Joe Perry arrives at the American Music Awards
Photo: MTV News

LOS ANGELES — The 39-year history of Aerosmith has had more than its share of ups and downs. Between the successes and failures, the drug use and recoveries, the legendary bad-boy behavior and the tours all over the world, "America's Greatest Rock Band" has enough material to fill a half-dozen biopics. But those four decades seem almost quiet compared to the hostile events of the past few weeks. And now, with the band on the verge of being torn apart, a visibly displeased Joe Perry told us at the American Music Awards that he and Steven Tyler aren't even close to making up.

"Um, well ... I don't know," he shrugged, admitting that the future of Aerosmith is in doubt. "You guys know more about it than I do. Everything is through the press."

Everything has been through the press lately, from details about Tyler's desire to go solo to Perry's belief that the lead singer was quitting the band to Tyler's surprise appearance onstage recently with the Joe Perry Project.

At that show, Tyler told the crowd that he wasn't leaving Aerosmith. "Well," Perry explained, "he says he's not."

As proof of just how bizarre things have become between the legendary Toxic Twins, the duo address each other only through the media these days — or onstage, they essentially speak only to the crowd. "Actually, he sat in. For one song," Perry said of that appearance with the Project. "Yeah, but we didn't talk or anything."

Getting beyond Tyler, Joe Perry insisted that the rest of the band — Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer — want to keep the train a-rolling. "I think that you just have to listen to what's going on in the press. Because that's the only thing I know," he explained. "All I know is that the four guys want to work. I'm working with my band, playing the House of Blues all across the country. And we're rocking out and having a good time."

"The band's going to be working," he said of Aerosmith's plans, with or without Tyler. "I'm working, right now."

But, when it comes to his bandmate of 39 years — with whom he became sober, shares more than 80 songwriting credits and even once owned a restaurant — Joe Perry answered in no uncertain terms when asked if they're speaking to each other.

"No," he said of their non-communicative status, repeating it a second time for emphasis: "No."

• Who Should Replace Steven Tyler In Aerosmith?

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Aerosmith's Steven Tyler
Photo: Jason Merritt/ FilmMagic.com

Another day, another drama. We've already weathered the "are they or aren't they?" breakup rumors about veteran rockers Aerosmith. There was the brief onstage reunion between singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry in New York recently, followed by Perry's comments that the band is still considering moving on with another singer while Tyler pursues his solo career over the next two years.

Now, drummer Joey Kramer has spoken to People magazine about his concerns that Tyler might be suffering from more than just a case of the 40-year itch. "I think that he needs help and that attention needs to be put to his health," Kramer said cryptically, clarifying that he wasn't referring to the physical healing from a broken shoulder Tyler suffered when he fell off the stage during an Aerosmith gig in August.

Kramer confirmed that he thinks there is something else going on with Tyler. "I do," he said. Kramer would not say that he's seen recent drug use by Tyler — who battled a life-threatening drug addiction in the 1970s and '80s before getting sober — but said he's concerned because Tyler has "isolated himself. ... He's got some bad influences in his life right now and he's making poor choices." Tyler checked in to a rehab facility last year to treat an addiction to pain and sleeping medication following foot surgery.

Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford was even more forthcoming, telling the magazine, "His behavior is spinning out of control. ... I don't know where he is and what he's doing." Whitford said that he's also "concerned about [Tyler's] well-being and his health." Whitford referred to Tyler's behavior over the past few months as "erratic" and "unpredictable," saying the changes didn't come overnight but have progressively spun further out of control.

The public war of words between the bandmates has threatened to tear apart a group that has weathered 40 years of ups and serious downs, including previous breakups, career nosedives and a triumphant return to form in the late 1980s that once again made them superstars after Perry and Tyler kicked major drug habits. Tyler, who has mostly stayed out of the latest back-and-forth, told Rolling Stone in August that he's working on a memoir and would like to record a solo album. He also denied that he was back on drugs, saying he was "sober as can be" when he fell off the stage in August.

But Whitford said the singer's unpredictable behavior has thrown the band's career into chaos recently, resulting in "loads of cancellations, canceled tours and canceled dates."

