The music video for Aerosmith and Run DMC’s version of “Walk This Way” features an iconic moment where Steven Tyler, using his microphone stand, breaks through a wall separating his rock band from the hip-hop group. This vivid image often comes to mind when hearing the song.
However, a new, equally striking scene might replace it: Steven Tyler performing “Walk This Way” at the Colosseum in Rome in 2017, accompanied by an orchestra and two fervent cellists from 2CELLOS, Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser. Their intense cello playing mirrors the song’s powerful guitar riffs.
In Jimmy Walker’s book “It’s About Relationships: Building a Life that Matters,” he recounts an anecdote about this performance. Walker, a celebrity insurance agent involved in organizing Celebrity Fight Night events in both America and Italy, highlights a peculiar moment from the concert.
He notes Tyler’s casual entrance, chewing gum, which he nonchalantly sticks under Elton John’s piano before beginning his performance of Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” This peculiar action, according to Walker, would likely displease Elton John.
The Colosseum concert in 2017 was a focal point of the Celebrity Fight Night in Rome, a series of events aimed at raising funds for charity. High-profile attendees included celebrities like Sharon Stone, Sofia Loren, Antonio Banderas, and Susan Sarandon.
The week-long extravaganza, reported by Wanted In Rome, featured luxurious dinners, private concerts, and receptions, all capped off with a remarkable performance by Steven Tyler and Andrea Bocelli singing “Imagine,” accompanied by David Foster on the piano.
As the event’s grandeur and philanthropy shone, one whimsical detail lingers in memory: the fate of Steven Tyler’s gum under Elton John’s piano.
