Steven Tyler has opened a home for neglected and abused girls in Memphis.
The Aerosmith frontman donated $500,000 to Janie’s House, which is named after the band’s 1989 song ‘Janie’s Got A Gun’, about a girl who turns to drugs after being abused, and the facility opened its doors earlier this week.
The home is run by the non-profit organisation Youth Villages – who help young girls with emotional, mental and behavioural problems – and Steven’s contribution came from his own Janie’s Fund, which he setup in 2015.
The 70-year-old rocker has said that the venture has been "good" for his "soul".
He said: "This does my heart and my soul good. This is real."
Steven – who has battled his own substance and alcohol addictions in the past – was inspired to start up Janie’s House after visiting a treatment centre for "co-dependency" and seeing how their work had a positive impact on the young people’s lives.
He said: "As you can only imagine, being in a band with guys for 50 years, you can have problems.
"And rather than quit, I decided to go to this treatment centre for co-dependency."
It’s the second home to open, after Steven – who has three daughters, Liv, 41, Mia, 40, Chelsea 29, and a 28-year-old son Taj with his youngest daughter’s mother Teresa Barrick – launched a place for children in Atlanta, Georgia, two years ago.
Janie’s House can help 14 girls at a time and 30 per year, and offers various different therapies to aid the young people with their recovery from drug or alcohol dependency and allow them to go on to lead normal lives.
The ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’ hitmaker has vowed: "I’m gonna bring this Janie’s Fund with me wherever I go. It’s like a dream come true."
Steven Tyler opens home for abused girls
