Is Aerosmith Finished?: Steven Tyler Walks His Way Out

Steven Tyler, the eternally young 61 year old lead vocalist for Aerosmith has apparently decided to walk his way right out of the mega-successful American rock band.

According to numerous reports published today on the internet, Tyler has left the group to pursue a career as a solo artist. Guitarist Joe Perry says Tyler quit Aerosmith following a concert in the United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi.

"Steven quit, as far as I can tell," Perry told the Las Vegas Sun. "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."

Aerosmith are of course no strangers to internal feuding within the band, often related to widely reported drug abuse in the past — and earning Tyler and Perry their infamous nicknames "The Toxic Twins" during the band's early to mid seventies years. Most famously, Perry left Aerosmith in the late seventies to form the Joe Perry Project, while Tyler carried on with replacement guitarists on the album Rock In A Hard Place, scoring a moderate hit with the song "Lightnin' Strikes."

Perry rejoined Aerosmith for the Done With Mirrors album, and with the newly "drug-free" incarnation of the band, went on to renewed success in the eighties and nineties with albums like Permanent Vacation and Pump. A remake of the band's "Walk This Way" with veteran rappers Run-DMC further re-established Aerosmith as one of the top bands in rock and roll.

Just this past summer, Aerosmith had to cancel a number of dates on their co-headlining tour with ZZ Top after Tyler injured himself after falling from the stage at a concert. The band also recently postponed an album planned for later this year.

In a conversation with Peter Makowski of Classic Rock magazine, guitarist Brad Whitford seemed to leave the next move for the veteran hard rockers wide open. Indicating the band would meet soon to discuss future plans, Whitford seemed to leave the door open for either packing it in, or possibly carrying on with a new lead singer.

“Nobody could replace Steven or imitate him – he’s one of a kind. But if somebody was willing to do it and the chemistry was right, why not?,” Whitford said.

It's certainly clear that Perry prefers that some form of Aerosmith will continue, with or without their lead singer and most visible member. "Right now I'm adjusting to how we're going to go on," Perry said.