Aerosmith is a prominent American rock band. Three of its members, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Tom Hamilton, first met in Sunapee, New Hampshire in the late 60s, but it wasn’t until 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, that the three decided to form a band together. Later, they met up with Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (rhythm guitar). The band enjoyed major popularity throughout the 70s, making rock anthems such as “Dream On” and “Sweet Emotion”, but they split from 1979-84 due to serious in-group arguments and substance abuse problems that contributed to their decline.
Producing a wide variety of tunes influenced both by the 60s hard rock legends as well as the bombastic rhythm and blues artists that the band loved, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler became known as the “toxic twins” due to their rambunctious live performances and nasty lifestyles. The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia reportedly said Aerosmith featured “the druggiest bunch of guys I’ve ever seen.” Classics from their early area with much airplay also include 1974’s “Same Old Song and Dance” and 1976’s “Back in the Saddle”, with 1973’s “Dream On” being a concert favorite.
Jimmy Crespo replaced Joe Perry for about five years as the band’s fortunes failed. However, in 1984, chiefly due to the tireless efforts of Joe Perry’s then manager, Tim Collins, to reform the band, Aerosmith was born again. Despite his own client Perry’s insistence that it was unthinkable, Collins succeeded in helping the band resolve old differences and ultimately overcome their addictions.
