AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll". To date they are one of the highest grossing bands of all time. AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, ''High Voltage'', on 17 February 1975. Membership remained stable until bassist Mark Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams in 1977 for the album ''Powerage''. Within months of recording the album ''Highway to Hell'', lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died on 19 February 1980, after a night of heavy alcohol consumption. The group briefly considered disbanding, but Scott's parents urged them to continue and hire a new vocalist. Ex-Geordie singer Brian Johnson was auditioned and selected to replace Scott. Later that year, the band released their highest selling album, and ultimately the second highest-selling album by any artist, ''Back in Black''.

The band's next album, ''For Those About to Rock We Salute You'', was their first album to reach number one in the United States. AC/DC declined in popularity soon after drummer Phil Rudd was fired in 1983 and was replaced by future Dio drummer Simon Wright, though the band resurged in the early 1990s with the release of ''The Razors Edge''. Phil Rudd returned in 1994 (after Chris Slade, who was with the band from 1990–1994, was asked to leave in favour of him) and contributed to the band's 1995 album ''Ballbreaker''. Since then, the band's line-up has remained the same. ''Stiff Upper Lip'' was released in 2000 and was well received by critics, and the band's latest studio album, ''Black Ice'', was released on 20 October 2008. It was their biggest hit on the charts since ''For Those About to Rock'', reaching No.1 on all the charts eventually.

As of 2010, AC/DC have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, as of the releases of their latest albums, ''Black Ice'' and the ''Iron Man 2'' soundtrack, including 71 million albums in the United States. ''Back in Black'' has sold an estimated 49 million units worldwide, making it the highest-selling album by any band and the second-highest-selling album in history, behind ''Thriller'' by Michael Jackson. The album has sold 22 million in the US alone, where it is the fifth-highest-selling album. AC/DC ranked fourth on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and were named the seventh "Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time" by MTV. In 2004, AC/DC were ranked number 72 in the ''Rolling Stone'' list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

History

Background and Name

Malcolm and Angus Young developed the idea for the band's name after their older sister, Margaret Young, saw the initials "AC/DC" on a sewing machine. "AC/DC" is an abbreviation meaning "alternating current/direct current" electricity. The brothers felt that this name symbolised the band's raw energy, power-driven performances, and a love for their music. "AC/DC" is pronounced one letter at a time, though the band are popularly known as "Acca Dacca" in Australia.

Early years (the Dave Evans era, 1973–1974)

By this time, Angus Young had adopted his characteristic school-uniform stage outfit. The idea was his sister Margaret's. Angus had tried other costumes, such as Spider-Man, Zorro, a gorilla, and a parody of Superman, named Super-Ang. In fact in its early days, most members of the band dressed in some form of glam or satin outfit but this approach was abandoned when it was discovered Melbourne band Skyhooks had already adopted this approach to their stage presentation.

The Young brothers decided that Evans was not a suitable frontman for the group, because they felt he was more of a glam rocker like Gary Glitter. On stage, Evans was occasionally replaced by the band's first manager, Dennis Laughlin, who was the original lead singer with Sherbet prior to Daryl Braithwaite joining the band. Evans did not get along with Laughlin, which also contributed to the band's ill feeling toward Evans.

It was Gene Pierson who brokered the arrangement for Bon Scott from Fraternity to join them as lead singer. He was also instrumental in getting personal friend Ted Albert of Albert Productions to listen to AC/DC and arranged with programme manager Rod Muir of Australia’s biggest rock station 2SM to have them on the bill for one of their massive school holiday concerts back at Chequers which helped launch AC/DC's career and led to their being signed to the EMI-distributed Albert Productions label for Australia and New Zealand.

The Bon Scott era (1974–1980)

The journey begins (1974–77)

By October 1974, the Australia-only album ''High Voltage'' had been recorded. It took only ten days and was based on instrumental songs written by the Young brothers, with lyrics added by Scott. Within a few months, the band's line-up had stabilised, featuring Scott, the Young brothers, bassist Mark Evans and drummer Phil Rudd. Later that year they released the single "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)", which became their perennial rock anthem. It was included on their second album, ''T.N.T.'', (1975) which was also released only in Australia and New Zealand. The album featured another classic song, "High Voltage".

Between 1974 and 1977, aided by regular appearances on Molly Meldrum's ''Countdown'', the ABC’s nationally broadcast pop-music television show, AC/DC became one of the most popular and successful acts in Australia. Their performance on 3 April 1977 was their last live TV appearance for more than 20 years.

International success (1976–80)

The first AC/DC album to gain worldwide distribution was a 1976 compilation of tracks taken from the ''High Voltage'' and ''T.N.T.'' LPs. Also titled ''High Voltage'', and released on the Atlantic Records label, the album, which has to date sold three million copies worldwide, gained the band a following among the then-substantial British punk audience. The track selection was heavily weighted toward the more recent ''T.N.T.'', and included only two songs from their first LP. The band's next album, ''Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap'', was released in the same year in both Australian and international versions, like its predecessor. Track listings varied worldwide, and the international version of the album also featured "Rocker" from ''T.N.T.'' The original Australian version included "Jailbreak" (now more readily available on the 1984 compilation EP '''74 Jailbreak'' or as a live version on the 1992 ''Live'' album). ''Dirty Deeds'' was not released in the US until 1981, by which time the band were at the peak of their popularity.

Following the 1977 recording ''Let There Be Rock'', bassist Mark Evans was sacked because of personal differences with Angus Young. He was replaced by Cliff Williams, who also provided backing vocals alongside Malcolm Young. Neither of the Young brothers has elaborated on the departure of Evans, though Richard Griffiths, the CEO of Epic Records and a booking agent for AC/DC in the mid-1970s, later commented, "You knew Mark wasn't going to last, he was just too much of a nice guy." Mark Evan's autobiography, ''DIRTY DEEDS: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC'' is scheduled to be released fall 2011 by Bazillion Points, and will predominantly deal with his time in AC/DC, including being fired. AC/DC were a somewhat formative influence on New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands who emerged in the late 1970s, such as Saxon and Iron Maiden, in part as a reaction to the decline of traditional early 1970s heavy metal bands. In 2007, critics noted that AC/DC, along with Thin Lizzy, UFO, Scorpions and Judas Priest, were among "the second generation of rising stars ready to step into the breach as the old guard waned."

