Aerosmith Breakup Rumors Triggered By Recent Run of Bad Luck
— August 25, 2009 4 353With so much going on lately within the ranks of Aerosmith, it is not unexpected to see rumors begin to circulate that suggest the band is on the verge of breaking up. A seemingly relentless series of injuries and medical problems have plagued the group lately.
Medical problems and injuries are facts of life for just about everyone – even rock stars. We’ve all made bad decisions that have resulted in some physical injury, whether it be stubbing your toe on the door frame or falling off a rain-slicked catwalk while making an effort to entertain fans. There are, however, some questions being raised about other factors that may have contributed to the cancellation of Aerosmith’s summer tour after performing just a handful of shows.
Some are questioning whether frontman Steven Tyler was drunk when he slipped and fell off the catwalk during the 
show at the Sturgis motorcycle rally – the event that led to the decision to cancel the tour. The rumors of on-stage intoxication were further fueled by a very recent photograph of Tyler that he was generous enough to pose for with a fan. The problem, it seems, was the location where the photo was taken: Inside a Pembroke, Massachusetts liquor store.
For a man whose past problems with substance abuse are anything but secret, his appearance inside a retail outlet for alcohol can be expected to generate suspicion about his sobriety. It’s not hard to imagine that the group’s recent troubles could influence someone with a drinking problem to seek out a bottle to ease both the physical and emotional pain that Tyler may be struggling with.
On top of that, there are also reports that Tyler has not been in touch with his band mates, and any statements from him are being released through his personal management, which is a separate entity from the band’s management – something that may not be sitting too well with the rest of the group.
According to some reports, there was much concern over Tyler’s ability to go out on tour. Tyler was referred to as “a liability for the band,” by an unnamed source that is said to be close to the band.
The members of the group that are talking publicly are denying that the band is breaking up. Guitarist Joe Perry insists that they are on hiatus until Tyler recovers, although others consider it more of a “strike” initiated by the other members of the group that will last until Tyler gets his act together.
The fate of the group’s new album seems uncertain as well and presumably, the rumored “strike” will put a stop to any work done on it. The group had hoped to finish work on the new album after completing the tour.
This is certainly not the first time we have heard speculation about an Aerosmith split. Despite the denials from other members of the group, it appears the matter may be out of their hands.
The future of Aerosmith as we know it seems to rest squarely on the shoulders of Steven Tyler right now. The fact that one of those shoulders is currently broken is not encouraging, but a comeback certainly cannot be ruled out. Tyler has fought his way back before and may prove that he’s capable of doing it once again.
For more on Aerosmith, see the Boston Herald.
4 Comments
To whom it may concern:
Any talk about an Aerosmith “break-up” is just that…all talk! Since 1987, Aerosmith has been enjoying their 2nd round of success and they are not about to let it slip away from that easily. Steven Tyler had almost half of one of his heels ground off from a motorcycle incident and he still went on stage to perform. Back the, people thought he was drunk by using his microphone help him remain standing. Yes, that was true…standing with 1/2 of his heel missing that is. It’s a known fact that bands do NOT do well without the other 1/2 of the missing mate. The Rollings Stones members, Keith Richards (lead guitarist) and Mick Jagger (lead vocalist) both have released solo albums in their past and those albums traditionally don’t chart too well individually. But when Richards and Jagger have recorded a new album and then toured, the album sees huge sales and their ticket sales are well into the millions. The same held true for Aerosmith without Joe Perry and Joe Perry solo. Additionally, Gene Simmons (bass guitar, vocals) and Paul Stanley (rhythm guitar, vocals) of KISS is no different.
Rumors about anything in the music, movie or entertainment industry are just that r-u-m-o-r-s! Until there is 100% proof positive about something, don’t believe it. Bad publicity is better than no publicity and that being the case, Aerosmith is smart enough to know they need to keep themselves in the headlines rather than take a back seat to the negativety that others create to sell their “news” articles.
Always remember…hype over talent and money over music is the key to “artists and musicians” who need that to stay current and popular. Aerosmith by no means needs any of that. They are the Rock And Roll Uncles of thousands of garage and signed bands of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Steven, Joe, Tom, Brad and Joey will be back bigger and better than ever as…Aerosmith…you can count on that!
I believe it was made abundantly clear that any talk about a break-up or Steven Tyler’s sobriety were rumors.
You may be some kind of Aerosmith “SuperFan,” but you have to realize that people are going to talk about stuff like this when it involves celebrities, and a lot of people are interested, including fans.
Perhaps your time would be better spent tracking down whomever it is that actually starts these rumors. One of my goals here is to keep fans informed, and I’m not going to cover things up out of some blind loyalty to any artist or group.
I saw Aerosmith with opener act The Paul Collins Beat in 1981. This version of Aerosmith was more or less the “Steven Tyler” Aerosmith because the original guitar players Brad Whitford and Joe Perry were subbed by Rick Dufay and Jimmy Crespo. I believe Joe Perry was doing his own solo thing with The Joe Perry Project. During that concert, I honestly enjoyed The Paul Collins Beat and their guitar player more than that half-baked version of Aerosmith, mainly because guitarist Joe Perry was nowhere to be found. Regardless, this concert showed me how important Steven Tyler is to the band, just as Steven Tyler is neccessary. His vocals are a HUGE party of the equation. Take away Steven Tyler’s voice and it’s hard to say if the music would be the same. Boston was able to replace their lead singer after he passed away a few years ago. Journey has again replaced their singer a few times, most recently with a much younger man who sounds alot like Steve Perry on all the songs. Nonetheless, the best solution may be for Aerosmith to go on hiatus until Steven Tyler can complete an effective rehab program which could last up to a year or more.
call it a day boys your so past your prime you make that crappy u-2 almost look like a band.