Celebrity gossip

'You guys know more about it than I do. Everything is through the press,' said the legendary band's guitarist.
By Larry Carroll

Joe Perry arrives at the American Music Awards
Photo: MTV News

LOS ANGELES — The 39-year history of Aerosmith has had more than its share of ups and downs. Between the successes and failures, the drug use and recoveries, the legendary bad-boy behavior and the tours all over the world, "America's Greatest Rock Band" has enough material to fill a half-dozen biopics. But those four decades seem almost quiet compared to the hostile events of the past few weeks. And now, with the band on the verge of being torn apart, a visibly displeased Joe Perry told us at the American Music Awards that he and Steven Tyler aren't even close to making up.

"Um, well ... I don't know," he shrugged, admitting that the future of Aerosmith is in doubt. "You guys know more about it than I do. Everything is through the press."

Everything has been through the press lately, from details about Tyler's desire to go solo to Perry's belief that the lead singer was quitting the band to Tyler's surprise appearance onstage recently with the Joe Perry Project.

At that show, Tyler told the crowd that he wasn't leaving Aerosmith. "Well," Perry explained, "he says he's not."

As proof of just how bizarre things have become between the legendary Toxic Twins, the duo address each other only through the media these days — or onstage, they essentially speak only to the crowd. "Actually, he sat in. For one song," Perry said of that appearance with the Project. "Yeah, but we didn't talk or anything."

Getting beyond Tyler, Joe Perry insisted that the rest of the band — Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer — want to keep the train a-rolling. "I think that you just have to listen to what's going on in the press. Because that's the only thing I know," he explained. "All I know is that the four guys want to work. I'm working with my band, playing the House of Blues all across the country. And we're rocking out and having a good time."

"The band's going to be working," he said of Aerosmith's plans, with or without Tyler. "I'm working, right now."

But, when it comes to his bandmate of 39 years — with whom he became sober, shares more than 80 songwriting credits and even once owned a restaurant — Joe Perry answered in no uncertain terms when asked if they're speaking to each other.

"No," he said of their non-communicative status, repeating it a second time for emphasis: "No."

• Who Should Replace Steven Tyler In Aerosmith?

• Aerosmith

Drummer Joey Kramer says frontman 'needs help.'
By Gil Kaufman

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler
Photo: Jason Merritt/ FilmMagic.com

Another day, another drama. We've already weathered the "are they or aren't they?" breakup rumors about veteran rockers Aerosmith. There was the brief onstage reunion between singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry in New York recently, followed by Perry's comments that the band is still considering moving on with another singer while Tyler pursues his solo career over the next two years.

Now, drummer Joey Kramer has spoken to People magazine about his concerns that Tyler might be suffering from more than just a case of the 40-year itch. "I think that he needs help and that attention needs to be put to his health," Kramer said cryptically, clarifying that he wasn't referring to the physical healing from a broken shoulder Tyler suffered when he fell off the stage during an Aerosmith gig in August.

Kramer confirmed that he thinks there is something else going on with Tyler. "I do," he said. Kramer would not say that he's seen recent drug use by Tyler — who battled a life-threatening drug addiction in the 1970s and '80s before getting sober — but said he's concerned because Tyler has "isolated himself. ... He's got some bad influences in his life right now and he's making poor choices." Tyler checked in to a rehab facility last year to treat an addiction to pain and sleeping medication following foot surgery.

Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford was even more forthcoming, telling the magazine, "His behavior is spinning out of control. ... I don't know where he is and what he's doing." Whitford said that he's also "concerned about [Tyler's] well-being and his health." Whitford referred to Tyler's behavior over the past few months as "erratic" and "unpredictable," saying the changes didn't come overnight but have progressively spun further out of control.