AC/DC's first American exposure was through the Michigan radio station AM 600 WTAC in 1977. The station's manager, Peter C. Cavanaugh, booked the band to play at Flint's Capitol Theater. The supporting act was MC5, who had just briefly reunited and agreed to play at the event. The band opened with their popular song "Live Wire" and closed with "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)".

AC/DC came to be identified with the punk rock movement by the British press. Their reputation, however, managed to survive the punk upheavals of the late 1970s, and they maintained a cult following in the UK throughout this time. Angus Young gained notoriety for mooning the audience during live performances.

The 1978 release of ''Powerage'' marked the debut of bassist Cliff Williams, and with its harder riffs, followed the blueprint set by ''Let There Be Rock''. Only one single was released for ''Powerage'', "Rock 'n' Roll Damnation" and gave AC/DC the highest mark at the time, reaching #24. Eddie Van Halen notes this to be his favourite AC/DC record, along with Highway To Hell. An appearance at the Apollo Theatre, Glasgow during the ''Powerage'' tour was recorded and released as ''If You Want Blood You've Got It'', featuring such songs as "Whole Lotta Rosie", "Problem Child", and "Let There Be Rock", as well as lesser-known album tracks like "Riff Raff". The album was the last produced by Harry Vanda and George Young with Bon Scott on vocals and is claimed to be AC/DC's most under-rated album.

The major breakthrough in the band's career came in their collaboration with producer "Mutt" Lange on a sixth album ''Highway to Hell'', released in 1979. It became the first AC/DC LP to break into the US top 100, eventually reaching #17, and it propelled AC/DC into the top ranks of hard rock acts. ''Highway to Hell'' had lyrics that shifted away from flippant and comical toward more central rock themes, putting increased emphasis on backing vocals but still featured AC/DC's signature sound: loud, simple, pounding riffs and grooving backbeats. The final track, "Night Prowler", has two breaths in quick succession at the start of the song, intended to create a tone of fear and loathing.

Scott's death (1980)

Inconsistencies in the official accounts of Scott's death have been cited in conspiracy theories, which suggest that Scott died of a heroin overdose, or was killed by exhaust fumes redirected into the car, or that Kinnear did not exist. Additionally, Scott was asthmatic, and the temperature was below freezing on the morning of his death.

The Brian Johnson era (1980–present)

The rebirth (1980–83)

Angus Young later recalled, "I remember the first time I had ever heard Brian's (Johnson) name was from Bon. Bon had mentioned that he had been in England once touring with a band and he had mentioned that Brian had been in a band called Geordie and Bon had said 'Brian Johnson, he was a great rock and roll singer in the style of Little Richard.' And that was Bon's big idol, Little Richard. I think when he saw Brian at that time, to Bon it was 'Well he's a guy that knows what rock and roll is all about.' He mentioned that to us in Australia. I suppose when we decided to continue, Brian was the first name that Malcolm and myself came up with, so we said we should see if we can find him.", For the audition, Johnson sang "Whole Lotta Rosie" from ''Let There Be Rock'' and Ike & Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits". He was hired a few days after the audition.

With Brian Johnson the band completed the songwriting that they had begun with Bon Scott for the album ''Back in Black''. Recording took place at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas a few months after Scott's death. ''Back in Black'', produced by Mutt Lange and recorded by Tony Platt, became their biggest-selling album and a hard-rock landmark; hits include "Hells Bells", "You Shook Me All Night Long", and the title track. The album was certified platinum three months after its release, and by 2007 it had sold more than 22 million copies in the United States and over 45 million world wide, making it the fourth-highest-selling album ever in the US and the second highest selling in the world (second to Michael Jackson's ''Thriller''). The album reached No.1 in the UK and No.4 in the US, where it spent 131 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart.

The follow-up album, 1981's ''For Those About to Rock We Salute You'', also sold well and was positively received by critics. The album featured two of the band's most popular singles: "Let's Get It Up" and the title track, "For Those About to Rock", which reached No.13 and No.15 in the UK, respectively. The band split with Lange for their self-produced 1983 album, ''Flick of the Switch'', in an effort to recover the rawness and simplicity of their early albums.

Departure of Rudd and commercial decline (1983–87)

Amid rumours of alcoholism and drug-induced paranoia, drummer Phil Rudd's friendship with Malcolm Young deteriorated and, after a long period of unfriendliness, the men's dislike for each other grew so strong that they fought. Rudd was fired two hours after the fight. Session drummer B.J. Wilson was drafted in to help complete the recordings, but his drum parts were eventually not used. Although Rudd had finished the drum tracks for their next album, he was replaced by Simon Wright in the summer of 1983 after the band held an anonymous audition.

Later in the year, AC/DC released the self-produced album ''Flick of the Switch'', which was less successful than their previous albums, and was considered underdeveloped and unmemorable. One critic stated that the band "had made the same album nine times". AC/DC was voted the eighth-biggest disappointment of the year in the 1984 ''Kerrang!'' readers' poll. However, ''Flick of the Switch'' eventually reached No.4 on the UK charts, and AC/DC had minor success with the singles "Nervous Shakedown" and "Flick of the Switch". ''Fly on the Wall'', produced by the Young brothers in 1985, was also regarded as uninspired and directionless. A music concept video of the same name featured the band at a bar, playing five of the album's ten songs.

In 1986, the group returned to the charts with the made-for-radio "Who Made Who". The album ''Who Made Who'' was the soundtrack to Stephen King's film ''Maximum Overdrive'', It brought together older hits, such as "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Ride On", with newer songs such as title track "Who Made Who", and two new instrumentals, "D.T." and "Chase the Ace".

In February 1988, AC/DC were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association's Hall of Fame.

Back to commercial success (1987–90)

Popularity regained (1990–94)

Popularity confirmed (1994–2008)

In 2002, AC/DC signed a long-term, multi-album deal with Sony Music, who went on to release a series of remastered albums as part of their AC/DC remasters series. Each release contained an expanded booklet featuring rare photographs, memorabilia, and notes. In 2003, the entire back-catalogue (except ''Ballbreaker'' and ''Stiff Upper Lip'') was remastered and re-released. ''Ballbreaker'' was eventually re-released in October 2005; ''Stiff Upper Lip'' was later re-released in April 2007.

