Steven Tyler
From WikiHero
| Steven Tyler | |
| First Appearance | Guitar Hero Aerosmith |
| Genre | Hard Rock |
| Likes | |
| Dislikes | |
| Fretboard | N/A |
Steven Tyler (born March 26, 1948, in New York City, NY, as Steven Victor Tallarico) is the lead singer of American rock band Aerosmith and a non-playable character in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. Though his band previously contributed "Last Child" and "Same Old Song and Dance" to the series (with Tyler, in a way, lending his voice to the latter, since it was taken off the master recording), this is the first time that Tyler's likeness has appeared in a Guitar Hero game. In-game, he appears to sing the songs performed by Aerosmith, while The Singer will perform all songs by other artists (with the exception of King of Rock and Walk This Way, which are performed by DMC).
[edit] Biography
Steven Tyler was born Steven Victor Tallarico: on the paternal side of his family, he is of Italian (his grandfather Giovanni Tallarico was born in Cotronei, Calabria) and German descent. His maternal background is Cherokee and Ukrainian.
Tyler was born in New York, NY on March 26, 1948. He was the second of two children and had one older sister, Lynda. His family later moved to Yonkers, NY, where he attended Roosevelt High School. He was expelled from Roosevelt for drug use and later graduated from Jose Quintano's School for Young Professionals. Before working as a professional musician, Tyler says he worked several odd jobs, including a stint at a bakery.
Music has always played a large role in Tyler's life as he was the son of a classical musician who helmed the Vic Tallarico Orchestra. His father taught music at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx for many years. Steven Tyler also took a liking to blues and in the 1960s, he was a drummer and singer in a variety of local rock and roll bands including The Strangeurs then changed to Chain Reaction, The Chain, and William Proud. Tyler spent time in the summers of his youth in the New Hampshire lakes region where he met his future bandmates. He has residences in Marshfield, MA, Sunapee, NH, Cape Cod, New York City, and Los Angeles.
In 1969, Tyler attended a local rock show in Sunapee, where he first saw future bandmates Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton. Tyler later stated he was struck by their raw power and mean attitude. Around 1970, the band moved to Boston, Massachusetts and shared a small apartment on Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton. A former mate of Tyler's from New York, Joey Kramer, was recruited to play drums and later, they added a second guitarist, Brad Whitford who replaced Tyler's boyhood friend Ray Tabano.
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. They subsequently signed a record deal in 1971 and released their eponymous debut album in 1973. It was followed by Get Your Wings, Toys in the Attic, Rocks, and Draw the Line, which catapulted Aerosmith to international fame and recognition. These albums produced legendary hits like "Dream On", "Walk This Way", and "Sweet Emotion". Aerosmith's first five albums have also all gone multi-platinum, and all five are considered to be among the greatest hard rock albums of all time. However, as the decade wore on, the fast-paced life of touring, recording, living together, and using drugs began to take its toll on the band.
Tyler and Perry were often called the "Toxic Twins", for their legendary intake of stimulants and heroin. Their relationship is well documented in many of Aerosmith's video releases as well as in the Aerosmith Behind the Music special on VH1.
On the 14th of February, 1984, Perry and Whitford, who left the band in 1979 and 1981 respectively, showed up to an Aerosmith show. According to the band's Behind the Music, Tyler alleges he made the first phone call to Joe Perry encouraging them to meet up again. Backstage, they all met and Perry and Whitford agreed to join the band once again.
Aerosmith embarked on a reunion tour called, "The Back in the Saddle Tour," and proceeded to record once again. One problem was still remaining, however, and that was the drug addictions of the band members, especially Tyler, who had collapsed onstage during several performances in the early 1980s and had long suffered a heroin addiction. Aerosmith's new manager Tim Collins and the rest of the reunited band knew that they wouldn't get anywhere with their leader Steven Tyler still under the heavy influence of drugs. In 1986, they held a meeting in which they pressured Tyler into entering a strict drug rehabilitation program.
