Photo:Fin Costello/Redferns
Fin Costello/Redferns
Aerosmith’s staying power is nothing short of “Amazing.”
The rock band, made up ofSteven Tyler,Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer, was formed in Boston in 1970 and has since become one of the best-selling rock groups of all time. Aerosmith has sold over 150 million records during its five decades together.
Aerosmith won four Grammys between 1990 and 1999 for “Janie’s Got a Gun,” “Livin' on the Edge,” “Crazy” and “Pink.” They joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and Tyler and Perry were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013.
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However, the rock band only played three shows beforepostponing the tourdue to Tyler’s vocal cord damage.
Here’s a look into the lives of the members of Aerosmith, then and now.
Steven Tyler, 75
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Tylerhas four childrenand five grandchildren. His oldest daughter, actressLiv Tyler, was born in 1977 to modelBebe Buell. (Growing up, Liv wastold that her fatherwas her mother’s partner at the time, Todd Rundgren.) Tyler also shares daughterMia Tylerwith the late model Cyrinda Foxe, whom he was married to from 1978 to 1987.
He also has two children, daughterChelsea Tylerand son Taj Tallarico, with designer Teresa Barrick, to whom he was wed from 1988 to 2006. The “Crazy” singer was engaged to Erin Brady from 2011 to 2013 and has been in a relationship with his former assistant,Aimee Preston, since at least 2016.
Aerosmith began aLas Vegas residencycalled Deuces Are Wild in 2019, but shows were canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The band resumed performances in early 2022 but later canceled their summer dates when Tyler checked into rehab after relapsing following foot surgery.
The Aerosmith frontman has beenopen about his struggles with addiction, and his bandmates even staged an intervention in 1988. “I have had many times in my life where I just couldn’t handle — whether it was a marriage or my addiction had reared its ugly head — and the rest of the guys in the band are not unlike that,” he toldHaute Livingin 2019. “But we have all seen each other through it, and we are here today.”
Aerosmith resumed their Vegas residency in September 2022. It wrapped in late November aftercanceling the remainder of the showson the advice of Tyler’s doctor.
Joe Perry, 73
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Born Joseph Anthony Pereira in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on Sept. 10, 1950, Perry is a founding member of Aerosmith and part of the “Toxic Twins” songwriting duo with Tyler. While he originally hoped to become a marine biologist, he learned to play guitar at age 10 and became excited about starting a band while attending a boarding school in Vermont.
Before Aerosmith, Perry was in the Jam Band with Tom Hamilton. After a major fight in Cleveland in 1979, the musician left Aerosmith and formed the Joe Perry Project, but he rejoined the group in 1984. Outside of Aerosmith, Perry has released four solo albums since 2005, including 2023’sSweetzerland Manifesto MKII.
Perry’s first marriage to Elyssa Jerret lasted from 1975 to 1982, and they share one son, Adrian. He married his second wife, Billie, in 1985, and the pair have two sons, Tony and Roman; Perry also has a stepson, Aaron, from Billie’s previous marriage. Perrystill lives in Massachusettsand used to sit in with Adrian and Tony’s now-defunct band, Dead Boots. He also has his own line of hot sauce, Joe Perry’s Rock Your World Hot Sauces, and has been apart of Hollywood Vampires, a rock supergroup withAlice CooperandJohnny Depp, since 2012.
Over the past decade, Perry has dealt with several health issues. He collapsed backstage after a Hollywood Vampires performance in 2016 and againafter a guest performancewithBilly Joelat N.Y.C.’s Madison Square Garden in 2018.
He also joined the Hollywood Vampires on tour in 2023, althoughmultiple concerts were canceled over the summer.
Brad Whitford, 71
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Rhythm guitaristBrad Whitfordhas been an integral part of Aerosmith since replacing founding member Ray Tabano in 1971. Whitford was born in Winchester, Massachusetts, on Feb. 23, 1952, and studied at Berklee College of Music.
Before joining Aerosmith, he was in local bands like Cymbals of Resistance, Teapot Dome and Justin Thyme. He left Aerosmith in 1981 to create Whitford/St. Holmes with singer Derek St. Holmes and toured with the Joe Perry Project. Whitford rejoined Aerosmith in 1984.
Whitford co-wrote a number of Aerosmith songs, including “Last Child,” “Kings and Queens” and “Round and Round,” and has been lead or co-lead guitar on nearly 50 tunes. He toldGoldmineMagazinethat he didn’t regret letting his bandmates take the lead in songwriting. “It’s just the nature of the way things have gone. I literally got pushed out of the writing circle. I don’t consider myself a terribly prolific writer,” he said. “I really can’t create a song. It’s very difficult to do.”
He has been married to Kimberly Whitford since 2006, and the pair share one child, musician Graham Whitford. The father-son guitarists appeared together on a 2019 episode ofAmerican Pickers.
In 2015, Whitford reunited with St. Holmes and Whitford/St. Holmes went on tour the next year. Whitford is still a main member of Aerosmith and is a part of the band’s 2023 Farewell Tour.
Tom Hamilton, 71
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Tom Hamilton was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 31, 1951, as the third of four siblings. His older brother, Scott, taught him how to play guitar when he was a kid. Known primarily as Aerosmith’s bassist, Hamilton has also co-written songs, including “Sweet Emotion” and “Janie’s Got a Gun,” and played guitar on tunes like “Uncle Salty.” He’s also provided vocals to some tracks, like backup on “Love in an Elevator” and lead on “Up on the Mountain.”
Hamilton has been married to wife Terry Cohen since 1975, and the pair share two grown children, Julian and Sage. They live in the Boston area and had a home on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He was also diagnosed with throat cancer twice, undergoing treatment in 2006 and again in 2011.
“I just saw [Dr. Steven Zeitels] the other day and he said, ‘You beat this one. You can keep coming to see me if you want, but I don’t think you need to worry about this cancer coming back,’ ” Hamilton toldLong Island Pulse Magazinein 2015. “I said, ‘I’ll come back to see you every six months from here until eternity, if it’s alright with you!' ”
In 2023,Hamilton tweetedthat he had been in the studio recording songs for a rock opera,Rock Bottom. One day before Aerosmith announced their Farewell Tour,he wrotethat he was “PSYCHED” about the big news.
Joey Kramer, 73
Drummer Joey Kramer was born Joseph Michael Kramer in the Bronx on June 21, 1950. He was a part of the New Jersey garage band the Institution before moving to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music. He is a founding member of Aerosmith and is credited with giving the band its name.
Outside of music, Kramer released a memoir,Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top, in 2009. He also appeared on the 22nd season finale ofThe Simpsonsand has his own organic coffee line, Rockin’ & Roastin’ Coffee.
Kramer lived in New England for 40 years but now calls Austin, Texas, home. He and his second wife, Linda, wed in 2009.Linda diedon June 22, 2022, at age 55, three months after Kramer announced he wastaking a leave of absencefrom the band to focus on family.
Kramer is not a part of Aerosmith’s 2023 Farewell Tour. “While Joey Kramer remains a beloved founding member of Aerosmith, he has regrettably made the decision to sit out the currently scheduled touring dates to focus his full attention on his family and health,” the band said. “Joey’s unmistakable and legendary presence behind the drum kit will be sorely missed.”
source: people.com
