Highlights
- Aerosmith shocked fans by announcing an end to touring due to Steven Tyler’s voice issues.
- Steven Tyler’s struggles with drugs and rehab nearly caused the band to kick him out.
- Despite retirement, Steven Tyler will be financially secure with a net worth of $150 million.
Aerosmith announced over the weekend that they are officially through with touring, shocking fans across the world. The iconic rock band – made up of members Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Brad Whitford, and lead singer Steven Tyler – shared in a statement on their website that after a musical journey that has lasted over 50 years since their creation in 1970, it was time for their years on the road to draw to a close.
The unexpected announcement was perhaps all the more surprising as it came in the middle of the group’s current tour. So what really happened to make the beloved band retire from the stage?
Aerosmith Done For Good – Why The Band’s Really Retiring From Touring
The groundbreaking band known for hits like “Walk This Way,” “Crazy,” and “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” announced their tour cancelation on Friday, August 2nd, immediately pulling the rest of the tour stops. The official statement ensured fans that they would be automatically refunded for their tickets.
After several postponements, the tour officially drew to a close with its last stop in Elmont, New York on September 9th. Originally, the tour was slated to last all the way until February of 2024, but ultimately the group’s farewell tour only made it through its first three stops.
Included in the retirement statement was an update on frontman Steven Tyler’s voice. The group cited that due to permanent damage to Steven’s vocal cords, they would not be able to continue performing live, and hence decided to do away with touring for good.
This is not the first that fans have heard about Steven’s vocal cord issues. During a show that was part of the band’s Peace Out: The Farewell Tour back in September, Steven announced to fans that he had injured his vocal cords and that the problem was serious. Apparently, his condition had gotten so bad that it occasionally caused bleeding.
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At the time, the band took a few shows off in order for Steven to recover, and he had reassured fans that it was his wish that they’d be back on stage as soon as possible. It seems, however, that the rest time wasn’t enough to make up for decades of straining his voice.
The group’s statement elaborated that though Steven had done everything he could to improve his condition, medical officials had deemed it impossible for him to ever make a full recovery. No doubt longtime fans were heartbroken to hear of the decline in Steven’s voice, what the group called “an instrument like no other” in their statement.
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This update on Steven’s vocal condition comes on the heels of conversations about another esteemed singer’s vocal cord issues. Famous belter Celine Dion also recently shared that she’s been struggling with SPS, or Stiff Person Syndrome, which leads to the spasming of her muscles and affects her ability to sing. Celine recently surprised fans across the globe when she performed at the Opening Ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics, singing an impressive rendition of “Hymne À L’Amour” despite her health challenges.
It Wasn’t The Only Time Steven Tyler’s Health Became An Issue For Aerosmith
Though fans were devastated by the news of Aerosmith permanently retiring from touring, it wasn’t the first time Steven’s health conditions have threatened the band. The group nearly kicked him out back in the 80s when his substance abuse was at its worst, prompting him to go to rehab several times. Steven has since admitted that he had been doing drugs since the 60s, starting with marijuana before taking on harder substances.
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In the 1980s, Aerosmith was arguably at the peak of their popularity, but Steven’s struggle with addiction was beginning to fly in the face of their success. He had two failed rehab attempts in 1984 and 1986, and when those didn’t work, the other group members and the band’s management finally stepped in to intervene. They staged an intervention for Steven in 1988, after which he was finally committed and got sober for the first long period of his adulthood.
Though Steven has spoken about the anger he initially felt at his bandmates teaming up to ship him off to rehab, he’s since come around to understanding the benefits of getting sober. At the time he felt that the other members were giving him an ultimatum if he wanted to stay in the band, and that while he went off to rehab, they got to enjoy a vacation. He found this ironic, given that the other guys were still getting “f***** up” themselves from time to time, he later shared with People.
Steven has been in and out rehab several times – he got sober starting in 1988 and relapsed in 2009 and, more recently, in 2022, but has since been sober again.
Steven Tyler Will Be Set Financially Despite Retirement
However, today Steven points out that he is grateful for the rest of the group stepping in to help him. The addict version of himself was far angrier, he noted, and that he prefers the sober version of himself who sees things much more clearly.
Even with the group’s days of touring coming to a close, Steven will likely be able to live out the rest of his days quite comfortably financially – the rock star is said to have a net worth of at least $150 million. He also has plenty of family to share his time with.
Before signing off on their official retirement announcement, Aerosmith expressed their immense gratitude for not only all of the crew who helped make their tour possible, but also to the fans who had shown such loyal support over the years. The band quoted their much adored song “Dream On” in the message:
“We are grateful beyond words for everyone who was pumped to get on the road with us one last time. Grateful to our expert crew, our incredible team and the thousands of talented people who’ve made our historic runs possible. A final thank you to you – the best fans on planet Earth. Play our music loud, now and always. Dream On. You’ve made our dreams come true.”
Even if Aerosmith’s live performance days are over, their legendary body of work will no doubt live on in fans’ hearts. They remain one of the most successful rock bands of all time, with 21 of their songs having charted within the top 40 of Billboard’s Hot 100 and a career total of nine number-one hits. An impressive record like that is surely not so easily forgotten.