The news regarding Aerosmith’s sudden decision to stop playing live due to Steven Tyler’s damaged vocal cords disappointed fans worldwide. In a journey lasting over 50 years, this best-selling band from Boston has routinely made headlines for various (and admittedly, some unsavory) reasons and has lived a colorful life on and off stage.
Aerosmith was also at the center of some pretty unique stories that not many other groups can match. So, below is a tour (of sorts) in honor of one of rock’s best bands.
“Walk This Way”
This 1975 song was famously redone in 1986 with rap icons Run-DMC, something neither group was initially excited about doing. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a genius crossover move. The rock classic originally came about after band members, along with producer Jack Douglas, went to see Mel Brooks’ comedy flick Young Frankenstein. After a scene wherein a limping Marty Feldman greets Gene Wilder, telling him to follow him, and handing Wilder a stick so that he could walk “that way” too, Douglas suggests, “Hey, ‘walk this way’ might be a great title for the song.” Perry had written a little something already, but the riff needed lyrics to go with it. And so…
The Missing Tour Van
In 2018, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz of the show American Pickers got a tip about an old 1964 International Harvester Metro van abandoned in the woods some 110 miles west of Boston. It turned out to be the original tour van Aerosmith used in the 1970s. Although the band’s name and artwork painted on the side remained intact, the vehicle was inoperable. The “Pickers” paid the property owner $25,000 for it and had the van restored. Aerosmith reached out and offered to buy it back, at an undisclosed amount.
Steven Tyler Featured in National Geographic’s “Incredible Human Machine”
In 2007, rock’s master of screaming was studied in National Geographic’s documentary, Incredible Human Machine. They had an interest in measuring the resilience of the human voice after it was put through years of strain. As scientists monitored Tyler’s vocal performance during a show, they discovered decibel levels exceeding “110” and vocal cords that “collided” an astonishing 780,000 times in that one show. It’s estimated that, throughout his career, Tyler’s vocal cords have collided well over a billion times. [NOTE: This clip is really interesting, but a little bit gross — in the scientific sort of way.]
When Tyler Met Sir Paul McCartney
The first time these two music giants met, it wasn’t at a party or some awards show. According to Tyler, the encounter happened at a backstage urinal at the Hammersmith Odeon. He told Blabbermouth in 2007 that Paul McCartney noticed him a few urinals down, expressed his admiration for the band’s music, and gave a thumbs-up with his free hand.
Future interactions occurred in more pleasant surroundings. In 2010, Tyler saluted Sir Paul at the Kennedy Center Honors. And in 2019, Tyler joined McCartney on stage in Las Vegas after the singer announced to shrieking fans, “We have a special guest for you: Mr. Steven Tyler.” The pair belted out the Beatles classic “Helter Skelter.”
-Sharon Oliver
Photo: Steven Tyler (Getty Images)
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