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."

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

During a Wednesday night show in Rapid City, South Dakota, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler fell backwards off the stage and was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment — and many in the audience thought it was part of the act.

According to The Associated Press, Tyler was dancing on a catwalk that was attached to the main stage at the Buffalo Chip Campground — where Aerosmith was playing as part of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally — when fell backward. Most of the crowd cheered — because they thought Tyler's tumble was planned.

"We thought maybe he stage-dived into the crowd, but he didn't get back up," Jessica Kokesh, a University of South Dakota journalism student who was covering the concert, told the AP. "I thought he was falling back to crowd-surf."

Security guards rushed to Tyler's aid, and he was taken backstage to be attended to by a physician. Eventually, Tyler was loaded onto a helicopter bound for the Rapid City Regional Hospital, where, according to several reports, it was revealed that he suffered minor head and neck injuries, and an injured shoulder as a result of the fall. Shortly after the incident, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry informed the crowd that Tyler had been airlifted to a hospital, and the show was over.

Aerosmith were scheduled to return to the stage Friday night in Winnipeg, Manitoba. According to the AP, it was not clear whether that show — nor the band's upcoming gigs — would be canceled as a result of the show.

• Aerosmith

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

In the latest injury to befall Aerosmith's star-crossed summer tour, lead singer Steven Tyler, 61, fell backwards off the stage on Wednesday night during the band's show in Rapid City, South Dakota, and was airlifted to a hospital for treatment.

According to The Associated Press, after the sound system at the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally failed during the song "Love in an Elevator," Tyler was dancing around in an attempt to entertain the crowd when he fell.

"He does a lot of dancing on the stage and he does a lot of stuff with his mic stand. He put his stand down and twirled around and stepped backwards off the stage," said Mike Sanborn, spokesman for the Buffalo Chip Campground, which hosted the outdoor concert. About halfway through the show, Tyler reportedly stepped backward off the stage's catwalk and fell onto a couple of fans.

Security guards rushed in to help the singer, and the fans cheered when Tyler got back up. Though Sanborn said he was in good spirits and was joking with a physician when he was loaded onto a helicopter bound for Rapid City Regional Hospital, Tyler suffered minor head and neck injuries and a shoulder injury in the fall. The AP said it was not known how serious the injuries were. Shortly after the incident, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry came out to inform the crowd that Tyler had been airlifted to a hospital and that the show was over.

The Tyler tumble is the latest injury to befall the veteran hard rockers on the road. In February, the international kickoff in Venezuela was canceled because of an infection sustained by Perry that required emergency surgery related to a knee replacement he underwent in 2008.

Last month, the band was forced to cancel seven shows due to an unspecified injury, rumored to be a pulled leg muscle, sustained by Tyler onstage. That was followed by bassist Tom Hamilton's departure for a handful of dates in order to recuperate from unspecified "non-invasive surgery." Earlier in the trek, guitarist Brad Whitford was forced to sit out the initial dates due to a head injury, which required surgery, sustained when he was getting out of his Ferrari.

Several months before the tour, Tyler checked into rehab to recuperate from foot surgery. In March he contracted pneumonia, which pushed back sessions for the group's new album.

A spokesperson for the group could not be reached for comment at press time, and the hospital, citing privacy rules, would not comment for this story.

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Danny Gokey performs "Dream On" on "American Idol" on Tuesday
Photo: R. Mickshaw/ Getty Images/ Fox

There's a very good reason the "American Idol" top four didn't mess around very much with the arrangements of the classic-rock songs they performed on Tuesday night: a) they probably weren't allowed to and, more important, b) these songs are really, really hard to sing as is.

Take, for example, Milwaukee native Danny Gokey's choice of Aerosmith's "Dream On." The prototype for all hard-rock power ballads that followed, the song is from the Boston-bred band's 1973 self-titled debut album. It mixes sensitive piano playing with a string section and fuzzed-out, distorted guitars for an emotional roller-coaster that made then-25-year-old lead singer Steven Tyler sound like he'd already lived the life of an 80-year-old blues originator.

