Local rock-n-soul-infused artist Josh Weathers has returned to the music scene after a trip to India with his wife resulted in the launch of a charity program.
With a career spanning over two decades, Weathers has grown his audience across the southern United States with a variety of soulful melodies. Since 2005, Weathers has been playing shows either accompanied by his five-piece band or solo, traversing the country.
“I found a guitar in a buddy’s garage. That was the first guitar I learned to play my handful of chords on. My uncle taught me how to play,” Weathers told The Dallas Express in an exclusive interview. Soon after, Weather’s father got him an upgraded guitar and the rest played itself out into a music career.
Hailing from Fort Worth, Weathers was not too far from home on May 2, where he played a variety of originals intertwined with covers of iconic classics in the heart of Colleyville. Music aficionados were treated to a special evening as Weathers gave a private concert.
Beyond the stage, Weathers and his family have been on a mission to make a difference in the world through their non-profit organization, Love Like You Mean It (LLYMI). The initiative focuses on providing essential resources and educational support to help deter the scourge of sex trafficking and promote overall safety in communities both internationally and back home in the states, per the LLYMI website.
In Dallas, there were 65 incidents of human trafficking for commercial sex logged, according to the City’s victim demographics dashboard. The majority of victims were under the age of 18, with the youngest being 11 years old.
“The pursuit was always going to be that we’re going to build a home for girls, but also a co-ed school. Well, COVID and some pressure from the government made us say, ‘Okay, we’ll do the school first and put everything towards that [first].’ … We have 280 students, with some on a waitlist, 12 full-time teachers. … Me going back to playing music was all to benefit that,” Weathers said.
Weathers has been able to bring recognition to his campaign thanks to his performances and most recent release, Wild Ones (2019). Wild Ones not only garnered critical acclaim but also served as a platform to amplify LLYMI’s message.
Weathers said he caught some minor criticism for playing the Trump Inauguration in 2016. However, he noted it was an opportunity that was difficult to pass up for a variety of reasons, including the fact that the event benefitted the armed forces. Still, the gig has not seemed to slow the musician whatsoever, nor his family’s effort to bring awareness to kids in need internationally.
“Our goal is to educate kids and educate families, so they don’t fall victim [to the sex trade] — [which] is so rampant globally people don’t even realize it. The immediate intention and goal is to get kids educated, to offer them a safe haven, a safe place to go every day,” explained Weathers.
To see Josh Weathers live, visit his official website for a list of tour dates.
