In a recent interview with Classic Rock, Joe Perry discussed one of Aerosmith’s most difficult periods and recalled how he wanted to bring in a new singer to replace Steven Tyler.
The turbulent times began in 2008 when Steven made it known that he preferred to concentrate on ‘Brand Tyler‘ rather than Aerosmith. Things between the Toxic Twins at the time had gotten hot when Perry had simply replied to his bandmate that they were now searching for a new singer to hire.
Joe appears unclear about how he feels about that “public spat” today, but it’s probably safe to assume that the guitarist has some “regret,” as he said:
“I’m not sure how I feel about that [The public feud]. They say all press is good press, I’m not sure I agree with that. Maybe it felt like we had to [say] something to our fans. F*ck, I couldn’t tell you. We were so spread apart, I don’t know. Maybe we were trying to set the record straight and be a little bit more honest and let people know what was going on. I don’t know.”
The public argument between the two intensified in 2011 when Tyler chose to serve on the jury of American Idol while Perry disparaged the singer’s most recent professional decision. After that, the pair quickly patched things up in 2012, reuniting to record Aerosmith’s “Music From Another Dimension” and demonstrating that they had moved over their on-stage fight.
Although the Toxic Twins argued once again in 2016 after the guitarist’s criticism of Tyler’s solo record, the band members now appear to have “gotten over the troubling times,” as they prepare to say goodbye with one more tour.
