Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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AEROSMITH

U.S. rock group formed '70 in New Hampshire. Original lineup: vocalist Steven Tyler (b Stephen Tallarico, 26 March 1948, NY: he was Stephen Tally in a group called Chain Reaction, then became Tyler), Joe Perry (guitar; b 10 September 1950, Boston), Brad Whitford (guitar; b 23 February 1952, Winchester MA), Tom Hamilton (bass; b 31 December 1951, Colorado Springs), Joey Kramer (drums; b 21 June 1950, NY). They were spotted at Max's Kansas City (NYC) and signed to Columbia '72. Accused at first of being Rolling Stones rip-offs, they were never highly regarded by critics but the public didn't care; their early records were successful but third LP Toys In The Attic '75 did still better, Rocks '76 reached no. 3 USA. They enjoyed major U.S. stardom until competition from the new wave, having five top 40 singles '75-8. Albums included Draw The Line and two-disc Live! Bootleg '77-8; after Night In The Ruts '79 there was an enormous squabble backstage at a concert involving drugs, girlfriends and ex-wives, like nothing so much as the rock'n'roll send-up film Spinal Tap; Perry left to form the Joe Perry Project, replaced by Jimmy Crespo; Rick Dufay replaced Whitford '81.

After Rock In A Hard Place '82 the original lineup re-formed; they appeared to be washed-up rock'n'roll casualties but cleaned themselves up and came back bigger than ever. It took three rehabs in Tyler's case; he still wanted to 'snort up the rest of Peru', but finally the whole band checked themselves into the Betty Ford clinic. They had switched to Geffen for Done With Mirrors '85, Permanent Vacation '87, Pump '89 (back up to no. 5) and Get A Grip '93, a surprise no. 1 album after 20 years. Big Ones '94 was a Geffen compilation; meanwhile Columbia put out compilations including a three-CD Pandora's Box '91 ('72-82 tracks); they went back to that label for a typically absurd major-label deal of $30m, and Nine Lives released early '97 was a polished product, but no longer a postcard from the edge.

Tyler's daughter Liv is an actress, appeared in several films; her mother was rock bimbo Bebe Buell, who named Todd Rundgren as Liv's father because being with Tyler 'was like going to Peru and back every day'.