The internet whispers and cryptic tweets have swirled for days, and now dude looks like he’s leavin‘ — for real. So what is Aerosmith without Steven Tyler? And where does The Onion get its special psychic powers?
According to guitarist Joe Perry, the search for a new frontman is already on as of yesterday, Twittery misspellings be damned: “aerosmith is positivly looking for a new singer to work with. You just can’t take 40 years of expiriance and throwitinthebin!”
With Steven officially off to explore the possibilities of Brand Tyler, that leaves one serious scarf-bejangled mic stand to fill. Granted, it’s well-trod path; rock radio stalwarts from Queen and Van Halen to Journey and more recently, Velvet Revolver, have infamously replaced deceased or departed frontmen, with varying, but seldom peak-matching levels of success.
Barring any Rock Star: INXS style reality-show shenanigans, that leaves a selection of known-quantity candidates. Could Stone Temple Pilots’ Scott Weiland, already a quick study on Jim Morrison and Axl Rose, learn how to Walk This Way? Does the Extreme-ly available Gary Cherone, he of the ever-so-brief Van Halen run, Dream On of Aero-stints? Or is Axl’s raspy growl in fact exactly What It Takes?
So many emotions swirling, dear readers, not all of them Sweet. But does anyone out there have the goods? And even if they do, do true ‘Smith fans want them? Or is it as Steven first sang 36(!) years ago: The past gone / It went by like dust to dawn…
(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)
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..they’ve put out nothing but garbage since PUMP.
Totally agree. After Pump and when Tyler stopped doing “blow”, he started to write songs that did blow.
Didn’t they stop writing their own songs about 20 years ago?
Who would pay to see an Aerosmith concert without Steven Tyler??
I’ve seen them three times. I would not see them again without Steven.
Who would pay to see an Aerosmith concert period?
Plenty of people – their concerts are always rockin’ and full.
I don’t think David Lee Roth could do it. Axl Rose is the only legitimate contender. With his history, it would be volitile be the band could control him. Weiland might be able to pull it off.
…Tyler will probably do a record with Timbaland and have that tool Justin Timberlake write songs for him.
He must be back on the smack again. He has no career outside of Aerosmith (See Mick Jagger’s solo career)!
I think he’s messed up on drugs again, what a shame! I hope Areosmith trives with a new (well-known) frontman!
Leah, did you run out of Aerosmith songs to work in to your post there? How about: Could Bret Michaels learn to be the ‘Last Child’ to take Steven’s place? Or how about this one: ‘Sammy Hagar could take the mike, and no one would be ‘Cryin’???? One last one: Ann Wilson could step in to save the day, and she could be Aerosmith’s new ‘Angel.’ THe laughs keep coming!!!!!!!!
This made me laugh…in a good way.
Ann Wilson would eat teh rest of teh band…a smell a South Park episode here!
Ann WIlson may be heavy but she can sing better than Axl Rose or David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar or BRet Michaels. Ann has Heart though so that would never happen.
“Could you fall in love with the idea of Iggy Pop (even if it’s hard on his knees)?”
There’s only one guy that should replace Steven Tyler. His name is KID ROCK. He’s played with Aerosmith before, and his dual vocals with Tyler were amazing. He could still do double duty between Aerosmith and his own solo career.
Exactly! Who else could possibly replace a rock legend like Tyler than a white-trash rap/rock idiot like Kid Rock? Are you mental Glen?
this is sarcasm, right? Kid Rock- seriously?
Elvis back from the dead could do it or heck like glory pointed out have Ann Wilson and Elvis there then the rest of the guys would get skinny as Steven cause Ann and E would eat everything in sight
Aerosmith without Steven Tyler is like The Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger or Led Zeppelin without Robert Plant. No Tyler, no band.
That said, my hunch is that the band is really over unless Tyler is back on board – they’ll learn real quick that substitutes won’t cut it.
Tragic, but then again, maybe they should have called it quits after Pump considering their recordings after that have been mostly weak (sparing Honkin’ On Bobo, but not by much).
Who cares they sucked anyway
No one could and should replace Steven. Just call it a day………
No! No! NO!!! Don’t break up Aerosmith!!!!!
Looks like it is time to fire up another season of who wants to be a rock star…..
As for the band itself, they ceasesd to exist for me after they recorded that horrible ‘I Don’t Want to Miss A thing.’ I heard Celine Dion turned down that song because she thought it sounded too wimpy…
Nobody should replace Tyler. The whole band should pack it up. This is not to say that ST is irreplaceable, but rather that the whole band/concept is expendable. They have done nothing relevant for well over a decade. Good riddance. Blah.
Two words: David Cook. He killed “Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” during his Idol season.
that is interesting. and kinda hot.