BARTLETT, Tenn. — Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler provided some sweet emotions in the Memphis area Monday as he and a group from Youth Villages snipped through his signature scarves to open Janie’s House.
The renovated house on the 82-acre Youth Villages campus in Bartlett will be a home for dozens of girls each year who have faced neglect and abuse.
Tyler said while he’s used to accolades from the public after 50 years of touring with Aerosmith, “This does my heart and my soul good. This is real.”
Tyler contributed about half a million dollars to Youth Villages through his program, Janie’s Fund. He also designed all the artwork in the building.
“We wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t for Steven and his dream of Janie’s Fund,” said Patrick Lawler, CEO of Youth Villages.
Janie’s House will serve 14 girls at any given time, about 26-30 annually, Youth Villages’ marketing and communications director Crissy Lintner said. This is the second Janie’s House to open in the country.