(Read the story behind Adam Lambert's rendition of "Whole Lotta Love" here.)

Worship leader Gokey added some of his patented patina of gospel grit to the song, whose lyrics portray the hard drive necessary to follow your dreams and become somebody. It opens with Tyler lamenting, "Every time that I look in the mirror/ All these lines on my face gettin' clearer/ The past is gone/ It went by like dust to dawn/ Isn't that the way/ Everybody's got their dues in life to pay." By the time he reaches the triumphant chorus, Tyler's voice is seemingly energized, as he belts the lines, "Sing with me, if it's just for today/ Maybe tomorrow the good lord will take you away/ Dream on, dream on/ Dream yourself a dream come true/ Dream on, dream on/ Dream until your dream come true."

Gokey bravely dared to try the cat scratch yelp that Tyler unleashes in the song, with, admittedly, mixed results.

"Dream On," which Tyler began writing while still a teenager in the late 1960s, was released as Aerosmith's first single in 1973. It achieved minor hit status as it climbed to #59 on the charts upon its initial release and made it to #6 when it was re-released in 1976. Tyler plays the lyrical piano line in the song, which made it to #172 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" and is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll."

Given its iconic status as one of the long-running group's signature songs, many artists have taken a shot at covering "Dream On," including metal maniac Ronnie James Dio, Tori Amos, Anastacia and Breaking Benjamin. "Idol" season-seven finalist Michael Johns performed it on the show, and Brooke White included it on her Songs From the Attic album, released before she appeared on the show.

The tune has also served as raw material for a number of rap acts, most notably Eminem, who used it as the basis for his ballad "Sing for the Moment," from his 2002 The Eminem Show album; the track featured Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry playing a solo. Rapper Slim Thug also sampled it for his song "Rockstar," and The Game used it as a bed for his mixtape tune "Never Be Friends."

"Dream On" remains one of Aerosmith's most popular songs, and the instantly recognizable intro can still be heard blasting from classic-rock stations across the country, and the world, more than 30 years later.

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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• Aerosmith

The Beatles
Photo: Apple Corps Ltd.

There's a Beatles music game coming from MTV, but it's not going to be a "Rock Band."

MTV and Beatles license-holder Apple Corps announced Thursday (October 30) that the two groups will join forces to create the first-ever Beatles-themed video game set for release in the holiday season of 2009.

"It's not a 'Rock Band' game," Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos said during a conference call, speaking for the MTV-owned studio behind the original "Guitar Hero" and the "Rock Band" series. "It's a new creative exploration of their music and a celebration of their legacy in a way that hasn't been done before." The developer added that it will be a "music-making game. ... There will be interactive performance of the music ... and stuff you haven't seen from us before."

The game is being described as a "journey" through the band's career, from its first album to its last, though whether that means the project will encompass every Beatles song was not something the reps were willing to divulge. Reps also did not comment on whether gamers would be able to play as the musicians themselves.

(For the full press release, check out our Multiplayer blog.)

The game will have major Beatles backing. According to the official press release announcing the project, "the game was creatively conceived with input from Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, and enjoys their full blessing. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of the Beatles' innovative "LOVE" project, will provide his expertise and serve as music producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project."

The press release also included comments about the game from McCartney, who said, "The project is a fun idea which broadens the appeal of the Beatles and their music. I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out." Ono, the widow of John Lennon, said, "It's cool. I love it and hope it will keep inspiring and encouraging the young generation for many decades."

Further details on the game itself were kept to a minimum, but the parties revealed that it is already in development and will be compatible with "Rock Band" instruments.

The MTV and Apple Corps representatives on the conference call declined to say whether this deal would deliver the band's music to "Rock Band" itself.

It's been reported that MTV and Activision have both been courting the Beatles, arguably the biggest band that has yet to lend their music to either the "Guitar Hero" or "Rock Band" franchises. But MTV won out, with Senior Vice President of Games Paul DeGooyer saying that the announcement is the culmination of a conversation between MTV and Apple Corps that had been going on for 17 months. Asked if this deal precluded owners of "Guitar Hero" from playing along to the Beatles any time soon, Rigopulos said, "To the extent that peripherals from other games work with 'Rock Band' games, they will be able to experience the Beatles game."

