JOE PERRY Would 'Definitely' Consider Getting Female Singer To Front AEROSMITH

Classic Rock Revisited editor Jeb Wright recently conducted an interview with AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry for the "Decades Of Distortion" show on the Arkansas City, Kansas radio station KACY 102.5 FM. The chat is now available for streaming in three parts below.

When asked if there is any truth to Classic Rock magazine's recent report that Perry asked Paul Rodgers if he would be interested in replacing Steven Tyler in AEROSMITH, Joe said, "I mean, obviously that would be a thought, because he is one of my favorite singers of all time, and I got a chance to meet him at Classic Rock Awards [in London] a couple of months ago. But I think that he's a really… him being English from that earlier generation, I don't think that it would work. I mean, it's more than just somebody who can sing. I would love to do — and I probably will — do some tracks with him. As a matter of fact, I think THE JOE PERRY PROJECT is gonna open a tour with them in April in England. The original BAD COMPANY is gonna get back together and they asked me to open the show. So we will be playing together, but I don't think that he'll be… We're young kids to him. I just don't think it's the right chemistry. Technically, I know he's got the chops — I mean, I know he can sing anything he wants — but I think that it's a little bit more than just if he can sing the songs."

Regarding whether AEROSMITH would consider hiring a female singer to replace Tyler, Perry said, "Oh, definitely! No one in the band's brought that up, but sometimes they need a little… You've gotta think out of the box. Oddly enough, a lot of the bands I was in before I had AEROSMITH, I had female singers in the band and it was really good — a lot of great songs. So that's definitely a possibility."

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As previously reported, an attorney representing Tyler sent a letter to AEROSMITH's manager, Howard Kaufman, telling Kaufman to "immediately cease and desist from engaging in acts and conduct to the harm and detriment of your own client, AEROSMITH, and our client who is one of its members," according to Billboard.com. The move was seen as Tyler's way of issuing a warning to the group and its management should they go forward with plans to enlist a new lead singer while Tyler completes a stint in rehab and possibly pursues his own solo project.

Tyler's lawyer, Skip Miller, told Billboard.com that he's called a meeting of what he described as AEROSMITH's "shareholders" for February 9 to discuss recording a new album and touring Europe and South America later this year.

Miller's letter to Kaufman states, "We reserve all of our legal rights and remedies in this matter, including, without limitation, pursuing legal action for damages and other appropriate relief."

Despite this, Miller said, "Steven Tyler does not want lawsuits. We do not want to go in that direction. The direction we want is AEROSMITH, with Steven Tyler, touring in Europe, touring Latin America, releasing a new album . . . It's just amazing to me current management would be taking any other position."

At press time, AEROSMITH's management had neither commented on the letter nor issued a reply.

Tyler and his bandmates fell out last fall after a canceled tour and Tyler's stated intention to work for two years on a solo project led the rest of AEROSMITH to consider finding a new singer. Tyler subsequently entered rehab for an addiction to painkillers and presumably is still there, although he has shown up at various locations like a karaoke bar and a Home Depot in the Palm Springs area.

Miller said that at a meeting in January between Kaufman and Tyler's lawyers, Kaufman reportedly said that AEROSMITH "would be better off without Steven."

Tyler's lawyers have accused Kaufman of "playing band members off against one another instead of seeking to . . . unify them for the overall good of the band," adding that recruiting a new singer "ultimately could destroy AEROSMITH."

Classic Rock magazine reported over the weekend that Perry had also approached Chris Cornell and Billy Idol about singing with the band.