A spokesperson for the group could not be reached for comment at press time, but an unnamed rep for Tyler told People that Tyler is "concentrating on his book right now while his shoulder heals."

Despite the blustery talk from Perry about looking for a new lead singer and carrying on without Tyler, Kramer said the idea of plugging in without the group's iconic frontman is daunting. "It's hard for me to imagine getting on stage without Steven," the drummer said. "He needs to take care of his health first and get help in order for there to be a future for an Aerosmith that includes him."

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Aerosmith's Joe Perry and Steven Tyler
Photo: Kevin Kane/WireImage

First, there was the "indefinite hiatus," then guitarist Joe Perry said Aerosmith were looking for a new singer to replace the legendary Steven Tyler, who reportedly left the group after 40 years to pursue a solo career.

And then, on Tuesday night, Tyler took the stage unexpectedly during an appearance by Joe Perry's band at Irving Plaza in New York, seemingly putting an end to speculation of a breakup by announcing, "New York, I want you to know I'm not leaving Aerosmith." And, oh, by the way, he added, "Joe Perry, you are a man of many colors. But I, motherf---er, am the rainbow."

That seemed to settle things. Only it didn't. Perry told Rolling Stone magazine that the appearance by Tyler was a shock even to him and that it didn't mean things were all patched up. "There was all this commotion during our encore break and somebody said, 'Steven is here.' " Perry explained. "And I was like, 'What?' " The pair then apparently made some small talk and, after Tyler asked to sit in for an encore of "Walk This Way," Perry said archly, "Being an acquaintance of 40 years, I said, 'Why not?' So he came up and sang and that was the last I saw of him."

A spokesperson for Aerosmith could not be reached for comment at press time.

Perry said the apparent rapprochement didn't mean much, as he explained that Tyler — who was injured this summer after a fall from the stage during a subsequently canceled Aerosmith tour — still wants to take two years off.

"The rest of the band wants to keep on working," he said. "We have so many different options to fill up that time. Anything is possible at this point. Basically, any communication that we've had over the last couple of months has been through managers, so that's been pretty strange. I never won any money trying to second-guess what goes on in Steven's mind. I guess this is just Aerosmith business as usual."

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Aerosmith's Joe Perry and Steven Tyler (file)
Photo: Kevin Kane/WireImage

Perhaps tired of having others speculate about his status in Aerosmith, Steven Tyler took the stage Tuesday night to set the record straight. That he did it during a performance by bandmate Joe Perry's side project should give you an indication of just what he had to say.

"New York, I want you to know I'm not leaving Aerosmith," Tyler said in a surprise appearance during a set by the Joe Perry Project at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza. "Joe Perry, you are a man of many colors. But I, mother----er, am the rainbow."

Totally. That announcement was followed by Perry and the Project launching into a raucous version of "Walk This Way," with Tyler on lead vocals, as the crowd went absolutely nuts. And with that, the rumors of Tyler leaving Aerosmith — the band he formed nearly 40 years ago — and of Perry launching a search to find a new lead singer to replace him were officially debunked.

But just to get the news out to all the Aerosmith fans not lucky enough to be inside the Fillmore, both Perry and Tyler gave quick interviews to TMZ.com following the show.

When Perry was asked if Tyler had just joined him onstage, he joked, "Yeah, he did. ... He just couldn't stay away," then said that the reports of Aerosmith's demise were most definitely not true.

Tyler, on the other hand, was a little more declarative, telling the TMZ cameraman, "There is absolutely no validity to the rumor that Aerosmith is breaking up, mother----er!"

• Who Should Replace Steven Tyler In Aerosmith?

• Aerosmith

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler
Photo: Jason Merritt/ FilmMagic.com

Over the past few days, rumors have been rampant that frontman Steven Tyler has left Aerosmith to pursue a solo career. The only problem was, no one associated with the band seemed to be willing to confirm those rumors.

But late Monday, there's news that not only is Tyler out of the band he helmed for nearly 40 years, but Aerosmith plan on searching for a new singer to replace him.

	Who Should Replace Steven Tyler In Aerosmith?

That's according to guitarist Joe Perry, who took to his Twitter account on Monday evening to let fans know that "Aerosmith is definitely NOT breaking up ... one of the members is doing his own thing and said so in the press."