On Wednesday, MTV and Apple Corps started the buzz, announcing in an e-mail that an "unprecedented global music project" from the two organizations would be announced Thursday. Video game reporters were sent that blast, leading to immediate speculation that the announcement would entail a version of "Rock Band" featuring the band.

Music games have been hugely popular in America since the launch of "Guitar Hero" in 2005, and this year has seen the introduction of band-specific editions of the games. "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" was launched mid-year, and a Wal-Mart-exclusive AC/DC version of "Rock Band" is shipping next month.

Check out the Multiplayer blog, updated daily, for even more gaming coverage.

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Aerosmith's Steven Tyler
Photo: Brad Barket/ Getty Images

After cryptically entering a rehab facility last month in search of a "safe environment" to heal from foot surgery, Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler has admitted that he was battling dependency on pain and sleeping medication.

The rock icon, who has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction in the past, said he tried to nip the problem in the bud before it got serious by checking into a facility. "To have your feet done, to have your leg done, you have to be on narcotics," Tyler told The Associated Press on Friday. "You have to be on sleep aids at night. I don't know about [Aerosmith guitarist] Joe [Perry], but I was off and running, and I didn't like the me that was me." Perry underwent knee surgery in March after postponing the much-needed repair for two years in order to continue touring with the band.

Amid rumors that he had slipped off the wagon after nearly two decades of sobriety, the 60-year-old Tyler released a statement in late May confirming that he had checked into a rehab facility. At the time, he said he was looking for a safe place to recover from several painful foot surgeries to correct damage caused by his high-energy live performances.

"This was a month ago, so I just put the brakes on and checked into detox and just pulled the plug on all of it," he said. Both Tyler and Perry battled heavy drug and alcohol issues in the '70s and early '80s that led to a split between the creative core of the band. Once sober, they reunited, and the band issued their 1987 smash album, Permanent Vacation.

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Aerosmith's Steven Tyler
Photo: Jesse Grant/ WireImage.com

A week after checking into a Pasadena, California, rehabilitation facility for undisclosed reasons, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, 60, has broken his silence. Despite unconfirmed reports that the rehab stint was due to substance-abuse issues, Tyler, who has been sober for more than 20 years, said in a statement released Thursday that the hospitalization was to get some rest following a series of painful surgeries and physical therapy to correct longtime foot injuries sustained during his legendarily athletic live performances.

"The doctors told me the pain in my feet could be corrected but it would require a few surgeries over time," Tyler said in the statement. "The 'foot repair' pain was intense, greater than I'd anticipated. The months of rehabilitative care and the painful strain of physical therapy were traumatic. I really needed a safe environment to recuperate where I could shut off my phone and get back on my feet. Make no mistake, Aerosmith has no plans to stop rocking. There's a new album to record, then another tour."

The statement did not address why Tyler checked into a rehab facility best known as the center where addiction specialist and radio talk-show host Dr. Drew Pinsky practices, which was also the setting for his recent "Celebrity Rehab" reality series. Tyler's publicist said there was no further information on when the singer checked in, how long he will be hospitalized, why he did not address the situation earlier or if, as reported by some media outlets, his stay was tied to his sobriety. After many years of drug and alcohol abuse in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Tyler has said he's been sober since 1986.

Blender magazine spoke to Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry just a few days after the news about Tyler broke, and the singer's longtime bandmate had little to say about the surprise hospitalization. "I actually haven't talked to [Steven] in a while. We spend most of our time off the road split up — that's just how it goes," Tyler reportedly told the magazine. Asked what might have caused Tyler to check into the facility, Perry, who was walking with a cane after a recent knee-replacement surgery, said, "I'm not sure, but I hope he's doing okay."

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Kiss And Aerosmith Live, 08.04.2003

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