has had a major impact on my life.”
Jimmy Wayne’s remake of the Hall & Oates pop classic is now the centerpiece of an album that showcases his formidable talents as both a vocalist and a songwriter. His soulful singing permeates every note of such soaring, powerful ballads as “All the Time in the World,” “Belongs to You” and “Counting the Days.” He rocks splendidly on “There’s a Memory” and “Things I Believe.”
As a songwriter, Jimmy Wayne is uplifting and inspirational on “Just Knowing You Love Me.” He is soft, romantic and dreamy in “Just Look at You.” “Elephant Ears” is touching and tender. In “I’ll Never Leave You,” which he wrote alone, he finds a new way to explore a loving relationship.
The new album caps what has been an extraordinary year for Jimmy Wayne. “Do You Believe Me Now” soared to the top of the country charts, was No. 1 for three weeks and became one of the biggest hits of 2008-2009. He toured with Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley and played Madison Square Garden. Nashville Lifestyles magazine named him one of its “Beautiful People of 2009.”
“It’s been amazing,” he says gratefully. “It just goes to show you what perseverance can do. That, plus having a great team.”
In 2008, Jimmy Wayne’s career was stone cold. “Do You Believe Me Now” turned him into one of the greatest comeback stories in modern country-music history.
Adversity is nothing new to this gifted artist. As his fans know, Jimmy Wayne survived a turbulent, abusive childhood. His father abandoned the family. His mother went to prison, and he was shuttled to a series of foster homes. His stepfather tried to murder him. He was a homeless teen, living by his wits on the street.
“I became very independent. I had to depend on myself. Folks ask me why I don’t drink. It’s because I needed and wanted to be very conscious of what I was doing at all times. That’s what helped me to survive.”
A North Carolina couple named Russell and Beatrice Costner took him in and encouraged his evolving love of music. At the time, he was singing and writing in a variety of styles, rock, country and even rap and opera.
“When I was about 15, I was on a school bus. I was just kind of staring out the window and singing a song. A girl in front of me turned around. She asked, ‘Is that you singing? That was really good.’ I was real shy. I’ve always been a loner. I never had any friends. I just never was the type of person to reach out to people. I spent a lot of time in my bedroom alone, playing music and writing. That day, I remember standing there and, like, hearing my singing voice for the first time.
“Then when I was in the 12th grade in high school, there was a convict from a local prison who came to our school. He was in a Think Smart program. He played and sang and told his story. All the years prior, I’d been experimenting with different styles of music. I was writing stories, which were songs. But I really didn’t know what to call them. When I saw that convict sing, I looked around and saw everybody in that auditorium being very moved. I remember saying to myself, ‘That’s what I want to do, exactly what he’s doing.’ He called it ‘country music.’ He said, ‘I’m a country singer.’ I’m like, ‘Really? I guess that’s what I am, too.’ That led to me getting a guitar.”
Jimmy Wayne worked his way through school in a textile mill. Then he became a North Carolina prison guard. Talent scouts from Nashville’s Opryland theme park came through his area, auditioning potential performers.
“I showed up, and I was the very last person to audition. Mike Whelan was there from the Opryland Music Group. I told him I wrote, but I forgot the words to the song. Then I sang ‘Love Me’ by Collin Raye and a Garth Brooks song, ‘Papa Loved Mama.’”
That audition led to an offer for him to write songs for the Opryland Music Group’s famed Acuff-Rose firm. He turned in his resignation at the prison, moved to Nashville on a Sunday morning in 1998 and started writing songs full time that Monday.
“I didn’t even know what a publishing company was. When I got here, I knew I wasn’t ready. But as much of a loner as I was, I wasn’t afraid to talk to people so that I could learn.”
He concentrated on improving his guitar playing, his vocal style and his songwriting skills. In 1999, Tracy Byrd had a hit with “Put Your Hand in Mine,” which Jimmy Wayne co-wrote with Skip Ewing. Three years later came that fateful audition with “Sara Smile,” which led to a recording contract with DreamWorks Records. His debut CD appeared in 2003 and spawned the top-10 hits “Stay Gone” and “I Love You This Much,” plus the top-20 chart successes “You Are” and “Paper Angels.” The last-named won him the William Booth Award from the Salvation Army in 2005 and has since become a perennial holiday favorite.
But DreamWorks shut its doors in 2005, and Jimmy Wayne’s career momentum was stopped abruptly. Former DreamWorks executive Scott Borchetta offered him a new contract with the Valory Music Company. But it took awhile to find the right comeback vehicle.
“I was in survival mode. I didn’t panic. I thought, ‘I have got to write and I have got to look for the right songs. It all comes down to a song.’ I knew that much. I said, ‘I have got to find THE song, and I won’t stop until I do.’ It was stressful. There was nothing going on. I was donating a lot of my time to charity and playing as much as possible. I was off the radar for three or four years, just trying to find that huge song that was, hopefully, going to get me a resurrected career. And then I stumbled across ‘Do You Believe Me Now,’ and, of course, that became the song. That was the comeback.”
It was followed by “I Will,” which also became a hit. While recording the songs for both the Do You Believe Me Now and Sara Smile albums, Jimmy Wayne worked with a variety of producers. But the sheer power of his performances make both albums into seamless listening experiences.
“I have been given this gift,” he says quietly. “And I want to use it well. I’ve been given this great opportunity. I want to go back and give hope through my music, somehow. I visit these homes, and I talk to these kids as young adults. It’s one of my passions. It’s hard, but I actually enjoy doing that.
“My goal is to build a foundation based on hit songs. Someday, I’d like to build an orphanage for kids who are too old to be adopted.
“I don’t see myself as anything like a ‘star.’ I don’t think that I’m better than the person I’m singing to. I’m just doing what I love to do. And the fans are the reason I’m allowed to do it.
