John Waite 101
John Charles Waite was born on July 4, 1952, in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. He was first known as lead singer and bass player of The Babys. Shortly after the release of the Babys' fifth album in October 1980, the group broke up. Waite launched his solo career with his 1982 album titled Ignition, which produced the hit single "Change." His next album, No Brakes, made him an international star. This album included the smash hit "Missing You," which went to No.1 on the American charts. He has also served as the lead singer for Bad English, which featured Journey members Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain, along with future Journey member Deen Castronovo.

In 2006, there was a remake of "Missing You" as a duet with Alison Krauss, released as single in the Country Charts in the United States. Waite and Krauss appeared on the Tonight Show on February 5, 2007 to perform "Missing You."

Waite appears as himself and performs two songs in the 2010 feature film, New Day, from L'Oiseau Blanc Films.

John Waite: Review
Favorite Songs? "Missing You," "Tough Times Don't Last" "Fly"
Favorite Lines? "Trouble's like a storm that's gonna pass." (Amen to that!) "Every time I think of you, I always catch my breath." (It's such a romantic image.)
Favorite Album? Bad English
Least Favorite Songs? "Heaven is a 4 Letter Word." Sounds like they were trying too hard to be "bad."
Verdict: Casual Fan or Big-Time Fangirl? Big-Time Fangirl
Comments: I agree with the observation that John Waite makes you feel as if he's singing only to you. Whether he's telling a story or actually addressing the listener, his years of experience have given him a knack for knowing just how to deliver. In addition to being one of my favorite voices in music, John is an excellent songwriter, and though I haven't heard nearly all of his songs, when I read the lyrics I find something in each song that I can relate to. For example, I've chanted "Tough Times Don't Last" like a mantra to help get me through some difficult days.

Every time I think of you, I always catch my breath
And I'm still standing here, and you're miles away
And I'm wonderin' why you left
And there's a storm that's raging through my frozen heart tonight

I hear your name in certain circles, and it always makes me smile
I spend my time thinkin' about you, and it's almost driving me wild
And there's a heart that's breaking down this long distance line tonight

I ain't missing you at all since you've been gone away
I ain't missing you, no matter what I might say

We always wish for money
We always wish for fame
We think we have the answers
Some things ain't ever gonna change
It doesn't matter who you are
It's all the same
What's in your heart will never change
Look in the mirror
And you see how you've been taken
You won't surrender
But now your heart is breakin'

We've all seen some trouble
But we've always come through
You know things could get better
Hey babe believe me
Tough times don't last
Lovers do
Baby don't give up
On me and you
Cause trouble's just a storm
That's gonna pass
Tough times don't last

When I see you smile
I can face the world
Oh you know I can do anything
When I see you smile
I see a ray of light
Oh I see it shining
right through the rain
When I see you smile
Baby when I see you smile at me

Everything underneath the skyline
From the east side to the west
I see the miracles in real time
And there's one I've loved the best
See there's an angel on the D train
As she's flying to my world
And I'm waiting for a New York City girl.

Times Square looks like Avalon
In a Disney morphine dream
Dylan Thomas rides a white horse drunk
At the counter next to me
I wake up in her bed sometimes
And watch her as she sleeps
In the silence and the sirens
I pray her soul to keep

It's okay to want to be free
It's okay to spread your wings
If you know how to fly

So for now, you go on

Crawling along for a while
But you're dragging me down
You're holding me back
You're making it end

'Cause I can tell by the things you say
That your feelings will never change
You'll keep coming back to what you know is true

Jenny's sitting in the car
In the middle of some abandoned Shoney's parking lot
Ripping the filters off her cigarettes
Crying, he loves me, loves me not
She checks her makeup in the rearview mirror and turns the radio on
It hasn't hit her yet
But all she's looking at is another lonely night coming on

* Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.
* Everybody learns the hard way about love.
* In the cold harsh light of day, Romeo doesn't always get his Juliet.
* Too many heroes are looking dead upon their feet.
* We tend to keep coming back to what we know is true.
* We've all seen some trouble - but we've always come through.
* Things can only get better. Tough times don't last.
* A couple may fight, but they don't have to give up.
* You can't put your arms around a memory.
* It's okay to spread your wings if you know how to fly.
* You know how to fly if you know how to feel alive.
* Sometimes, angels fly via train.
* A smile might mean a lot to someone.
* These times can be hard for lovers.
* You don't have to understand someone to love them.
* Sometimes you don't know when to hold on or when to let go.
* In this world of right and wrong, the hardest part is beginning.
* By the time you find where you belong, you're either losing or winning.
* Rock 'n roll is alive and well.
* You can play some Chuck Jackson and watch those blue shadows fall.
* However, some people don't even know who Chuck Jackson is.
* Ladies, be real! He won't be taken in by some imaginary girl. (Well, not for long anyway.)
* Who do you want to be anyway?

* Trivia: John Waite appeared as himself in four episodes of the 1984 TV series Paper Dolls. According to tv.com, one of the characters (a wannabe model) was auditioning to be in one of his videos.

* Trivia: He was one of the artists chosen by Ringo Starr in 2003 to tour with his All Starr Band.

* Trivia: "Missing You" knocked Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It?" out of the #1 spot on the charts. For that very reason, Turner later recorded and released Waite's smash song herself.

* Trivia: Bad English's "When I See You Smile" penned by Diane Warren was also a number one song in the United States in late 1989. He co-wrote "Price of Love", another top 10 hit from the first Bad English album.

* Trivia: The Babys' biggest hit, "Every Time I Think of You," begins with the lyric, "Every time I think of you/It always turns out good." Waite's used the same idea to begin his biggest solo hit, "Missing You," which begins with the lyric, "Every time I think of you/I always catch my breath."

Credit: bio info is from Wikipedia, edited by me. Lyrics were found here.

* John Waite website links: JW @ myspace.com, Official Site, @ IMDb.com

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