After Tyler had completed drug rehab, every other member of Aerosmith eventually went into rehab and all had successfully exited their respective programs at various times in the mid-late 1980s. Since then, all members have refrained from using drugs and alcohol, and even legendarily went so far as to forbid tourmates Guns n' Roses from using any drugs or alcohol in front of Aerosmith members, with the threat of being instantly dismissed from the tour.
In 1985, Aerosmith released their comeback album Done With Mirrors, which produced generally lacklustre results for the band. In 1986, however, Tyler and Perry collaborated with Run-D.M.C. for a remake of Aerosmith's 1975 hit "Walk This Way", which hit #4 on the charts and was recently in Rolling Stone Magazine as song #27 for top 100 songs that changed the world. "Walk This Way" introduced both rap music and Aerosmith to a new generation, as well as helping sow the seeds for a major comeback. Aerosmith came back big in 1987 with Permanent Vacation, which charted three Top 20 singles and sold five million copies. The band followed up in 1989 with Pump and once again in 1993 with Get a Grip, both of which sold seven million copies apiece and launched the band into global superstardom, well eclipsing their success in the 1970s. The three albums won critical acclaim for their innovative musical styles, featured a dozen Top 40 singles, produced theatrical music videos, and won the band dozens of awards. Aerosmith's subsequent touring and appearance on television and in film turned the band into one of the biggest pop culture icons. Steven Tyler, as the frontman for the group, became a symbol for the band, a pop icon, and a household name in his own right.
The band took a healthy break in 1995 to spend time with their families, in the wake of their grueling lifestyle of the previous ten years, under the helm of manager Tim Collins, who helped orchestrate much of the band's comeback and sustained success. However, Aerosmith almost came to a screeching halt as Collins pressured the exhausted band members and spread rumors that the band was breaking up and that Steven Tyler was being unfaithful to his wife and using drugs again, all of which were lies. He was subsequently fired. This, along with a producer change, delayed the recording process for Nine Lives, which was finally released in 1997. While not coming close to the sales figures of Get a Grip, it still went double platinum, and the band managed to stay on top and 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, performing a bluesy number with Tyler on harmonica. This was part of an ad campaign by GAP featuring a variety of music artists.
In 1998, while on tour in support of the album Nine Lives, Steven 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", which appeared in the soundtrack of the film Armageddon (starring Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck and Steven's daughter Liv Tyler) hit #1 on the charts that year. Surprisingly enough, that has been their only #1 hit to date.
The beginning of the 21st century saw Aerosmith spotlight at the Super Bowl XXXV Halftime Show, be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and release another platinum album.
Since 2001, Aerosmith has launched a successful tour every year and has maintained an active role in the music industry, recording the albums Just Push Play (2001) and Honkin' on Bobo (2004), the latter of which consisted only on covers of blues songs. In addition to this, Steven Tyler has kept busy with a variety of side projects and guest appearances.
On 27 May, 2001, at the 85th Indianapolis 500, Steven Tyler sang the national anthem of the USA. He came under criticism when he replaced "home of the brave'" with "home of the Indianapolis 500." He immediately apologized and reaffirmed his patriotism after the incident.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the band performed at the benefit concert "United We Stand" in Washington, D.C. Tyler donned a full-length jacket featuring the American flag and the band performed a brief set including the moving numbers "Livin' on the Edge" and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", which seemed to take on new meaning in wake of the attacks. The band flew back to Indianapolis to perform a show that same night.
In December 2002, Steven Tyler played Santa on a holiday episode of the children's television show Lizzie McGuire. He also performed the song "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town."
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, after he and his band were inducted two years earlier. Tyler sang with AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson for a performance of "You Shook Me All Night Long."
In 2004, Tyler appeared in a television commercial for Sony digital cameras. "The Grind", from Aerosmith's Honkin' on Bobo, is also featured.
The 2004 Christmas movie The Polar Express featured Steven Tyler singing the lyrics to a rocking number entitled "Rockin' on Top of the World" as well as a group of computer-animated elves resembling Aerosmith performing the song.
While Joe Perry kept busy in 2005 with his self-titled solo album, Steven Tyler kept busy with a variety of projects. That year, he sang lead vocals on Santana's hit single "Just Feel Better". Tyler also made a cameo appearance in the film Be Cool which stars John Travolta and Uma Thurman. In the film, Steven Tyler does a duo of "Cryin'" with upcoming singer Linda Moon (played by Christina Milian).