On 30 July 2003, the band performed with the Rolling Stones and Rush at Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto. The concert, held before an audience of half a million, was intended to help the city overcome the negative publicity stemming from the effects of a 2003 SARS epidemic. The concert holds the record for the largest paid music event in North American history. The band came second in a list of Australia's highest-earning entertainers for 2005, and sixth for 2006, despite having neither toured since 2003 nor released an album since 2000. Verizon Wireless has gained the rights to release AC/DC's full albums and the entire ''Live at Donington'' concert to download in 2008.

On 16 October 2007, Columbia Records released a double and triple DVD titled ''Plug Me In''. The set consists of five and seven hours of rare footage, and even a recording of AC/DC at a high school performing "School Days", "T.N.T.", "She's Got Balls", and "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)". As with ''Family Jewels'', disc one contains rare shows of the band with Bon Scott, and disc two is about the Brian Johnson era. The collector's edition contains an extra DVD with 21 more rare performances of both Scott and Johnson and more interviews.

AC/DC made their video game debut on ''Rock Band 2'', with "Let There Be Rock" included as a playable track. The setlist from their ''Live at Donington'' live album was released as playable songs for the ''Rock Band'' series by means of a Wal-Mart-exclusive retail disc titled ''AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack''.

''No Bull: The Directors Cut'', a newly edited, comprehensive Blu-ray and DVD of the band's July 1996 Plaza De Toros de las Ventas concert in Madrid, Spain, was released on 9 September 2008.

Black Ice (2008–2011)

"Rock 'n' Roll Train", the album's first single, was released to radio on 28 August. On 15 August, AC/DC recorded a video for a song from the new album in London with a special selection of fans getting the chance to be in the video. Black Ice made history debuting at No.1 on album charts in 29 countries and also has the distinction of being Columbia Records' biggest debut album (since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data for Billboard in March 1991). Black Ice has been certified Multi Platinum in eight countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany and the Czech Republic. Additionally Black Ice has achieved Platinum status in twelve countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, UK, Argentina, Singapore and New Zealand) and Gold status in four countries (The Netherlands, Spain, Poland and Brazil). With over 6.5 million copies of Black Ice shipped worldwide, combined with over 5.5 million in catalogue sold, AC/DC have surpassed The Beatles as the No.1 selling catalogue artist in the US for 2008. The 18-month Black Ice World Tour supporting the new album was announced on 11 September and began on 28 October in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The band played 42 dates in North America, ending in Nashville, Tennessee on 31 January 2009. The Answer was the opening act during the North American portion of the tour.

On 15 September 2008, AC/DC Radio debuted on Sirius Channel 19 and XM channel 53. The channel plays AC/DC music along with interviews with the band members. With the North American release of ''Black Ice'' on 20 October 2008, Columbia Records and Walmart created "Rock Again AC/DC Stores" to promote the album. In October 2008, MTV, Walmart, and Columbia created "AC/DC Rock Band Stores" in New York City, at Times Square, and in Los Angeles. "Black Ice" trucks were also dispatched on the streets of these two cities after the release, playing AC/DC music aloud and making various stops each day to sell merchandise.

In late September 2009, the band rescheduled six shows when Brian Johnson underwent an operation for ulcers. On 29 September, the band announced a collection of studio and live rarities, ''Backtracks'', which was released on 10 November 2009 as a 3-CD/2-DVD/1-LP box-set.

On 4 November AC/DC were announced as the Business Review Weekly top Australian earner (entertainment) for 2009 with earnings of $105 million. This displaced The Wiggles from the number one spot for the first time in four years.

On 26 January 2010, AC/DC announced on their official site the release of their new album ''Iron Man 2'', the soundtrack for the film ''Iron Man 2''.

On 25 January 2010, it was announced that the band were to headline Download Festival at Donington Park in June 2010. AC/DC effectively headlined Download Festival on 11 June 2010.

After criss-crossing the globe for over 20 months and playing to over five million people, the Black Ice World Tour came to a close in Bilbao, Spain on 28 June 2010. The Black Ice World Tour took AC/DC to 108 cities in over 28 countries. They released a live DVD of one of their 2–4 December–6, 2009 concerts at Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Black Ice tour DVD set was released on 10 May 2011 with the first two singles from the new DVD being "Shoot to Thrill" and "War Machine," recorded at Buenos Aires in Argentina and released as an exclusive single for Record Store Day. As of 7 March 2011, the live album is tentatively titled ''Live at River Plate''.

It was also revealed that AC/DC will re-release the concert movie with Bon Scott, ''Let There Be Rock: The Movie'' on 7 June 2011 in a Blu-ray DVD double pack included in a box set that also includes a collector's tin, concert photos, a souvenir guitar pick, and a 32-page booklet.

Future album and tour (2011–present)

Recognition

On 22 March 2000, the municipality of Leganés (near Madrid) named a street in honour of the band as "Calle de AC/DC" (literally "AC/DC Street"). Malcolm and Angus assisted in the inauguration with many fans. Later that day, the plaque with the name of the group was stolen, perhaps by an enthusiast or collector. The plaque was replaced two hours later, and stolen once again a mere three days after the fact. The plaque had since been stolen numerous times, forcing the municipality of Leganés to begin selling replicas of the official street plaque.

In May 2003, Malcolm Young accepted a Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Service to Australian Music at the 2003 Music Winners Awards, during which he paid special tribute to Bon Scott.

On 1 October 2004, a central Melbourne thoroughfare, Corporation Lane, was renamed ACDC Lane in honour of the band. However, the City of Melbourne forbade the use of the slash character in street names, so the four letters were combined. The lane is near Swanston Street where, on the back of a truck, the band recorded their video for the 1975 hit "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)".

They sold over 1.3 million CDs in the US during 2007 despite not having released a new album since 2001 at that point.

In 2009 the Recording Industry Association of America upgraded the group's US sales figures from 69 million to 71 million, making AC/DC the fifth-best-selling band in US history and the ninth-best-selling artist, selling more albums than Madonna, Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson. The RIAA also certified ''Back in Black'' as double Diamond (20 million) in US sales, and by 2007 the album had sold 22 million copies, which moved it into fifth place.

