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.