TOUCHED by the effects of drought, former lead singer of INXS Jon Stevens is using his talents to get behind farmers.
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He’s dedicated his new single Rain on Me to Rural Aid and recently visited Tamworth for the star-studded Hay Mate concert.
“I, like most city-slickers, was unaware there was even a drought,” he said.
“I was in a bit of shock when I saw it, it just didn’t seem right – the last time I did something for drought was in 1994 and I’ve been told it’s the worst drought in Australian history.”
I was in a bit of shock when I saw it, it just didn’t seem right.
- Jon Stevens
The Hay Mate concert raised $2.3 million for Rural Aid’s Buy A Bale drive, and Stevens said it is important to him to keep the spotlight on farmers to ensure the issue doesn’t get wiped from the desks of bureaucrats.
INXS fellow former band member Andrew Farriss also performed at the charity concert and is now a property owner himself.
“He’s a farmer and he lives about 100 clicks out of Tamworth, he’s had a farm there for 26 years and was telling me how hard it is for him and everyone around him,” Stevens said.
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“That was the first time Andrew and I had been on stage together in 14 years, he’d pretty much given up music so to get him out again he was so passionate.”
The song Rain On Me is about struggle, and every cent from sales will go towards Rural Aid.
“It’s a song about struggle and hope,” Stevens said.
“That’s the spirit of musicians, it’s our duty to help when we can.”