interview that one of the first songs that inspired him was "Swallowed" by Bush, and that the lyrics and tune had moved him enough to pursue his career. In a post on AOL Radio Blog, he wrote: As a boy "Swallowed" was my siren's song. I was a sheltered church child and here's this man talking about living the life his way, doing whatever he felt like doing. Bush wasn't allowed in my house either, which made it that much more mysterious. His other musical influences include Nine Inch Nails, Queen, Radiohead, R.E.M., Counting Crows, U2, and Led Zeppelin. Philanthropy Slade performed on the 2010 remake of the 1985 charity single "We Are the World". He joined 85 other artists on February 1, 2010, to record the track for the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. On October 27, 2013, Slade and the Fray played at the Colorado Flood Benefit Concert that raised nearly $500,000 for victims of the flood. Political views Slade considers himself to be a centrist. He often votes for independent candidates. Slade sponsored Neal Simon, who was running as an independent candidate for senator from Maryland during the 2018 elections. References 1981 births Living people American Christians American people of Slovak descent American rock singers American rock pianists American male pianists American tenors APRA Award winners The Fray members University of Colorado Denver alumni Singers from Denver 21st-century American singers 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American male singers