Whatever Happened to John Waite?

John Waite poses for a photo circa 1984. — Lester Cohen/Getty Images

For many music fans, John Waite will always be remembered for the 1984 smash hit “Missing You,” a ballad that feigned happiness in the wake of separation from a lover; the tune, inspired by the singer being away from his wife while on the road, hit No. 1 in the U.S. and Canada. They also might recall Waite’s 1982 MTV hit “Change,” part of the VisionQuest soundtrack.

However, Waite’s career extended long before and well beyond that, with a steady touring schedule and new music releases keeping him in the public eye (and ear). And with his appearance this summer’s “I Want My ’80s” tour, where he’ll appear alongside Rick Springfield, Wang Chung, and others, it’s a great time to look back at the singer’s decades-long career.

Growing Up With The Babys

As a long-haired youth growing up in Lancaster, England, Waite knew he wanted to do something artistic; his teachers did not approve, but he was driven and talented. He started out as a bassist and songwriter, and then he became the frontman from the Babys, a pop-rock group that formed in England in 1975. He played bass for their first four years, then switched into full-on frontman mode.

The Babys released five albums between 1976 and 1980. They scored two singles that hit number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart – “Isn’t It Time” and “Every Time I Think Of You” – and they also landed another top 40 song with “Back On My Feet Again.” While The Babys ended up performing modestly well in the United States and finding unexpected success in Australia, where “Isn’t It Time” went No. 1, they never managed to make a big impact in their native UK, with that single barely cracking the Top 50 there. But their songs stay lodged in fans’ consciousness elsewhere, and a third of Waite’s current solo set features their tracks.

On their fourth album, Union Jacks, future Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain joined their ranks. This would not be the only time that Waite and Kane would be united on stage and in song.

Heartache Spawns A Hit

Although “Missing You” from Waite’s second album No Brakes would become ubiquitous, “Change” from his 1982 debut Ignition, landed first, hitting on radio and especially on MTV. The video featured Waite as a reporter trying to talk a distraught actress from jumping off the ledge of a building. In an unusual switch, Waite would also be disguised as the sleazy record executive who led to the manipulation and misery of the same woman. The upbeat, energetic track also became a fan favorite.

Waite would find success on radio with a few more songs, and throughout the decade he would contribute tracks to movies including Up The Academy, The Sure Thing, Fire With Fire, …About Last Night, The Principal, Shakedown, and Tango & Cash. Over the next two decades, “Missing You” would be covered by the likes of Brooks & Dunn, Rod Stewart, and Tina Turner, although Waite later admitted that he did not feel that any of them captured the spirit of his original.

English musician John Waite, UK, 4th October 1984.

Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

While Waite’s popularity was strong in the first half of the ‘80s, it would bump up a notch at the end of the decade when he joined a short-lived but popular supergroup.

Bad English Did Good Business

In 1988, Waite formed supergroup Bad English with two Journey alumni, guitarist Neil Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain, as well as former Babys bassist Ricky Phillips and future Ozzy Osbourne and post-reunion Journey drummer Deen Castronovo. The amazingly popular Journey had originally broken up after touring behind their 1986 album Raised On Radio; when the former members combined forces with Waite, many listeners found the combo irresistible.

The hook-driven Bad English served up a straight-ahead, synth-laden hard rock sound that scored them platinum sales for their self-titled debut album, and a No. 1 hit with “When I See You Smile,” a simple, piano-driven ballad written by Diane Warren.

They also launched an arena tour, with Waite playing to the largest audiences of his career at that point. But the group did not last long; it has been reported that just before their sophomore follow-up Backlash was mixed in 1991, the quintet split up. As with his then-previous band Journey, Schon was dissatisfied with the growing pop side of the group, while Waite did not really feel comfortable being a pop star. He made it to No. 1 twice in his career and was happy with that.

Solo Once More

John Waite performs at Ascend Amphitheater on July 12, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images

The famed singer continued on once more with his solo career and has released more albums since, with his most recent being 2011’s Rough & Tumble, his tenth studio effort. The perpetual ‘80s revival of the new millennium has also meant that his music has made a comeback. “Change” was featured in the movie Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, while “Missing You” has been used in many films and TV series including 22 Jump Street, Life As We Know It, and Everybody Hates Chris, plus the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The song has racked up 275 million plays on Spotify and 75 million views on YouTube.

“Missing You” got an unusual boost in 2006 when Waite recorded a duet version with bluegrass artist Alison Krauss that reached No. 34 of the Billboard Country chart. The duo played the song on The Tonight Show in February 2007.

A Regular Road Dog

Beyond the resurgent interest in his music, Waite has remained active on stage throughout the 2000s, and he feels strong about his vocal prowess, telling People in 2022 that he can still sing in the original keys of his hits: “Right now, everything is in the original keys — and I can go beyond that. The moment I have to lower the keys to get through a song, I think that’s God telling you to go.” He toured with Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band in 2003, and over the course of the last decade he has played an average of 40 to 50 live shows per year. Waite has already performed a dozen concerts so far in 2025, and he’ll be joining Rick Springfield for his cross-country trek with the “I Want My ’80s” tour this summer, making that an ideal package for fans of ‘80s pop-rock.

With a live repertoire pulling from two well-known groups and his solo career, John Waite certainly performs a set that will keep long-time fans happy while drawing in a new generation. For fans who want to learn even more, check out the 2022 documentary John Waite: The Hard Way.

The “I Want My ’80s” tour will kick off on May 28 in Clearwater, Florida, and travel throughout the country before ending in Knoxville, Tennessee on October 8. Find out more info about tour dates here.