The public war of words between the bandmates has threatened to tear apart a group that has weathered 40 years of ups and serious downs, including previous breakups, career nosedives and a triumphant return to form in the late 1980s that once again made them superstars after Perry and Tyler kicked major drug habits. Tyler, who has mostly stayed out of the latest back-and-forth, told Rolling Stone in August that he's working on a memoir and would like to record a solo album. He also denied that he was back on drugs, saying he was "sober as can be" when he fell off the stage in August.

But Whitford said the singer's unpredictable behavior has thrown the band's career into chaos recently, resulting in "loads of cancellations, canceled tours and canceled dates."

A spokesperson for the group could not be reached for comment at press time, but an unnamed rep for Tyler told People that Tyler is "concentrating on his book right now while his shoulder heals."

Despite the blustery talk from Perry about looking for a new lead singer and carrying on without Tyler, Kramer said the idea of plugging in without the group's iconic frontman is daunting. "It's hard for me to imagine getting on stage without Steven," the drummer said. "He needs to take care of his health first and get help in order for there to be a future for an Aerosmith that includes him."

• Aerosmith

'Being on Broadway is a childhood dream come true,' singer/actress says.
By Jocelyn Vena

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz
Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz is married to Chicago-area native Pete Wentz, and she starred in the London production of "Chicago" in 2006 as fame-hungry, husband-killer Roxie Hart. Now, Simpson-Wentz will reprise the role of Roxie, this time for the Broadway production of the show. The stint will be her Broadway debut.

"I'm honored to be reprising my role as Chicago's Roxie Hart, returning to the stage and joining this amazing cast," she said in a statement to MTV News. "Being on Broadway is a childhood dream come true."

According to several online reports, Simpson-Wentz will star in the show from November 30 through February 7; further details were not available at press time.

"My family, my mother especially, taught me to be a fighter, and that's the thing Roxie is: She always finds a way to pick herself up," Simpson said in 2006. "Roxie's a fun character to play. For me, it wasn't like I ever wanted to have my name in the papers. It was usually like, 'Oh, no!' But I know what the feeling is. And I know what the celebrity life is like, so I tried to bring a little comedy to that."

The singer/actress recently left the CW show "Melrose Place." According to the network, Simpson-Wentz was only expected to be on the program for 12 episodes, but in numerous interviews the actress did not say that was the case.

• Ashlee Simpson

Guitarist Joe Perry said things are still not settled.
By Gil Kaufman

Aerosmith's Joe Perry and Steven Tyler
Photo: Kevin Kane/WireImage

First, there was the "indefinite hiatus," then guitarist Joe Perry said Aerosmith were looking for a new singer to replace the legendary Steven Tyler, who reportedly left the group after 40 years to pursue a solo career.

And then, on Tuesday night, Tyler took the stage unexpectedly during an appearance by Joe Perry's band at Irving Plaza in New York, seemingly putting an end to speculation of a breakup by announcing, "New York, I want you to know I'm not leaving Aerosmith." And, oh, by the way, he added, "Joe Perry, you are a man of many colors. But I, motherf---er, am the rainbow."

That seemed to settle things. Only it didn't. Perry told Rolling Stone magazine that the appearance by Tyler was a shock even to him and that it didn't mean things were all patched up. "There was all this commotion during our encore break and somebody said, 'Steven is here.' " Perry explained. "And I was like, 'What?' " The pair then apparently made some small talk and, after Tyler asked to sit in for an encore of "Walk This Way," Perry said archly, "Being an acquaintance of 40 years, I said, 'Why not?' So he came up and sang and that was the last I saw of him."

A spokesperson for Aerosmith could not be reached for comment at press time.

Perry said the apparent rapprochement didn't mean much, as he explained that Tyler — who was injured this summer after a fall from the stage during a subsequently canceled Aerosmith tour — still wants to take two years off.

"The rest of the band wants to keep on working," he said. "We have so many different options to fill up that time. Anything is possible at this point. Basically, any communication that we've had over the last couple of months has been through managers, so that's been pretty strange. I never won any money trying to second-guess what goes on in Steven's mind. I guess this is just Aerosmith business as usual."

• Aerosmith