Band members

Current members

Former members

Timeline

Discography

Awards and nominations

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links

Category:ARIA Award winners Category:ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Australian heavy metal musical groups Category:Australian hard rock musical groups Category:Blues rock groups Category:Musical groups established in 1973 Category:Musical quintets Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees

Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin; September 22, 1958) is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.

She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular recordings including "Crimson and Clover", "I Hate Myself for Loving You", "Do You Want to Touch Me", "Light of Day", "Love Is All Around", "Bad Reputation".

Her musical and songwriting approach is heavily influenced by the hard-edged, hard beat-driven rhythms common to many rock bands of her native Philadelphia, often featuring lyrics surrounding themes of lost love, criticisms of insincerity, the quest for authenticity, as well as the struggles and resolutions of the American middle class. She has three albums that have been certified Platinum or Gold, and she has been referred to as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll" many times during her career.

Biography

Early life

In Los Angeles, Joan interacted with some of her idols, including Suzi Quatro, one of the first female rock musicians who played an instrument on stage. Quatro was vital to Joan's career, and Joan adopted many of Suzi's qualities including her shag haircut and style. Jett would quietly wait in the lobby of various hotels that Suzi was staying in during her US tours, just to catch a glimpse of her. She wore wooden platform shoes with "Suzi Quatro" carved into the side. Her favorite night spot was Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco. Joan was further introduced to the glam-rock style she so adored as this genre was explosive in the UK and Europe, but never quite took off in the US. Rodney's was the only place Jett could hear this style of music, and it certainly helped develop her image.

The Runaways

While The Runaways were popular in Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada and South America, they could not garner the same level of success in the U.S. After Currie, the lead singer, left the band, the band released two more albums with Jett handling the lead vocals: ''Waitin' for the Night'' and ''And Now... The Runaways''. Altogether they produced five albums from 1975 until they disbanded in spring of 1979 due to musical differences.

Soon after, Jett produced The Germs' first and only album ''(GI)''.

Solo

Later that year, she returned to Los Angeles, where she began fulfilling an obligation of the Runaways' to complete a film—loosely based on the band's career—called ''We're All Crazee Now!'' Three actresses required to stand in for her departed band members included the iconic cult star Rainbeaux Smith, who was also a rock drummer. While working on the project, Jett met songwriter and producer Kenny Laguna, who was hired by Toby Mamis to help Jett with writing some tracks for the film. They became friends and decided to work together and she relocated to Long Beach, New York where Kenny Laguna was based. The plug was pulled on the project halfway through shooting with Jett being ill, but in 1984, after Jett had become a major star, producers looked for a way to make use of the footage from the incomplete film. Bits of the original footage of Jett were used in a completely different project, an underground movie called ''DuBeat-Eo'', never commercially released, produced by Alan Sacks.

Jett and Laguna entered The Who’s Ramport Studios with the latter at the helm. Jett's self-titled solo debut was released in Europe on May 17, 1980. In the US, after the album was rejected by 23 major labels, Jett and Laguna released it independently on their new Blackheart Records label, which they started with Laguna's daughter's college savings. Laguna remembers, "We couldn't think of anything else to do, but print up records ourselves", and that's how Blackheart Records started.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Upon returning to the States, Jett, Ryan, and Ambel moved to Long Beach, New York. O'Brien stayed behind in England to pursue other interests. Auditions were set up and Lee Crystal, formerly of The Boyfriends and Sylvain Sylvain, became the new drummer. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts then toured throughout the US and built quite a following in New York. Jett and Laguna soon used their personal savings to press up copies of the ''Joan Jett'' album and set up their own system of independent distribution, sometimes selling the albums out of the trunk of Laguna's Cadillac at the end of each concert. Laguna was unable to keep up with demand for her album. Eventually, old friend and founder of Casablanca Records, Neil Bogart, made a joint venture with Laguna and signed Jett to his new label, Boardwalk Records and re-released the ''Joan Jett'' album as ''Bad Reputation''. After a year of touring and recording, The Blackhearts recorded a new album entitled ''I Love Rock 'n Roll'' for the label. Ambel was replaced by local guitarist Ricky Byrd during the recording.

With Byrd on guitar, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts recorded their hit album. The new single was a re-recording of the title track, "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which in the first half of 1982 was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks in a row. It is ''Billboard''’s #56 song of all time.

A string of Top 40 hits followed, as well as sellout tours with The Police, Queen, and Aerosmith, among others. She was among the first English-speaking rock acts to appear in Panama and the Dominican Republic.

After receiving her own MTV New Year's Eve special, Jett beat out a number of contenders to appear in the movie ''Light of Day'' with Michael J. Fox. Bruce Springsteen wrote the song "Light of Day" especially for the movie, and her performance was critically acclaimed. It was about this time that Ryan and Crystal left the Blackhearts. They were soon replaced by the powerful rhythm section of Thommy Price and Kasim Sulton. Later that year, Jett released ''Good Music'', which featured appearances by The Beach Boys, The Sugarhill Gang and singer Darlene Love.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts became the first rock band to perform a series of shows at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway, breaking the record at the time for the fastest ticket sell-out. Her next release, ''Up Your Alley'', went multi-platinum and was followed by ''The Hit List'', which was an album consisting of cover songs. During this time, Jett co-wrote the song "House of Fire", which appeared on Alice Cooper's 1989 album ''Trash''.

Her 1991 release ''Notorious'', which featured The Replacements' Paul Westerberg and former Billy Idol bassist Phil Feit, was the last with Sony/CBS as Jett switched to Warner Brothers. A CD single of "Let's Do It" featuring Jett and Westerberg was also released during this time and appeared in the song credits for the movie ''Tank Girl''. In 1993, Jett and Laguna released ''Flashback'', a compilation of various songs on their own Blackheart Records.

Jett produced several bands prior to releasing her debut and her label Blackheart Records released recordings from varied artists such as thrash metal band Metal Church and rapper Big Daddy Kane.

The press touted Jett as the "Godmother of Punk" and the "Original Riot Grrrl." In 1994, the Blackhearts released the well-received ''Pure and Simple'', which featured tracks written with Babes in Toyland's Kat Bjelland, L7's Donita Sparks and Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna.

Later years

In 1997 Joan Jett was featured on the ''We Will Fall: The Iggy Pop Tribute'' record. She performed a cover of the Johnny O'Keefe song "Wild One" (or "Real Wild Child").