That last line was in reference to a recent interview Tyler gave to British magazine Classic Rock, in which he said he had canceled all remaining Aerosmith dates, and was instead focused on — as he put it —"working on the brand of myself: Brand Tyler."

And according to another Perry tweet, the band is looking for a frontman to replace Tyler, with plans of hitting the road once again.

"Aerosmith is positively looking for a new singer to work with. You just can't take 40 years of experience and throw it in the bin," he wrote. "[The] band is playing hotter than ever and our songs need to be played live. Don't despair: Aerosmith is not splitting up. Promise that's the last you'll hear from me on the subject 'till we gear up again."

At press time, a spokesperson for the band had not responded to MTV News' requests for comment on the matter.

• Who Should Replace Steven Tyler In Aerosmith?

• Aerosmith

Steven Tyler
Photo: Brad Barket/ Getty Images

Rumors have been swirling that iconic frontman Steven Tyler has parted ways with Aerosmith, bringing to a close a musical partnership that spanned four decades, created dozens of rock-radio anthems, and moved something north of 150 million albums worldwide.

The source of those rumors — which, at press time, reps for the band had not responded to — seems to be a pair of recent interviews given by Aerosmith's two most visible members: guitarist Joe Perry and Tyler himself.

In a piece published by The Las Vegas Sun on Friday, Perry said that Tyler had quit the band following a recent concert in Abu Dhabi, though he didn't seem to know the reasoning behind the decision.

"Steven quit, as far as I can tell," Perry told the newspaper. "I don't know anymore than you do about it. I got off the plane two nights ago. I saw online that Steven said that he was going to leave the band. I don't know for how long, indefinitely or whatever. Other than that, I don't know."

Perry's comments were in reference to an interview Tyler gave to British magazine Classic Rock a few days earlier, in which he said that he had canceled all remaining Aerosmith dates and was focused on pursuing a solo project.

"I don't know what I'm doing yet, but it's definitely going to be something Steven Tyler," he told the magazine. "[I'm] working on the brand of myself — Brand Tyler."

At press time, a spokesperson for Aerosmith had not responded to MTV News' request for comment on the situation.

Regardless, things haven't been rosy in the Aerosmith camp for some time. In August, the band canceled the remainder of their tour while Tyler recovered from injuries sustained after he fell off a stage in Sturgis, North Dakota. And just last month, Perry told MTV News that the band was on "indefinite hiatus."

In the late '70s, at the height of Aerosmith's initial popularity, Perry left the group and formed the Joe Perry Project, and rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford departed soon after. The band soldiered on, though their popularity waned, and both Perry and Whitford rejoined the group in the mid-80s. Tyler entered a rehabilitation facility, and soon Aerosmith returned to the top of the charts, scoring massive hits with songs like "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," "Love in an Elevator," and "Walk This Way," their legendary team-up with Run-D.M.C. Their success stretched well into the 1990s, as their Get A Grip album sold some 7 million copies in the United States alone.

Aerosmith's last album of original material was 2001's Just Push Play. In 2004, they released Honkin' On Bobo, an album that featured the band covering blues standards.

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Joe Perry
Photo: MTV News

Legendary guitarist Joe Perry had a pretty simple reason for releasing Have Guitar, Will Travel, his fifth solo album: He had tons of material lying around — the kind of stuff that would make most axmen quake in their boots — so, he figured, why not?

"Like about 2 million other guitar players out there, I had all these riffs. And I figured I should do something with them, so my wife would have something she could put out if my motorcycle hit a tree," he laughed. "So by finishing off the stuff, I figured I'd have something to leave besides a bunch of guitars ... and I wanted to get out there and play, so I recorded it with a band, to make it sound live, we want to make it the soundtrack to a live show."

So he revived his on-again, off-again side band — the Joe Perry Project — to do just that, but with a full slate of Aerosmith activity on the horizon, Perry wasn't sure when he'd be able to take the group (and his new album) on the road. But then, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler took an onstage tumble.

