Are Aerosmith Inching Closer to Touring Without Steven Tyler?
A lengthy period of estrangement has members of Aerosmith pondering a tour without singer Steven Tyler.
"Absolutely, we have considered it — but whether it will happen, I don't know," guitarist Brad Whitford acknowledged to Metal Rules. "I think it would be great."
The two sides have been at odds since 2009, when Tyler began solo work in the wake of a canceled band tour. He also made another trip to rehab during that period. That's left the others to their own devices, as Joe Perry began working with the Hollywood Vampires, and Tom Hamilton is set to hit the road with Thin Lizzy.
"There is still a lot of turmoil and it can be frustrating," Whitford added. "It should be easy. The whole thing started because of the music. If the focus was right there, everything would be fine, but we don't. Let the drivers drive and let the music happen, [and] everything will fall into place. We get caught up in a lot of silly stuff."
Perry reportedly approached several singers about fronting Aerosmith over the past few years, including Paul Rodgers and Chris Cornell. Sammy Hagar later confirmed rumors that he was offered the job, while Tyler's management team threatened legal action if the band moved forward without him.
Nevertheless, Whitford said Aerosmith could potentially benefit from the move, connecting their situation with AC/DC's recent decision to go forward without singer Brian Johnson. Aerosmith would be a good fit for "a lot of people, everybody from Myles Kennedy [who's worked with Slash] to Axl [Rose], the Guns N' Roses frontman currently working with AC/DC]," Whitford noted with a laugh. "We had a bunch of people a while ago, like Sammy Hagar. It would be a lot of fun."
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