Near the end of the 1990s she worked with members of the punk band The Gits, whose lead singer and lyricist, Mia Zapata, had been raped and murdered in 1993. The results of their collaboration was a live LP, ''Evil Stig'' and a single, "Bob", whose earnings were contributed to the investigation of Zapata's murder. To this end, the band and Jett appeared on the TV show ''America's Most Wanted'', appealing to the public for information. The case was solved in 2004, when Zapata's murderer, Jesus Mezquia, was brought to trial and convicted.

Jett performed "I Love Rock 'n Roll" with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 19, 2005.

Jett is a guest artist on Marky Ramone's solo album ''Start of the Century'' on the track "Don't Blame Me".

She is a guest vocalist on Peaches' album ''Impeach My Bush'' on the tracks "Boys Want to Be Her" and "You Love It".

At an October 2001 9/11 benefit in Red Bank, New Jersey, Jett and Springsteen appeared together on stage for the first time and played "Light Of Day". Jett, overcome with emotion, declared it one of the greatest moments in her career.

In 2004, Jett and Laguna produced "No Apologies" by Warped Tour favorite The Eyeliners, after signing them. Jett also guested on the track "Destroy" and made a cameo appearance in the music video.

In 2005, Jett discovered Cleveland punk rockers The Vacancies. She and Laguna signed the band and produced their second album, ''A Beat Missing or a Silence Added'' (reaching the top 20 in CMJ Music Charts) and their third album in 2007, ''Tantrum''.

In 2005, she was recruited by Steven Van Zandt to host her own radio show on Van Zandt's ''Underground Garage'' radio channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. She hosted a four-hour show titled ''Joan Jett's Radio Revolution'', broadcast every Saturday and Sunday. The program moved from Sirius 25 to Sirius 28 shortly before being canceled in June 2008.

In 2005, Jett and Laguna celebrated the 25th anniversary of Blackheart Records with a sellout show at Manhattan's Webster Hall, which featured their groups The Eyeliners and The Vacancies as openers to the headlining act, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

In June 2006, Joan Jett released her album, ''Sinner'', on her own label, Blackheart Records. To support the album, the band appeared on the 2006 Warped Tour and on a fall 2006 tour with Eagles of Death Metal. Various other bands like Antigone Rising, Valient Thorr, The Vacancies, Throw Rag and Riverboat Gamblers were to have joined the tour for a handful of dates each.

Jett sang a duet with Chase Noles on "Tearstained Letters", a song on the Heart Attacks' 2006 album, ''Hellbound and Heartless''.

A Joan Jett video with Paul, Paul Jr. and Mikey Teutul of the Learning Channel show ''American Chopper'' aired on January 14, 2007. The making of that video was presented in a segment of the show that aired on The Learning Channel on February 22, 2007. In late June, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts performed at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, following a Florida Marlins baseball game.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts headlined the Albuquerque, New Mexico Freedom Fourth celebration on July 4, 2007, with an estimated crowd of 65,000 in attendance at the annual outdoor event.

In November 2007, Jett and the Blackhearts appeared with Motörhead and Alice Cooper in a UK arena tour, that leg constituting a "reconciliation" of sorts with Jett's former personal manager, Toby Mamis, now the co-manager of Alice Cooper, and Jett opened eight American shows on Aerosmith's 2007 World Tour.

Following The Dave Clark Five's induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, on March 10, 2008, Jett, as part of the ceremony, closed the program with a performance of the DC5's 1964 hit "Bits and Pieces." She was introduced by actor Tom Hanks, who said, "Ladies and gentlemen — at one time, if I had been lucky, one of the most beautiful 'Mrs. Tom Hanks' you can imagine, but I'm not complainin' — Joan Jett!"

Jett and the Blackhearts appeared on several dates of the True Colors Tour 2008. in the summer of 2008. She opened for Def Leppard in August.

On April 24, 2010, it was announced on Green Day's official website that Jett would be supporting them on their summer European tour.

In June 2010, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts opened for Green Day on their UK tour alongside acts such as Frank Turner and Paramore.

The group was the opening act for Aerosmith's September 2010 Canadian tour.

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts were part of the lineup for Australia's The Falls Music & Arts Festival, December 29 through January 1, 2010, in Australia.

Current projects

March 2010 saw the release of a 2-CD Greatest Hits album with 4 newly re-recorded songs, 3 of which are Runaways hits, and one a track from her ''I Love Rock 'N' Roll'' album. March 2010 also saw the release of a hardcover biography and picture book, spanning her career from the Runaways to the present day. She also toured in Lewiston, Idaho's "Rockin on the River" music festival held in Clarkston, Washington.

Other work

Satire

The comic strip Bloom County included a character named Tess Turbo. Her band was The Blackheads.

Film, stage and television appearances

During the 1990s, she appeared on the sitcom ''Ellen'', performing the title song. In 1992, she was the guest star on an episode of TV's ''Highlander: The Series'', the first musician to guest star in the series.

The 1999 show ''Freaks and Geeks'' used the song "Bad Reputation" as the opening theme.

In 2000, Jett appeared in the Broadway production of ''The Rocky Horror Show'' in the role of Columbia. That same year, Jett appeared on ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' as an ex-CIA agent turned assassin hired to kill Walker and Alex.

In 2002, Jett appeared in the film ''By Hook or by Crook'' in the role of News Interviewee.

From 2000 to 2003, to support work by first time filmmakers and the indie film business, Jett hosted a showcase of new film and video shorts, ''Independent Eye'', for Maryland Public Television.

In 2008, Jett made a cameo appearance in Darren Lynn Bousman's rock opera/file ''Repo! The Genetic Opera'' as the guitarist in Shilo's room during the piece "Seventeen". In February 2008, she made a cameo appearance in Jimmy Kimmel's popular video skit, "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck".

On July 13, 2008, she appeared in the ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' episode "Reunion" as a rock and roll talk show host who is murdered.

On March 9, 2010, she appeared as a guest on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''. Accompanied by the Blackhearts, she performed "Cherry Bomb".

On March 24, 2010, she appeared as a guest on ''The Late Show with David Letterman''. Accompanied by the Blackhearts, she performed "Bad Reputation".