“Sometimes it’s just wild the way things work out. There was this really good baseball player in our high school. We used to go down to the grocery store and wait for our girlfriends who worked there to come out on breaks. I asked him, ‘So what do you want to do when you get out of high school?’ He said, ‘I’d like to go to college or become a professional baseball player.’ He asked me what I wanted to do. And I said, ‘I want to be a professional country singer.’
“We didn’t stay in contact. The day I got my record deal, I remember I was celebrating by myself. I went down to the Longhorn restaurant and ordered a sweet potato and a sweet tea. I opened the sweet potato, and I took out a scoop. I looked up at the television screen, and there was a Braves game on, and he was standing on the pitcher’s mound! It said, ‘Millwood’ on the back of his shirt. I will never forget that feeling that I had.
“Kevin Millwood. He is with the Texas Rangers now. He did what he said he was going to do. And, now, so was I. Strange the way things turn out. A couple of years later when I was back home, I saw him. We just shook hands and laughed. He is so unassuming, just a good ol’ country boy. But it was like, ‘Dude! We did it!’”
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9 Responses to “March 2010 Face of a Foster Care Graduate – Jimmy Wayne”
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I would like to Thank You so much for these Articles on Jimmy Waynes Life and being March, 2 The Face of Foster Care Graduate! I’ve been a Fan of Jimmy Waynes ever since I heard his first song, “Stay Gone”! As I have followed him over the years he has shared so much of his Life that he had endured growing up! To this Day he is still sharing that with us by keeping us updated constantly by Twitter or Ustreaming and we have got to experience this first hand with him because of this! He has no problem telling us and showing us all of what he is going thru! This has been a very tough Project for him Emotionally & Physcially but he is determined to keep going! We as Fans have Supported him from Day 1 and will continue to do so until the End! Jimmy is the Real Deal! He is so down to earth and will do anything to help these Foster Children! Thank You for sharing this with everybody!
Thank you very much for taking time to comment and share your insights with us! It is remarkable what he is doing, especially because he doesn’t have to and it is pretty awesome when people continue to stay true to who they are, even after levels of success. A great role model!
Oh this is wonderful! I’m so happy for him! My birthday is this month,so I’m taking this as a little treat that made me smile this year!
Thank you for giving Jimmy this honor,he so deserves it. He is such an inspiration. I knew him first as a cute country star,and as took more interest in him after meeting him last October.I found it proud and inspiring that I really wanted to be a social worker,helping kids and decided specializing in getting kids out of an orphanage and into good homes would be where I’d feel I could do my best,.The fact that he was once a foster child and is advocating for them as they age out of the foster care system is amazing.I’m proud to know of him and what he’s doing,and I help spread the word in my area.Congrats Jimmy!
Yes, thank you so much for bringing attention to Jimmy Wayne, someone who so greatly deserves it!!! The more awareness brought out about the causes he supports, the better. The only mistake I noticed was in the very first paragraph where it stated that he had an abusive father. It was actually his step-father. He never really knew his real father growing up but has now gradually begun to build somewhat of a relationship with him over the last few years. Anyhow, like Sharon said in her comment, “Jimmy is the realdeal”. And he has a genuine care and concern for humanity especially the children. That is one of the things that makes him such a wonderful human being. The fact that he is extremely talented and rather handsome is just the icing on he cake!!
I currently have one teenage foster boy and not too long ago I had his brother too. He became too difficult for me and he moved in with his Aunt for a short time before moving in with his girlfriend and her mom. Although they are my grandchildren, the road is rough for all of us. They have come from a very disfunctional situation with drugs and alcohol and are loaded up with alot of baggage. I’m hoping I can help transition this boy to move out and be on his own in due time but until then I’m sometimes hanging on with short fingernails. It’s hard but very rewarding. I’m proud of Jimmy and how far he has come in his life. He’s a rare gem.
I met Jimmy Wayne last December in Charlotte while there on a girls weekend away. I’m truly amazed at what he gives back to the young children in foster care, and that he still remembers how hard life can be.
I have been a foster parent to many children over the past ten years and currently in the process of adopting four of them now. It is a system unless you are involved in that can be very tied up with lots of ups and downs. But I do know that without a voice to speak up on the behalf of children aging out of the system, many end up homeless and not knowing where to turn for help. I also work with these young people, who have been left behind to try and organize supports and funding for those who are unable to live or care for themselves. I only wish that we here in Canada had someone like Jimmy Wayne to do what he is doing for the young people in care. It is an honor to have met you Jimmy Wayne and i wish you all the best that life has to offer you, you truly deserve it.
This former foster kid is someone to be looked up to. He is using his natural gifts to express his message to all of those who are willing to listen and to become inspired. Good works Mr. Jimmy Wayne.
I would like to Thank You so much for these Articles on Jimmy Waynes Life and being March, 2 The Face of Foster Care Graduate! I’ve been a Fan of Jimmy Waynes ever since I heard his first song, “Stay Gone”! As I have followed him over the years he has shared so much of his Life that he had endured growing up! To this Day he is still sharing that with us by keeping us updated constantly by Twitter or Ustreaming and we have got to experience this first hand with him because of this! He has no problem telling us and showing us all of what he is going thru! This has been a very tough Project for him Emotionally & Physcially but he is determined to keep going! We as Fans have Supported him from Day 1 and will continue to do so until the End! Jimmy is the Real Deal! He is so down to earth and will do anything to help these Foster Children! Thank You for sharing this with everybody!
We recently interviewed Jimmy where he talked about his debut novel, “Paper Angels”. If you’d like to share with your readers you can find the interview at http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/interview-country-singer-jimmy-wayne-11-07-2011