Gravitas Ventures, an Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company, has released John Waite - The Hard Way, an intimate documentary film of the 80s rock icon John Waite as he reflects on his storied five-decade career. The film is available across all major streaming services including Apple TV, Amazon, Roku, and Google Chromecast, among others. DVD and BluRay Discs also available for purchase on Amazon.com. Watch the official trailer below.
More of a narrative about the struggles of an artist than a typical “music documentary,” John Waite - The Hard Way was captured during the COVID-19 pandemic and discovers a triumph in the shared experience of music at a time in our world when live music was not possible. When performing live is suddenly not an option - he's forced to finally confront himself. Through raw, emotional, and very personal interviews during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, the film explores the idea of what happens when your whole life revolves around live music, and suddenly life gets interrupted.
“Opening the front door at the crack of dawn in my boxers to a film crew signified how the documentary would go,” said Waite. “It’s an unvarnished take on my life, just the cold hard truth.”
Best known for his work on hit music documentaries Zappa, Echo In The Canyon, and The Last Play At Shea, John Waite - The Hard Way is directed, written, and co-produced by Mike J. Nichols. Producer Scott Wright (aka “Shadow Steele”), a former NY & LA radio personality, conceived and launched the project. He first met Waite when interviewing him on his radio show at Z-100 in New York in 1984, when “Missing You” was on its way to #1. John Waite - The Hard Way is also produced by award-winning producer Michele Farinola (Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice, David Crosby: Remember My Name).
From pioneer rock-video band The Babys in the 1970s to his breakthrough as a solo artist and one of the first stars of the MTV era, to his time fronting supergroup Bad English, to touring with Ringo Starr, Waite recounts his struggles inside the commercialized world of the music business and his independent pursuits as a self-powered solo, live music artist. Producing more than a dozen Top 40 and rock hits throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s, with total sales of approximately 10M copies, Waite is known for his iconic #1 hits including “Missing You” and “When I See You Smile”.
Featuring lost and rare archival music videos and photos, the film includes candid interviews with multi-award-winning songwriter Diane Warren, hit songwriter/guitarist Neil Giraldo, and many others, in addition to feature footage from Waite’s tour with Ringo Starr and his collaboration with country superstar Alison Krauss.
