Steven Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith, turns 75
With hits like “Walk This Way” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”, Aerosmith had worldwide success and sold out stadiums.
In front was the great Steven Tyler with his long mane, eccentric clothes and powerful voice. Rising several octaves to a high-pitched scream, his voice earned Tyler the nickname “Scream Demon”.
Tyler was 21 in 1970 when he formed the band Aerosmith with friend and guitarist Joe Perry. They were inspired by the songwriting duo Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones; and John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles.
In 1973, the debut album “Aerosmith” was released with their first classic hit “Dream On”. The album came close to reaching the top of the charts.
“Toys in the Attic” followed two years later, the album catapulting the band into stadiums with the hit “Walk This Way”.
Drugs and rock’n’roll
Tyler has always been a great artist. Androgynous and provocative, he swung the microphone stand like a baton and wowed the crowd in his tight jumpsuit. He frequently dove onstage, but at one point the band placed a railing between the stage and the fans.
Success was associated with drug abuse. Tyler started smoking pot at age 16, with cocaine later added to her list of addictions. Tyler lived the life of a rock star to the fullest, spending millions on drugs in his lifetime, he once said in an interview.
But the drugs ended up causing problems within the band. Tyler and Perry were nicknamed the “Toxic Twins”. In an interview with the German magazine der Spiegel in 2017, Tyler said “we tried everything”.
But music was his biggest drug. “I wouldn’t be here today”, he said, “I survived because Aerosmith has been my only addiction, or music is the best drug – the high goes away, the songs stay.”
The big crisis came in the early 1980s when band members fell out, Joe Perry and guitarist Brad Whitford leaving before being joined by a now sober Tyler in 1985.
A year later, they collaborated with American hip hop group Run DMC on a mega-hit remake of “Walk This Way”.
The band started filling stadiums again and topping the charts. They have won Grammys and gone platinum, with every top 10 hit album.
In 2012, Aerosmith released “Music from Another Dimension”, which turned out to be their last album. Later, Tyler released a 2016 solo album “We’re All Somebody from Somewhere”.
But Tyler recently had another drug relapse, with shows canceled in July 2022. Later in the year, there were more cancellations due to Tyler’s failing health. There are no more concerts planned.
Source: DW
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