1970-Steven TylerVocals1970-
Joe PerryGuitar1970-1979, 1984-
Brad WhitfordGuitar1970-1980, 1984-
Tom HamiltonBass1970-
Joey KramerDrums1970-
Jim CrespoGuitar1979-1984
Rick DufayGuitar1980-1984
Steven Tyler once said, "I must have snorted all of Peru." Perry and Tyler were known as "The Toxic Twins" because of their drug habits in the '70s. Among the tales of their indulgent revelry: chainsaws brought to hotel rooms to facilitate their destruction, extension cords so they could see the TVs explode when they threw them into swimming pools, cases of vintage wine finished off on a regular basis. Their performances suffered as well. As
Joe Perry explained: "A lot of times we really sucked, but we'd stopped giving a s--t."
Tyler's real name is Steven Tallarico. His first band was called The Strangeurs, but they had to change their name because of a band called The Strangers. They became Chain Reaction, and Tallarico became Steven Tally. After Chain Reaction split up, he formed Aerosmith and became Steven Tyler. His first choice of stage name was Tyler Britt, but their manager talked him out of it and suggested Steven Tyler.
There was an Aerosmithsonian in the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston until the venue closed in 2022. On display were Steven Tyler's microphone stand appropriately draped with scarves, one of his stage outfits made by Teresa Tyler, as well as boots that Joe Perry wore, denim jacket and pants (embellished by Teresa Tyler) worn by Tom Hamilton, Joe Perry's guitar, and Joey Kramer's drum head.
They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Joe Perry took the opportunity to thank his mom for "letting me practice my guitar as loud as I want downstairs in the basement 30 years ago."
Their first greatest hits album, released in 1980 at a nadir for the band, is their best-selling album, certified for 12 million copies in the US.
In their early years, they could have made a lot more money as a cover band because club owners preferred acts that played recognizable hits. They were determined to play their own material, however, and took lots of high school dances and other low paying gigs while they built an audience and developed their repertoire. They were very tight for cash in those days.
There was an Aerosmith-themed thrill ride called the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney World in Orlando, Florida from 1999 until it was replaced with a Muppets theme in 2026. Aerosmith gave a virtual introduction as guests waited to board, and speakers in the headrests pumped Aerosmith songs during the ride.
Aerosmith floundered in the early '80s after Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left the band. They both returned in 1984, but their comeback didn't really get rolling until 1986, when all the band members got sober and the
Run-D.M.C. reworking of "Walk This Way" introduced them to a new audience.
Tyler's daughter, Liv, is a popular actress. She was born in 1977 to Bebe Buell, a legendary groupie who also had affairs with Jimmy Page, Mick Jagger, Elvis Costello, and Todd Rundgren. She told Liv that Rundgren was her father, and Liv didn't find out the truth until she was 11.
Jennifer Anniston thinks Steven Tyler is hot. When she was with Brad Pitt, she said that Tyler was the only guy she would leave him for.
Tyler was originally the band's drummer. He left for a short time, and then returned as the frontman.
In the 1970s, Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia called the band the druggiest people he'd ever seen.
Aerosmith appear in the 1978 movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band as the FVB (Future Villain Band). It's considered one of the worst movies ever, but they got to kill the Bee Gees.
Other occupations Steven Tyler considered include gigolo, gourmet chef, and park ranger.
Aerosmith were the first big rock band to appear on The Simpsons as themselves. They were in the "Flaming Moe" episode in season 3. As part of the deal, the band's manager had to be drawn into the episode as well.
Joe Perry got his first guitar when he was 6; it was a ukulele his uncle made for him.
Tom Hamilton collects WWII paraphernalia.
Arrowsmith is the name of a 1925 novel by Sinclair Lewis, but it has nothing to do with the band name. Joey Kramer came up with the name Aerosmith, which was rejected by one of his previous bands.
William Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts, declared April 13 "Aerosmith Day" in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The first Aerosmith Day was observed in 1993.
Joe Perry formed a band called The Joe Perry Project when he left Aerosmith in 1979. He's a fan of military history, so his bandmates called him "Admiral Perry." When Joe joined Twitter he used the handle @admiralperry, but later switched to @JoePerry.
Steven Tyler has a daughter named Mia who is a well-known plus-sized model. She is half sister to Liv Tyler.
Rick Dufay, who replaced Brad Whitford in the band in 1980, was thanked by Joe Perry at Aerosmith's 2001 induction to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for "committing career suicide." Dufay suggested to Steven Tyler that he reunite the original band.
Ray Tabano, who was a member of the original Aerosmith lineup before being replaced by Brad Whitford, designed the band's logo, which can be seen on the covers of Aerosmith's early albums, and the current Aerosmith wings logo.
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Aerosmith have a reputation for being kind to their opening acts, tolerating any youthful indiscretions. Guns N' Roses tested their limits when they opened on Aerosmith's Permanent Vacation tour. Slash told this story to Rolling Stone: "We went to their manager's hotel room, and while he was in the bathroom we ordered $1,500 worth of room service and trashed the place. But they must have liked us a lot, because they put us on the bill anyway, and I've known them ever since."
Their backstage demands can be a bit decadent. One of the requirements on most of their tours is a V.I.P. Guest Room decorated in Eastern Indian style.
In 2002, Tyler found out he had hepatitis C. He was also dealing with a condition called Morton's neuroma, which crippled his toes. This led to a relapse, as he became addicted to pain medication and began doing cocaine again. An attempt at recording an album in 2008 with producer Brendan O'Brien failed, as both Tyler and Joe Perry were back on drugs.
The legendary music executive Clive Davis signed the band to Columbia Records in July, 1972, paying them a $125,000 advance. Aerosmith was the last act he signed to Columbia, as he soon moved on to Arista Records.
In the mid-'70s, Steven Tyler lived with a 16-year-old girl named Julia Holcomb, whose mother signed guardianship over to Tyler so he could move her to Boston. According to Holcomb, Tyler got her pregnant, and while he was on tour, their apartment caught fire. She escaped, but when she was being treated at the hospital, she says Tyler convinced her to get an abortion, which she did.
Steven Tyler was a member of the judging panel for American Idol during the program's 10th and 11th seasons. Asked by Howard Stern why he took the gig, Tyler replied: "I took it because I was pissed off at the band. I fell offstage and nobody called me and I was also on drugs, so I held the grudge. You know, those guys suck, but I love 'em to fu--ing death."
Aerosmith played their first ever concert at Miscoe Hill School's gymnasium (it was then known as Nipmuc Regional High School), in Mendon, Massachusetts on November 6, 1970. They got the gig through Joe Perry's mother, who worked at a nearby school. She knew someone at Miscoe Hill and helped set it up.
In 2008, the group released Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, becoming the first outfit to have its band-centered Guitar Hero title. It is likely the best-selling band-centric video game - Aerosmith made more money from it than from any one of their albums.