In 2006, after healing from throat surgery and the grueling Rockin' the Joint Tour, Steven Tyler made a noteworthy return. One noteworthy event was when he performed with Joe Perry and the Boston Pops Orchestra for the orchestra's annual Fourth of July spectacular, 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".
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, in addition to working with Aerosmith by touring and recording a new album, Tyler made several more public appearances. He made a cameo appearance on the sitcom Two and a Half Men, playing himself as a noisy, obnoxious neighbor. On October 14, 2006 Tyler sang "God Bless America" during the seventh inning stretch at Game #3 of the National League Championship Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. On November 24, Steven 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.
On May 21, 2008, it was reported that lead singer Steven Tyler had checked into Las Encinas Hospital rehabilitation clinic, in Pasadena, California, in order to peacefully 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."
On 14 July 2008, Tyler's mother, Susan Ray Tallarico, died aged 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 has won an auction to publish the autobiography of Steven Tyler.
In December 2008, he made a surprise appearance at the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concerts at Nassau Coliseum (12/12/2008) and the Izod Center (12/13/2008). He was the "surprise finale." At the Izod Center, he collaborated with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on "Dream On" and "Sweet Emotion".
[edit] Musical style
Tyler is known for his sharp-edged, raw vocals, and has several signature screams, which can be heard in the songs "Dream On", "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", "Nine Lives" and "Draw the Line". Steven Tyler also consistently employs falsetto and is known for his scat singing, in which he sings nonsensical syllables that mimic the sound of the music, particularly the guitar, as in "Amazing" and "Toys in the Attic". His distinctive vocal delivery has influenced many of his contemporaries, like Axl Rose.
Tyler is also known for his usage of the microphone stand as a significant part of his performances. He almost always uses the microphone stand in concert, except in rare instances, usually when guest performing at another artist's concert. Tyler dresses his microphone stand with colorful scarves. In the 1970s, when he was using drugs, he would often hide tuinals and other illegal substances in the scarves for his use onstage. He is extremely defensive of his microphone stand, and will often get angry at fans who try to grab at the scarves. Tyler will often use the mic as a prop for mimicking sexual acts and will often swing his microphone stand in the air, and has even hit members of the band with it before, most frequently during intoxicated performances in the 1970s; the Neversoft screen in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith pokes fun at this, by showing Tyler smashing the mic stand against the screen.
Throughout much of his career, Tyler has also been noted for playing the piano or keyboards onstage, particularly during songs such as "Dream On" and "Darkness". However, he has rarely done this since the 1980s, except during special performances, since the band employs a touring keyboardist, and the piano playing would take away from Tyler's raw performances as frontman. Nevertheless, his piano and keyboard playing continues to be an integral part of the band in the studio, as Tyler will often write songs this way.
Tyler is also known for his musical interplay with the other members of Aerosmith, particularly with guitarist Joe Perry. The two will often perform very close together side-by-side (which was carried over to the game, along with other mannerisms of Tyler), particularly when Perry sings backup or adds vocal harmony, or during sit-down acoustic performances.
Tyler is also a notable harmonica player, employing the instrument in a number of Aerosmith songs including "One Way Street", "Write Me", "Rats in the Cellar", "The Hop", "Hangman Jury", "Girl Keeps Coming Apart", "Permanent Vacation", "Don't Get Mad, Get Even", "Young Lust", "Cryin'", "Fever" "Can't Stop Messin'", "Walk on Water", "Something's Gotta Give", "Pink", "Under My Skin", and on songs they are notable for covering including "Big Ten Inch Record", "Milk Cow Blues", "I Ain't Got You", "Reefer Head Woman", "Love Me Two Times", "Baby, Please Don't Go", "Shame Shame Shame", "Eyesight to the Blind", "Back Back Train", "You Gotta Move", "I'm Ready", "Temperature", "Stop Messin' Round", and "Rattlesnake Shake". Tyler is also notable for quick vocal interludes while playing harmonica.
