Aerosmith Deny Rumors They’re Replacing Steven Tyler
Aerosmith have issued a statement denying that the band is looking to replace singer Steven Tyler. “Any rumor out there about us looking for another singer is completely untrue,” guitarist Joe Perry said in a statement. “All five of us were just on the phone together talking about how excited we are to go to South America and Mexico City.” Aerosmith is scheduled to embark on their Latin American tour in September.
The band’s clarification comes after guitarist Brad Whitford admitted in an interview with Metal Rules that the band had considered replacing Tyler in 2009 amid a row between Tyler and his bandmates. With Tyler on the road this summer promoting his country music-inspired solo career – and after AC/DC recruited Axl Rose to substitute for longtime singer Brian Johnson to fulfill that band’s touring obligations – Whitford was again asked whether Aerosmith could continue on with another singer.
“Absolutely, we have considered it — but whether it will happen, I don’t know. I think it would be great,” Whitford said. At the time of the 2009 split, artists like Lenny Kravitz and Chris Cornell were rumored to be contenders to replace Tyler, and Whitford added some more potential vocalists to that list, “A lot of people, everybody from Myles Kennedy to Axl. We had a bunch of people a while ago like Sammy Hagar. It would be a lot of fun.”
In April, Perry revealed to Rolling Stone that the band was considering a farewell tour in 2017 after Tyler made similar comments regarding one last trek for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band.
“A farewell tour is something we’ve talked about doing for years, let’s say roughly in the last five years,” Perry told Rolling Stone. “It’s just something the band’s talked about at various times. At this point, the five of us have never sat down and said, ‘It’s time to do it.’ So ‘considering’ is an appropriate word for that statement. A farewell tour is definitely not confirmed.”
Perry, whose currently playing alongside Johnny Depp and Alice Cooper in the Hollywood Vampires, said of the band’s post-Latin American tour plans, “We’re talking about some different options at this point. Whether it’s to do some shorter tours like the last couple we’ve done or go into the studio and knock a few songs out and see how that feels, I’m not sure yet. But right now we’re really taking time off from the band and everybody’s off doing their own thing.”