On April 14, 2011, she appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show with Miley Cyrus, performing a medley of Joan's biggest hits: "Bad Reputation", "Cherry Bomb" and "I Hate Myself for Loving you".

On November 15, 2011, she appeared on ''The Late Show with David Letterman'' and performed "Bad Reputation" along with the Foo Fighters.

Politics

Accolades and awards

Discography

Studio albums (With the Blackhearts)

Cover albums

Collaboration albums

Fan club albums

Japan-only release

References

External links

Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:American female guitarists Category:American female singers Category:American mezzo-sopranos Category:American punk rock singers Category:American vegans Category:Female punk rock singers Category:Feminist musicians Category:Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Rhythm guitarists Category:The Runaways members Category:Third-wave feminism Category:Blackheart Records artists Category:Article Feedback 5

Steven Tyler (born Steven Victor Tallarico on March 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is the father of actress Liv Tyler. He is also known as the "Demon of Screamin'" and is equally known for his on-stage acrobatics. During his high-energy performances, he usually dresses in bright, colorful outfits with his trademark scarves hanging from his microphone stand. In the 1970s, Tyler rose to prominence as the frontman of Aerosmith, which released such milestone hard rock albums as ''Toys in the Attic'' and ''Rocks''. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Tyler had a heavy drug and alcohol addiction, and the band's popularity waned.

He completed drug rehabilitation in 1986 and has subsequently maintained sobriety for over 20 years, aside from an addiction to prescription painkillers in the late 2000s, for which he successfully received treatment in 2009. After Aerosmith launched a remarkable comeback in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the albums ''Permanent Vacation'', ''Pump'', and ''Get a Grip'', Tyler became a household name and has remained a relevant rock icon. As a result, he has since embarked on several solo endeavors including guest appearances on other artists' music as well as film and TV roles (including as a judge on ''American Idol''). However, he has continued to record music and perform with Aerosmith, after more than 41 years in the band. He is included among ''Rolling Stone'''s 100 Greatest Singers. He was also ranked 3rd on ''Hit Parader'''s Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time. In 2001 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Aerosmith, and he was the presenter when AC/DC was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.

Early life

Career

Formation and success of Aerosmith (1970–1978)

Before Aerosmith was formed, Tyler wrote what would become one of Aerosmith's signature songs, "Dream On". In 1969, Tyler attended a local rock show in Sunapee, New Hampshire where he first saw future band-mates Joe Perry (guitars) and Tom Hamilton (Bass), who at the time were playing in a band called the Jam Band. Tyler later stated he was struck by their raw power and attitude. Around 1970, Tyler, Perry, and Hamilton decided to form a band. However, Tyler, who had typically performed drums in many of his previous bands, insisted that he be the frontman and lead singer of this band. Joey Kramer, a friend of Tyler's from New York, was recruited to play drums. They also added Tyler's boyhood friend Ray Tabano as a second guitarist. The band moved to Boston and shared a small apartment on Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton. Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford in 1971.

After spending time on the Boston club circuit under the tutelage of their first manager, Frank Connelly, the band began working with New York managers Steve Leber and David Krebs. Leber describes the band as "the closest thing I've ever seen to the Rolling Stones." On October, 1971, the managers arranged the gig at the legendary nightclub Max's Kansas City to showcase the group to record company executives. They subsequently signed a record deal with Columbia Records in 1971 and released their eponymous debut album in 1973. This was followed by ''Get Your Wings'' in 1974. Around this time, Aerosmith continued to tour wherever they could, and opened for bands like Mott the Hoople. The band had a minor hit in "Dream On", which peaked at No.59 in 1973, but it wasn't until the back-to-back releases of ''Toys in the Attic'' (1975) and ''Rocks'' (1976) that Aerosmith broke into the mainstream. In 1975, they achieved their first Top 40 hit in "Sweet Emotion". Soon after, "Dream On" was re-released and hit No. 6 in 1976, followed by another Top 10 hit "Walk This Way". Additionally, ''Rocks'' produced the hit singles "Last Child", "Back in the Saddle", and "Home Tonight". By 1976, Aerosmith found themselves headlining huge stadiums and major rock music festivals. That year, Tyler emerged as a prominent rock star and sex symbol in his own right, gracing the cover of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. 1977's ''Draw the Line'' continued the band's success, and they were catapulted to international fame and recognition, launching tours in Europe and Japan. A series of Hot 100 hits continued throughout the remainder of the decade, including "Draw the Line", "Kings and Queens", and "Chip Away the Stone". Aerosmith's first five albums have also all since gone multi-platinum, and all five are considered to be among the greatest hard rock albums of all time. Aerosmith toured heavily throughout the mid to late 1970s, and their live shows during this time period were captured through 1978's live album ''Live Bootleg!'' and the 1989 VHS release ''Live Texxas Jam '78''. 1978 also saw Tyler make his acting debut as the leader of The Future Villain Band in the film ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'', alongside his fellow Aerosmith band-mates. The film also spawned Aerosmith's cover of the Beatles hit "Come Together", which would be Aerosmith's last Top 40 single for nine years.

Decline of Aerosmith (1979–1983)

Reuniting and getting clean (1984–1986)

Aerosmith embarked on a reunion tour, the "Back in the Saddle Tour", and proceeded to record once again, releasing ''Done with Mirrors'' in 1985. The band was still using drugs, however, especially Tyler, who collapsed at a show in Springfield, Illinois, on the 1984 tour. In 1986, the band held a meeting in which the band members staged an intervention on Tyler and convinced him to enter a drug rehabilitation program.

After Tyler had successfully completed rehab, every other member of Aerosmith eventually followed suit; all had successfully exited their respective programs at various times in the mid-late 1980s.

