2000 - SOLO AGAIN - SHADE TREE

Shade Tree Women´s & Children´s Shelter is a nonpartisan nonprofit benefit organization that provides safe shelter to homeless and abused women and children in crisis. Shade Tree offers life-changing services, promotes stability, dignity, and self-reliance. This unprecedented institution, which successfully collect donations of every type, among other things, the help of the music, was brought into being in 1990. John Waite and other artists support the project with concerts that annually take place shortly before Christmas. The musicians play gratuitously and the entrance fees go directly into the funds of the Shade Tree Shelter, where everything necessary is arranged for the dishonoured ones. „I don't consider my cooperation as work but as self comprehensibility“, John says. „Everybody who takes part does what he can do best. So in my case this means to go out and sing.“ The concert takes place on December 5th, at the House of Blues, Las Vegas.

It´s only one of many charity performances in which John takes part in the course of his career. His thoughts used to go in this direction already many years ago. „I wrote a song once, 'Living in America'. With that song I wanted to point to the nuisances in this country and I was going to donate all the proceeds to Detroit´s relief“, he discloses. „Chrysalis didn't agree and this was one of the reasons why I left. I think, the lyrics were too controversial to them.“ To this day, unfortunately, this song hasn't seen the daylight.

„Plato“, John concatenates charity and music in a comprehensible way. „Plato said music can change politics and music can change the world. Music is like voodoo, it´s very spiritual. Music can be very dark and it can be very brightly. Music has a mystical strength and it can make a difference. Everywhere. In every culture and in every stratum of society. It can make a difference. Music can help people. I believe in such things. There are so many people, that need help; so many, that are hungry. Even in America. I think this is something to direct our attention to.“

Within the following three years John again will ensure his support to the Shade Tree Women´s & Children´s Shelter

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