Steven Tyler has experienced a relapse in his sobriety journey, forcing Aerosmith to postpone upcoming concerts.
“As many of you know, our beloved brother Steven has worked on his sobriety for many years,” read a statement shared via the band’s Instagram page on Tuesday, May 24. “After foot surgery to prepare for the stage and the necessity of pain management during the process, he has recently relapsed and voluntarily entered a treatment program to concentrate on his health and recovery.”
The message continued, “We are truly sorry to inform our fans and friends that we must cancel our first set of Las Vegas Residency dates this June and July while he focuses on his well-being. We will continue our 2022 dates starting in September, and we’ll let you know any further updates as soon as we can.”
Ticket holders were encouraged to seek information about refunds if needed, with the band noting how “devastated” they felt to “have inconvenienced so many” of their “most loyal fans.”
The statement concluded, “Thank you for your understanding and for your support for Steven during this time.”
Aerosmith was founded in 1970 by Tyler, now 74, who sings lead vocals for the band. Drummer Joey Kramer and bassist Tom Hamilton round out the group, along with guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford. They initially announced their Las Vegas residency — Aerosmith: Deuces Are Wild — in 2018.
The former American Idol judge has spoken openly about his history of addiction over the years, recently reflecting on how an intervention in the ’80s shifted his perspective. “There was a moment in ’88 where management and the band pulled an intervention on me. They thought, ‘Get the lead singer sober, and all our problems would be over,’” he told Haute Living in late 2019. “So I got sober and, you know, it took me many years to get over the anger of them sending me to rehab while they went on vacation.”
Tyler continued at the time, “But today, because of that moment… I am grateful and owe a thanks to them for my sobriety.”
Earlier that year, the “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” singer told GQ that using substances “was more or less the thing to do” when Aerosmith first hit the big time. “I don’t think there were any bands that even knew what sober was,” Tyler claimed. “We would do cocaine to go up, quaaludes to come down. We would drink and then snort some coke until we thought we were straight. But that’s not true — you’re just drunk and coked out.”
The “Walk This Way” artist credited his bandmates for pushing him to get sober — even though they didn’t take their own advice. “It was interesting that I was being told by a bunch of guys that were still getting f–ked up,” he told the outlet. “I thought they were trying to brainwash me. I thought I would lose my creativity … but I’m grateful that that happened ’cause I would have never seen the light.”
Eventually, his fellow Aerosmith musicians “all got sober” in the late ’80s, and Tyler thinks it’s why they made some of their best work. “[We] finally had a No. 1 single,” he said. “I got a band that’s still together, the guys are still alive, everyone’s healthy. We play better than we did 50 years ago.”
During the 2019 interview, the “Dream On” crooner said he was “very proud” to be nine years sober on his “fourth” attempt.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
