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When Steven Tyler accepted his latest gig as a judge on American Idol in 2010, his Aerosmith bandmates were initally kept in the dark, leading to tension over the frontman’s reduced time for touring.
Guitarist Joe Perry, for one, had sniped in an interview (via Rolling Stone), “It’s his business, but I don’t want Aerosmith’s name involved with it. It’s a reality show designed to get people to watch that station and sell advertising. It’s one step above Ninja Turtles.”
Cut to spring 2012: Perry has apparently had a change of heart. First off, he graced the Idol stage with his presence in March to sing “Happy Birthday” for Tyler; second off, on May 23, the whole band will perform their new single on season 11’s finale.
“It wasn’t about the show – it was about how we found out about it,” Perry told Rolling Stone. “I was pissed off about that whole thing, but I’ve played on it before and the band is gonna play on it in the last episode of the season to debut the new single. So it’s not about the show, it’s about how we found out about it. It was a bit of a shock and it took us off balance.”
VIDEO: Hollie Cavanagh Says Jimmy Iovine’s Comments ‘Were Like a Punch in the Face’
Aerosmith, who are working on their first albm since 2001’s Just Push Play, have long had backstage drama. Their issues, especially with Tyler’s obsessive personality and mean streak, were front and center on a recent edition of CBS’ 60 Minutes, where Tyler defended his harsh treatment of the band.
“I think my perfectionism and my busting everyone’s chops is what got this band to where it is today,” he said. “In the end, I get a really good song and in the end I get the hits. Yeah, I’m that good.”
As for Idol, the field of finalists was whittled down to three with Hollie Cavanagh‘s ouster on Thursday‘s results show. The remaining trio: Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet and Phillip Phillips.
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