Comeback and superstardom (1986–1999)

With the twin successes of ''Permanent Vacation'' and ''Pump'', the band became an MTV sensation and Tyler became a household name. The band were featured on a "Wayne's World" sketch on ''Saturday Night Live'' in 1990, which is ranked as the No.1 moment of all time on the show. That same year, Aerosmith recorded one of the first episodes of ''MTV Unplugged''. In 1991, Aerosmith was one of the first bands to be featured on ''The Simpsons''. That year, the band also signed a $30 million record deal with their old label Columbia, which they would begin recording for later that decade. The box set ''Pandora's Box'' was released by Columbia in late 1991, and the band filmed a music video for "Sweet Emotion" to promote the release. Earlier in the year, the band also performed "Dream On" with an orchestra at MTV's 10th Anniversary celebration; their filmed performance was used as the official video for the song. After a brief break, the band returned to the studio in 1992 to record their next album. The band's A&R; man John Kalodner criticized some of the early material being considered for this album, targeting Tyler's sexually profane lyrics in particular. As Tyler was no longer using drugs, some members of the band and their management had believed Tyler had now become a sex addict. thumb|left|150px|Steven Tyler performing on the Get a Grip Tour in 1993. However, the band eventually began recording again and released ''Get a Grip'' in 1993, which became their most successful album worldwide, selling over 15 million copies and producing a series of hit singles ("Livin' on the Edge", "Cryin'", "Amazing", "Crazy"). While the album saw mixed reviews and received some criticism for over-using outside collaborators, Aerosmith won more awards during this time than any other, winning two Grammy Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, two American Music Awards, a People's Choice award, and a Billboard Award. The band became well-known for their videos at this time, which featured film-like storylines and up-and-coming actors and actresses like Edward Furlong, Stephen Dorff, Jason London, Josh Holloway, and most notably Alicia Silverstone. Tyler's daughter Liv made her acting debut in the band's video for "Crazy" in 1994. The band also launched their biggest and most extensive tour yet, performing over 240 shows in nearly 30 countries, including touring Latin America for the first time and performing in many European countries for the first time.

After the 18-month long Get a Grip Tour ended in December 1994, the band took a break in 1995 to spend time with their families. This break was needed due to the grueling lifestyle of the previous 10 years under the helm of manager Tim Collins, who helped orchestrate much of the band's comeback and sustained success. Tyler and Perry also began writing for a new album, and the band performed a couple one-off shows in Boston to try out the new material, and vacationed together with their families in Florida. Aerosmith, however, almost broke up after the band's manager spread rumors that band members were saying bad things about each other and that Tyler was being unfaithful to his wife and using drugs again during recording sessions in Miami. The band subsequently fired Collins in 1996 in the middle of recording for their next album. In 1997, they released ''Nine Lives'', which went double platinum, launched three hits ("Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)", "Hole in My Soul", and "Pink"), and won the band their fourth Grammy for "Pink". They toured for over two years in support of the album. In 1997, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were featured in a commercial for the Gap. That fall, the band's tell-all autobiography was released.

In 1998, while on tour in support of ''Nine Lives'', Tyler suffered a ligament injury when his mic stand came crashing into his knee. Tyler and the band finished the show, but they had to cancel several dates, and Tyler had to wear a leg cast while filming the video for "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing". The song was the band's first No.1 hit and the only song to date by a rock band to debut at No.1 on the Hot 100. It has since become a slow-dance staple, and at the time introduced Aerosmith and Steven Tyler to yet another new generation. The song was written for the film ''Armageddon'', which featured Tyler's daughter Liv.

In 1999, Tyler and Perry joined Kid Rock and Run–D.M.C. to perform "Walk This Way" at the MTV Video Music Awards. Earlier that year, the band saw the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith open at Walt Disney World.

Continued success and touring (2000–08)

In 2002, Aerosmith's two-hour long ''Behind the Music'' was released, chronicling the band's tumultuous history and current activities and touring. They were also honored as MTV Icons. In the summer, they released the compilation ''O, Yeah! The Ultimate Aerosmith Hits'', which went double platinum and included the new track "Girls of Summer", which spawned a namesake tour with Kid Rock and Run–D.M.C. opening.

In 2003, Tyler received an honorary degree from Berklee College of Music, and, in 2005, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Boston. In 2003, Tyler also inducted AC/DC into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Tyler sang with AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson for a performance of "You Shook Me All Night Long". Later in the year, Tyler went on tour with Aerosmith for the Rocksimus Maximus Tour with KISS.

In 2004, Aerosmith released the blues cover album ''Honkin' on Bobo'' and launched a brief tour with Cheap Trick, focused on smaller markets. That summer, Tyler starred in a commercial for Sony's Cyber-shot camera, which also included the Aerosmith song "The Grind", a new song featured on ''Honkin' on Bobo''. Later that year, Tyler sang the National Anthem to kick off the 2004 World Series at Fenway Park. The 2004 film ''The Polar Express'' featured Tyler singing "Rockin' on Top of the World" alongside a group of computer-animated elves resembling Aerosmith.

In 2005, Tyler sang lead vocals on Santana's hit single "Just Feel Better" and made a cameo appearance in the film ''Be Cool''.

In 2006, after recovering from throat surgery and the grueling Rockin' the Joint Tour, Steven Tyler performed with Joe Perry and the Boston Pops Orchestra for the orchestra's annual Fourth of July concert, his first major public appearance since the surgery. During the concert, which was broadcast nationally on CBS, Tyler, Perry, and the orchestra performed a medley of "Walk This Way", "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" and "Dream On". That year, Tyler also recorded a duet with country music artist Keith Anderson, titled "Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll". The song, a remixed version of a song found on Anderson's debut album, was released as a single on the U.S. Hot Country Songs charts.

Later that year, the Aerosmith compilation ''Devil's Got a New Disguise'' was released, which included two new tracks. Tyler hit the road with Aerosmith again for the Route of All Evil Tour with Mötley Crüe and also made several more public appearances. He made a cameo appearance on the sitcom ''Two and a Half Men'', playing himself. On October 14, 2006, Tyler sang "God Bless America" during the seventh inning stretch at Game No.3 of the National League Championship Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. On November 24, he volunteered by serving Thanksgiving dinner to the needy at a restaurant in West Palm Beach, Florida, before an Aerosmith show there.

In 2007, Tyler kept active in Aerosmith with the band's world tour which saw them perform in 19 countries. Also that year, Tyler and daughter Liv were profiled on ''E! True Hollywood Story.

