Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler raised a record-breaking $4.6 million for Janie's Fund during his GRAMMYs watch party fundraiser this past weekend.
The charity, which Tyler launched in 2015, serves girls and young women who are victims of trauma, abuse and neglect.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Tyler organizes the event annually as a viewing party, dinner, concert and charity auction to support for Janie's Fund.
Tyler kicked off the event with a toast, followed by a piano-based rendition of Aerosmith's "Dream On" — his first public performance in two years. Singer Jesse J headlined the festivities with Miley Cyrus's band after Cyrus herself withdrew due to a positive COVID test.
During remarks at the event, Tyler spoke about how child abuse victims have gotten the worst of pandemic. He referred to the case that is the subject of the Netflix documentary, The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez, as one example of what thousands of children are going through.
“The world stood still,” Tyler said of the pandemic shutdowns two years ago. “Instantly, 2020 became a devastating F5 tornado — a worst case scenario for children in this country. Schools shut down, stay at home orders were put in place, meaning personal and economic stress and substance abuse would run rampant. Children paid dearly. It makes me cringe to think of the Janie’s and Gabriel’s of 2020.”
Tyler will reunite with Aerosmith in June for the return of the band's Las Vegas residency. Go here for more details.