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February 2, 2010
No End in Sight For Aerosmith Drama
With each passing day, the future of Aerosmith seems more uncertain. This rollercoaster ride for fans of the Bean Town rockers seems to have started when Steven Tyler took that much-publicized tumble from the stage during the group’s summer tour with ZZ Top.
Surely there had to be a lot going on behind the scenes well before the incident, but the fall seems to have been the turning point which opened the floodgates, and confirmed a lot of speculation regarding the status of the band and the relationship between Tyler and the rest of the group.
There were reports from inside the Aerosmith camp that Tyler’s behavior had taken a turn for the bizarre, and some recent public actions on the part of the iconic frontman seem to confirm the allegations.
Recently Tyler delivered an impromptu performance by singing over the P.A. system of a Home Depot store in Rancho Mirage, CA. He belted out versions of “Dude Looks Like a Lady” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” while shoppers roamed the aisles, probably wondering what new classic rock radio station the store’s management had tuned in to.
A week or so prior to his Home Depot debut, Tyler took to the stage at a club called the Tilted Kilt in Palm Desert, and finished up a karaoke rendition of "I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing." The previous two performers had not been well-received by the audience, so Tyler apparently decided to show them how it was done – much to the surprise of the club’s other patrons no doubt!
Tyler is reportedly still in rehab for his pain-killer addiction, but is said to have earned privileges that allow him to take trips away from the facility after 30 days of treatment. Tyler’s management company says that the 61-year-old singer is still in rehab and is set to continue with the 90-day program.
As for the Home Depot performance, the same source says that Tyler just happened to be shopping there, and pointed out that Tyler is a performer 24/7, whether he’s on stage or at Home Depot. Who knows? Maybe the guy was just happy to be through his first 30 days of rehab and decided to share the joy with his fellow shoppers.
Unfortunately, more recent news developments may be putting a bit of a damper on Steven Tyler’s mood. The rest of the group is said to be continuing their efforts to find a replacement singer with names such as Billy Idol, Lenny Kravitz, Paul Rodgers, and Chris Cornell being bandied about.
As a result, it appears the relationship between Tyler and the rest of the group may deteriorate even further in light of news regarding possible legal action. Billboard reported that Tyler’s lawyer has contacted Aerosmith manager Howard Kaufman and advised the group to “…cease and desist from engaging in acts and conduct to the harm and detriment of your own client, Aerosmith, and our client who is one of its members.”
Tyler reportedly has every intention of returning to his post with Aerosmith and wants to release a new album and tour with the group in Europe and South America as originally planned.
The letter from Tyler’s attorney to Aerosmith’s management also states that, “Contrary to all common sense, you are seeing to bring about the replacement of Steven Tyler. Aerosmith without Steven Tyler is like the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger, or U2 without Bono. While this management strategy may get the band on the road a few months sooner, it ultimately could destroy Aerosmith.”
Clearly the rest of the group is anxious to get back to the business of being a band, whether than includes Steven Tyler or not. Tyler’s ability to complete rehab successfully may be the deciding factor regarding the future of the group. It’s hard to imagine his band mates turning him away if he cleans up his act, but this could be his last chance to hold the group together and continue on as Aerosmith.
More recent details can be found in People magazine.
January 20, 2010
Aerosmith To Continue Work Without Steven Tyler?
It’s always a pretty uncertain thing when someone enters rehab. Will they stay long enough to complete the program and emerge with the ability to maintain their sobriety or will they wash out after a few weeks and return to their old habits? Anyone who was watched Intervention, or who has had personal experience with rehab knows there are no guarantees.
Regardless of any progress Steven Tyler’s has achieved in rehab, it looks like the former “toxic twin” is going to be laid up for a while due to other medical problems. Word is that he is due to undergo surgery on his leg and foot, and will reportedly be unable to perform on stage for about a year.
The rest of Aerosmith, having vented some frustration in recent months over Tyler’s strange behavior, seem ready to move on and resume working with a replacement for Tyler until he is well enough to return. Recent reports suggest that the group is actively seeking a stand-in.
It sounds perfectly plausible. As guitar man Joe Perry points out: “Just like when Tom was sick – we got David Hull to come in and play bass. When Brad was sick, we got somebody else to come in and play for him. That’s basically how I look at it; we need another singer to fill in.”
In contrast to how things appear to be working out between Jon Anderson and his former band mates from Yes, Aerosmith has indeed utilized replacement musicians in the past, and then returned them to their posts when they were up to the job. That should give fans confidence that Tyler’s spot will be waiting for him when he is ready.
One can’t help be a bit concerned about a guy who has struggled with an addiction to pain-killers going under the knife yet again, but perhaps doctors can patch up the energetic frontman sufficiently to alleviate, or at least reduce his pain for the long term.
It’s hard to imagine Aerosmith without their iconic frontman in the line-up, but it appears that is indeed something we may be seeing before long. In the meanwhile, I expect Tyler’s family, friends and fans will be pulling for him, and look forward to seeing him fronting those “Bad Boys From Boston” as soon as possible.
September 21, 2008
Led Zeppelin Without Robert Plant?
Well, if recent media reports are to be believed, there may be a lot more going on behind the scenes with Led Zeppelin that many of us thought.
Jason Bonham, who took the place of his legendary dad behind the drums at the Led Zeppelin reunion show at the O2 in London last year did recently reveal in a radio interview that he has been traveling a bit to the U.K. to work on some new material with original Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.
Although Bonham says during the interview that his departure from Foreigner had to do with a desire to spend more time with his family, one now wonders if he meant that he wants to spend more time with his family before hitting the road as part of a Led Zeppelin tour.
Robert Plant has so far been the holdout when it comes to the idea of a tour, with his recent claims that too much paperwork was the reason he was reluctant to commit. To me at least, that seems like a rather odd and perhaps flimsy excuse to put off a reunion tour that he presumably would otherwise be willing to do.
We are now hearing from U.K. tabloid The Sun, that Page and Jones may be tiring of Plant’s foot-dragging and have been rehearsing with Bonham and trying out new lead singers as well. One of the singers, an American, is said to be impressive enough to give the group thoughts of hitting the road without Plant.
A source was said to have commented that: “Jimmy, Jason and John are determined a tour will go ahead next year. They’ve been rehearsing frequently in London and the band is really gelling. There’s an American guy who has been standing in for Robert regularly and doing a great job. Obviously they want the original frontman to join them on the road but he still won’t commit.”
The group is reportedly planning to tell Plant that he can either join them, or they will simply go on tour without him.
What reaction fans would have to a Led Zeppelin sans Plant will be interesting if things end up going that way. I suspect there will still be a sufficient number of them willing to pay to see some form of the group back together and others who would consider such a notion rock and roll sacrilege.
Things appear to be heating up where the future of the group is concerned, it Robert Plant may have a very important decision to make in the near future. It’s hard to imagine Led Zeppelin without their iconic frontman, but the rest of the guys seem to have a real desire to get up there in front of live audiences again, and they seem determined to keep Plant from holding them back.
Stay tuned, this could get interesting.