On May 21, 2008, Tyler checked into Las Encinas Hospital rehabilitation clinic in Pasadena, California, to recover from multiple leg surgeries. He made a public statement saying that "The 'foot repair' pain was intense, greater than I'd anticipated. The months of rehabilitative care and the painful strain of physical therapy were traumatic. I really needed a safe environment to recuperate where I could shut off my phone and get back on my feet." In June 2008, ''Guitar Hero: Aerosmith'' was released, the franchise's first video game based solely around one band and the most successful game based around a band. On July 14, 2008, Tyler's mother, Susan Rey Tallarico, died at the age of 84. On July 18, 2008, Steven Tyler appeared with Billy Joel at the last concert to be played at Shea Stadium. Backed by Joel's band, he sang lead vocals on "Walk This Way". In August 2008 HarperCollins won an auction to publish Tyler's autobiography. That same month, Tyler performed with trumpeter Chris Botti in Boston. In December 2008, Tyler made a surprise appearance at the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concerts at Nassau Coliseum (December 12, 2008) and the Izod Center (December 13, 2008). At the Izod Center, he collaborated with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on "Dream On" and "Sweet Emotion".

Recent events (2009–present)

On November 9, 2009, it was reported that Steven Tyler had no contact with the other members of Aerosmith and that they were unsure if he was still in the band. On November 10, 2009, Joe Perry confirmed that Steven Tyler had quit Aerosmith to pursue a solo career and was unsure whether the move was indefinite. No replacement was announced. Despite rumors of leaving the band, and notwithstanding Perry's comment as reported earlier the same day, Tyler joined The Joe Perry Project onstage November 10, 2009, at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza and performed "Walk This Way." According to sources at the event, Tyler assured the crowd that despite rumors to the contrary, he is "not quitting Aerosmith." On December 22, 2009, ''Rolling Stone'' reported that Tyler had checked into rehab for pain management.

In 2010, Steven Tyler embarked on the Cocked, Locked, Ready to Rock Tour with Aerosmith, which saw them perform over 40 concerts in 18 countries. On September 16, 2010, it was reported that Tyler would have his first solo project. He wrote "Love Lives", which serves as a theme song for the Japanese sci-fi movie ''Space Battleship Yamato''. The song was based on the English translated script, as well as on some clips of the film itself. The single was released on November 24, a week before the movie was released. A preview of the single can be heard in the movie's trailers. On September 22, 2010, Fox confirmed that Tyler would join ''American Idol'' as a member of the judging panel for the program's tenth season, alongside Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez. In December 2010, Tyler performed at the Kennedy Center Honors, honoring Paul McCartney by performing several tracks from ''Abbey Road''.

On January 19, 2011, Tyler made his debut appearance as a judge on ''American Idol'', during the premiere of the show's tenth season, which aired through the end of May. On April 2, 2011, Tyler presented an award at the 2011 Kids' Choice Awards. The following day, Steven Tyler performed with Carrie Underwood at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Underwood and Tyler performed Underwood's song "Undo It" and completed their segment with an energetic version of the Aerosmith classic "Walk This Way". On May 3, 2011, Tyler released his autobiography ''Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?'' The book was accompanied by the new single "(It) Feels So Good", released May 10. The single reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition, during breaks in between ''Idol'', Tyler worked on new material for Aerosmith's next studio album. Tyler performed the Aerosmith song "Dream On" on the season finale of ''American Idol'' on May 25.

In August 2011, it was announced that Tyler would be the inspiration for Andy Hilfiger's new fashion line, Andrew Charles. In addition to serving as the inspiration for all menswear, Steven and his daughter, Chelsea Tyler, will appear in the line's advertising campaign. Steven is also developing a signature scarf collection called "Rock Scarf" for Andrew Charles. Both the Andrew Charles collection and the Rock Scarf line will be exclusively available in select Macy's stores and on macys.com starting September of 2011.

Tyler is currently working with the other members of Aerosmith on the band's next studio album. After finishing up in the studio, the band will tour Latin America and Japan in the fall of 2011. In addition, Tyler has confirmed he will be on season 11 of ''American Idol'' which is set to air in January 2012.

Dirico Motorcycles (formerly Red Wing Motorcycles)

Steven has been a long time motorcycle fan and riding enthusiast. About the new Dirico Motorcycles, Tyler said, “You get on one of these bikes and you can ride for days. These bikes are slick, rugged, and just damn cool. And they’re amazing to look at.”

Steven Tyler also participates in a variety of charity auctions involving motorcycles, including the Ride for Children charity.

Steven is also friends with Paul Teutul from American Chopper fame

Personal life

Family and relationships

After returning Holcomb to her parents, Tyler had a brief relationship with fashion model Bebe Buell, during which he fathered actress Liv Tyler (Buell initially claimed that the father was Todd Rundgren to protect her daughter from Tyler's drug addiction).

In 1978, he married Cyrinda Foxe, from daughter Liv's marriage to British musician Royston Langdon from the band Spacehog.

On May 28, 1988, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tyler married clothing designer Teresa Barrick. A statement from Tyler's publicist read in part, "Despite Aerosmith's desire to keep the tour going as long as possible, [Tyler's] doctors advised him not to continue performing to give his voice time to recover." Aerosmith's remaining North American tour dates in 2006 on the Rockin' the Joint Tour were subsequently canceled.

The surgery, to correct a popped blood vessel in his throat, was a success. In the words of Tyler: "He just took a laser and zapped the blood vessel." After a few weeks of rest, Tyler and the rest of Aerosmith entered the studio on May 20, 2006 to begin work on their new album.

On July 3–4, 2006, Tyler and Joe Perry performed at the Boston Waterfront with the Boston Pops Orchestra and sang the songs "Dream On", "Walk This Way", and "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" as part of the Boston July 4 Fireworks Spectacular. The concert was notable as Tyler's first public performance since the surgery. A tour launched later in fall 2006 with Mötley Crüe, titled the Route of All Evil Tour.

Steven Tyler's throat surgery was featured in 2007 on an episode of the National Geographic Channel series, ''Incredible Human Machine''.

Hepatitis C

Discography

With Aerosmith

Collaborative work

Solo work

Filmography

Awards and nominations

See also

References

External links

Category:1948 births Category:Aerosmith members Category:People of Calabrian descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American musicians of German descent Category:American musicians of Polish descent Category:American musicians of Russian descent Category:American musicians of English descent Category:American male singers Category:American rock singers Category:American heavy metal singers Category:American tenors Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:English-language singers Category:Idol series judges Category:Living people Category:Musicians from New York Category:People from Yonkers, New York Category:People self-identifying as substance abusers