Interview with country singer Jimmy Wayne

Jimmy performing at the National CASA conference in Chicago this year.

Country music star Jimmy Wayne, known for his chart topping songs, “I Love You This Much,” “Paper Angels” and “Do You Believe Me Now,” can now add the title of author to his already impressive resume. His debut novel, Paper Angels, was released November 1, and was inspired by his childhood and experience as a recipient of the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. TheCelebrityCafe.com’s Katelyn Helgemoe recently spoke with Wayne about his experiences as a foster child, pursuing his dreams of becoming a recording artist, humanitarian efforts and his latest project, Paper Angels.

TheCelebrityCafe: How did growing up in foster homes and at one point being homeless affect you as an adult?

Jimmy Wayne: Emotionally, my business, my personal life. It affects every area of my life. I’ve somehow figured out not how to be a statistic and I think it’s all due to a family that took me in when I was 16 and basically just gave me a home to live in and gave me a brand new start, an opportunity to get my life on track. They gave me such an amazing gift that it outweighed anything that happened to me prior. That gift was just enormous.

TCC: How did the idea of Project Meet Me Halfway come about?

JW: I just turned the heat up and I was in Nashville and we had an arctic blast that had moved in from the northwest and it was a wind-chill factor of 15 below zero. It was extremely cold. We had not ever experienced this type of weather in my lifetime, and I started thinking about all the children who were aging out of foster care and becoming homeless. And then, of course, I had this overwhelming feeling of guilt because I had not done anything in 2009 to give back so I thought to myself I need to do something and it needs to be something on a grand scale, something as crazy as, I don’t know, walking halfway across America. And then I instantly said that’s it, that’s what I’m going to do. And it came to me just like that.

TCC: Were you pleased with the outcome? What did you gain through the 1,700 mile walk?

JW: Absolutely, there were so many children who ended up getting a home because of that walk. A lot of awareness was generated and it’s still continuing to have a positive effect. There’s children still getting homes, people are still motivated. There was even a law changed in the state of California because of that walk. The Assembly Bill 12 was signed and passed to allow children in the system to no longer age out at 18 but now it’s moved to 21. This walk generated so much awareness.

For me on a personal level it just reminded me of how wonderful people are out there, because I’ve been in the music business a long time and you become a little jaded, a little bit cynical. And I think it was good for me to be out there amongst those people and there was times where I would have to leave the road for a couple of days and go do a concert and just going out and doing those concerts and coming right back out in the middle of the desert and being dropped off in the exact spot they picked me up in. It just put things in perspective; it truly did bring me back down to earth.

TCC: What one thing should people know about foster children and what it is like to be one?

JW: I think that people should know that foster children aren’t bad people. Some of these children may have even lost their parents, let’s say, in an automobile accident. Who knows why they’re in the foster care system but they deserve the same opportunity that the next child gets.

TCC: As the national spokesperson for CASA (court appointed special advocates), how do you play a role in the nonprofit organization?

JW: Being given the platform that I’ve been given, the opportunity to stand on stage in front of thousands and thousands of people every night and perform, just being able to talk about CASA has inspired people to become a CASA volunteer. And what they do is that they speak for a child, they defend and support and help abused and neglected children. They go in and donate their time to be kids’ lifelines. It’s pretty amazing.

TCC: With November being "National Adoption Month," does that hold a special place in your heart?

JW: Absolutely, but adoption holds a special place in my heart all year round, not just one month out of the year. I know it’s a month set aside to highlight adoption but I have a special place for foster care all year round.

TCC: What influenced you to become a recording artist and follow your dreams?

JW: I started writing when I was 12 and it was just something that I enjoyed doing. It was kind of a therapeutic exercise for me and then eventually it was something I found entertaining. And then, of course, after seeing many people perform, I knew I could do that and ultimately I wanted to be able to share my story through music. So I pursued a record to, so what I hoped I could do, is speak about these issues on a bigger stage, not just in my local community but really getting out there and speaking to the masses. Music, to me, isn’t just getting on a tour bus, going around the country playing my songs and then getting back on the tour bus and going to the next gig. It’s about a campaign to me; it’s about using an opportunity to speak for something that really matters in life. Not just beer. Not just how much fun I can have with a girl on a beach. I’m talking about really speaking up for something that really matters in this world.

TCC: What was the inspiration behind writing Paper Angels?

JW: Paper Angels was inspired by a true story. It’s a fiction novel but the inspiration was inspired by a true story. My sister and I were both recipients of the Angel Tree program when we were kids. I wrote a song called "Paper Angels" and it was a huge hit in country music and I wanted to take it to another level and continue raising the awareness because that song came out in 2003. So I needed to take this to another level and not just let that die and not ever talk about it again. So we had the song, so the next step would obviously be, let’s write a book about it, just to continue the awareness because it’s important. Hopefully the next step will be making a movie.

TCC: What do you want or hope people who read your book take away from it?

JW: I hope people are inspired to help other people. I hope that people learn what the Angel Tree is, because it’s right there in the mall but for some reason it’s sort of like a fixture in a mall, like it’s part of a Christmas decoration and it’s hard for people who don’t know what it is, to actually learn what it is because the promotion isn’t great and it’s just a Christmas tree and it blends in with all the other Christmas trees in the mall. Except these trees have paper angels on them and the paper angels have information on a child that needs their help. So I hope people will take the time to go and sponsor one of these kids to make sure that that kid is going to be taken care of this Christmas and every Christmas. I hope people come away with just being inspired to help others.

TCC: Besides being named one of the "Sexiest Singers," what do you want people to know and remember about you?

JW: Without sounding arrogant or anything, I’m a philanthropist, I want people to know that I mean this and I’m serious about helping and it’s not something that I’m going to do for a short period of time and just get off the bandwagon, this is something that I’ve committed to for the rest of my life. As long as I’m living, I’m going to continue to raise awareness because the sexiness and all that stuff, that to me doesn’t really matter, because who are we comparing that to? Because when I look at that picture, I’m like, that is not the sexiest person by a long shot. But my focus isn’t on that, I’m not standing in the mirror trying to look sexy every day. I’m not trying to be that guy. I’m the guy who’s seriously trying to find a way to give back. I think that’s sexier than trying to be sexy. It really is pretty dang sexy when you see somebody trying to help other people. I think that’s a lot cooler.