"I planned on doing [my band] after the Aerosmith calendar was clear and the Aerosmith record was done and the tour was done and we'd take our usual break. But as the album got postponed, I thought, 'I got to get in the studio and start doing this,' " Perry explained. "I got enough time to finish this record before starting the tour. And I was fortunate that I did, because the whole tour got canceled."

So now, with Aerosmith effectively off the road — they have a pair of Hawaiian gigs slated for this weekend, and that's about it — and no new album on the horizon, Perry is free to focus on playing (and promoting) Have Guitar. And, from the sound of things, that's not going to be changing anytime soon.

"Well, from where I sit, and from the latest I have heard from the other guys ... I talk to the three guys probably every week or 10 days or so, because we have a couple of gigs left to do. We're gonna be on indefinite hiatus, I think, at this point," Perry said. "We need some time apart. For myself, it's worked out great, because I've got this project going, and I'm getting all kinds of offers to do things I would normally have to turn down. ... Being in charge of the ship, I can say, 'Well, we're not going to work that night. I'm gonna go do this show.'

"I think that Aerosmith needs some time apart to get back into the same headspace of making the record," he continued. "We need to do a great studio record, and I want to do with an A-list producer. ... I think we need some space at this point. That's from me. You'll have to ask everybody else and ask Steven what he thinks, but that's where I'm at."

MTV News wasn't able to reach an Aerosmith spokesperson for comment by press time.

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Photo: Jason Merritt/ FilmMagic.com

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler is a lot of things, but he assures you, a drunk, drugged-up, band-breaker-upper he's not. The 62-year-old rock icon broke his silence about the stage dive that cost his band their summer tour and was rumored to have created some inter-band tension in a new interview with Rolling Stone.

"I've been better. I've got my arm in a sling [from a broken shoulder]," he told the magazine in his first interview since an August 6 accident at a South Dakota show that derailed Aerosmith's summer tour with ZZ Top. "I'm on all the drugs I'm not supposed to be on. But I'm dealing with the pain pretty good."

While entertaining the crowd with a bit of fancy dancing as a technical glitch was worked out, Tyler slipped off the stage and ended up being airlifted to a local hospital, resulting in the cancellation of the tour and rumors of some subsequent band strife. Tyler said he isn't exactly sure what happened that night.

"There was a torrential downpour and the guys [at the campground] said, 'Look, it's still slippery,' " he explained. "I watched myself on YouTube, and it could have been my knee buckling or any ankle. The last thing I remember before I hit the ground was people grabbing for me, but they couldn't reach me because of the barricade. At any other Aerosmith show I probably would've been caught and thrown back onto the stage — naked and without jewelry [laughs]. I stood up and couldn't raise my arm and knew I'd broken something."

Tyler, who famously struggled with addiction in the '70s and '80s, said he was "as sober as you can be" when the accident occurred and he brushed off rumors that booze might have played a part in the fall, which were stirred by a recent TMZ clip of him at a liquor store.

"A good friend of mine and [guitarist] Joe's [Perry] — the brother of the guy who works on my house, my housekeeper — passed away," Tyler explained. "I was at the funeral. And after the funeral, they're Italian and had a feast at the house, a wake, and I stopped at the liquor store and paid for the booze. I did not buy any for myself. It was never proven that I did. Some kid whipped out a phone and took a picture. Anything to sell papers. It was for the wake. I would do it over and over a million times."

Tyler said canceling the tour, which was plagued by a variety of injuries and setbacks from the beginning, was a huge disappointment for him. "I'm just so pissed — it was such a great tour," he said. "I had to ruin it all by falling and I'm sorry. I've said that to the fans and my band and everybody else. I f---ed up. I get in the zone when I'm onstage."

As for rumors that the scotched dates have led to some bad blood in the band, Tyler blamed it on "someone" leaking stories and pretending to know what's going on inside Aerosmith. "Has the band done things to me where I've wanted to quit?" he asked. "Positively. But I've stuck in there for the sake of a few sounds we got. I respect the power this band has in and of itself regardless of who says what."

Besides, he said, noting that he spoke to his bandmates earlier this week, "We're just one for all, all for one. It's probably why we've never quit. No one's got enough money! We split it evenly."

