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Steven Tyler, Aerosmith lead singer - Source: Reuters
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry says singer Steven Tyler has quit the band, following a recent concert in Abu Dhabi.
Bassist Tom Hamilton recently told the Boston Herald that there was dissension in the band,but he hoped thing could be worked out.
He also dismissed a report that guitarist Brad Whitford discussed the possiblity of Aerosmith finding a new frontman.
But now Perry has told the Las Vegas Sun that he believes Tyler is history.
"Steven quit as far as I can tell," Perry said from his Boston home.
"I don't know anymore than you do about it. I got off the plane two nights ago. I saw online that Steven said that he was going to leave the band. I don't know for how long, indefinitely or whatever. Other than that, I don't know."
Part of the problem, he says, is that Tyler doesn't return his phone calls.
"He's notorious for that," Perry said.
"That's one thing I've learned to live with. I try to overlook it. I like to pick my battles. Frankly, the last few months I've been wanting not to rock the boat. I don't want him canceling any more gigs.
"We just kind of didn't want to call him out or anything and get him anymore p*ssed off, for whatever reason. So we just let things lie. So we did the gigs and, like I said, I got off the plane and saw this online. That's how I know about it."
Most of Aerosmith's recent world tour was canceled in August after Tyler fell from the stage at a concert and broke his shoulder.
The band members were unhappy with Tyler over the incident.
However, Aerosmith salvaged the final leg of the tour.
Perry says he hopes to keep Aerosmith together, with or without Tyler, but he was so stunned by recent developments he doesn't know what's going to happen.
"Right now I'm adjusting to how we're going to go on," Perry says.
"Aerosmith is such a powerful band, I mean it's like a steam locomotive. You just can't disregard 40 years of four guys who play together as well as they do. "
Perry believes Tyler has been planning on leaving for a while.
"Obviously he hasn't been giving 100 percent to this thing for a long time."
Aerosmith rose to popularity in the '70s with a combination of hard rock and power ballads only to be derailed by drug and alcohol abuse.
After Tyler completed rehab in 1986, the band rose to prominence again.
There were rumors last year that Tyler had checked back into rehab after more than 20 years of sobriety.