• Aerosmith

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler
Photo: Kevin Kane/ WireImage

Aerosmith canceled the rest of their summer tour with ZZ Top on Thursday as a result of injuries sustained by singer Steven Tyler, 61, last week at a gig in Sturgis, South Dakota, during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Vamping for the crowd while some sound issues were being worked out at the August 5 show, the veteran frontman known for his high-energy performances fell off the stage at the gig and suffered a broken shoulder and a gash in his head that required 20 stitches. Tyler was airlifted from the venue and later flown to Boston to consult with his personal doctors about the injuries. They advised him to take time off to properly recuperate, according to a statement released by the band.

In a note to fans, Tyler described what happened before the accident, according to E! Online. "A major thunderstorm had delayed the show for an hour, but after it passed through, the full moon and tens of thousands of my biker buddies were ready to rock!" he wrote. "It was one of the best shows we've played in a long time! The band was slammin', and I was lovin' every minute of it! And just as I'm thinking, 'It doesn't get any better than this' ... FUSES BLOW! We have a COMPLETE AUDIO SOUND SYSTEM FAILURE!"

The sound system cut out in the middle of "Love in an Elevator," and Tyler said he wasn't going to "go hide under the big top and play 'Rock Star' and wait for everything to be fixed."

Tyler said that in the thousands of shows he's played with Aerosmith, he's only fallen off the stage four times, but that this one was a classic. "I wanted to go out to the crowd to continue the show ... so, the 'Train Kept A-Rollin'' and I ran out on the cat walk and grabbed my mic to finish the song," he said in his note. "I was doing the Tyler shuffle, and then I zigged when I should have zagged. ... AND I slipped, and as I live on the edge ... I fell off the edge!"

The singer said he landed upside down and despite the injuries to his shoulder and head, he said, "I'm plain grateful that I didn't break my neck!"

In a statement, guitarist Joe Perry, who has fretted in the press about the future of the tour, expressed regret about canceling the dates. "Words can't express the sadness I feel for having to cancel this tour," he said. "I would like to thank our loyal fans for sticking by us through thick and thin and [for] all the good energy they are sending our way. We hope we can get the Aerosmith machine up and running again as soon as possible. I sure am going to miss playing with ZZ Top just as I'm sure the fans are going to miss seeing them playing with us as well. Hope to see you sooner than later."

Aerosmith's summer tour has been plagued by a rash of injuries and setbacks. Bassist Tom Hamilton missed a few shows due to some unspecified "noninvasive surgery," guitarist Brad Whitford sat out a number of gigs early in the run after suffering a head injury while exiting his Ferrari, and Tyler was knocked out of a few gigs last month after he sustained an unspecified injury.

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• ZZ Top

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler (file)
Photo: Jason Merritt/ FilmMagic.com

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler — who was hospitalized Wednesday after falling off a stage in Rapid City, South Dakota — is back in his hometown of Boston, recovering from his injuries, according to guitarist Joe Perry's wife.

In a series of tweets, Billie Berry detailed the tense moments following Tyler's fall during the band's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally show and updated fans on his condition.

"Haven't slept since Joe called me last night about Steven. So, so worried," she wrote. "Steven was being helped by ... 5-7 security guards. ... All of the band did not even see him fall. ... Everyone around had walkie talkies and new Steven was going to Dr to Ambulance to Helicopter. 1,2,3. That is why the band stayed put.

"He hit his head and back. No concussion, stitches in head and back near shoulder. Broken shoulder. Yes he is very sore. We were all worried," Perry continued. "Once he left, it was diifficult for people to contact one another due to bad cell service it made things even worse. The boys r back in Boston. ... Steven will see his own Doctor tonight or tomorrow."

Perry concluded her tweets by saying that there was "no word" on when Aerosmith's tour will resume — the band had been scheduled to begin a run of Canadian dates Friday night (August 7) at the Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg — but according to a statement released late Thursday by the band's publicist, that show had been canceled due to Tyler's injuries, and the rest of the tour was in doubt.

"Aerosmith will not perform their Friday, August 7 show at the Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, MB, Canada based on injuries lead singer Steven Tyler sustained when he fell from the stage at Wednesday's show at Buffalo Chip Campgrounds in Sturgis, South Dakota," the statement read. "Additional details will be issued when they are available."

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