Joe Perry (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joe Perry
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Perry performing with Hollywood Vampires in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joseph Anthony Pereira |
| Born | September 10, 1950 Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
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| Years active | 1965–present |
Joseph Anthony Pereira (born September 10, 1950), known as Joe Perry, is an American musician. He is famous as a founding member and guitarist for the rock band Aerosmith. Joe Perry also sings backing vocals and sometimes lead vocals for the band.
Besides Aerosmith, Perry has his own band called the Joe Perry Project. He is also part of the supergroup Hollywood Vampires, which includes Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp.
Rolling Stone magazine named him one of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. In 2001, he joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Aerosmith. In 2013, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler received the ASCAP Founders Award. They were also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Perry wrote a book about his life called Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith in 2014.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Joseph Anthony Pereira was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He grew up in Hopedale, Massachusetts. His father was an accountant, and his mother was a high school gym teacher.
When he was very young, Joe loved the ocean. He dreamed of becoming a marine biologist, like his hero Jacques Cousteau. However, his school grades were not very good. His parents decided to send him to Vermont Academy, an all-boys boarding school. This school was in Saxtons River, Vermont. Joe was not happy about this change at first. His parents hoped he would focus more on his studies there.
Years later, Joe Perry shared that he had ADHD. This condition was not known when he was in school. He felt it made learning harder for him back then. But he also wondered if it helped his guitar playing in some ways.
His time at Vermont Academy changed his life. He met students from all over the world. They introduced him to new ideas and music. This was very different from his quiet hometown. He said it was "a real education."
Joe started playing guitar when he was ten. Even though he is left-handed, he learned to play with his right hand. He was greatly influenced by the Beatles. He remembered seeing them on The Ed Sullivan Show and how cool they looked. He said it "changed me completely."
At Vermont Academy, he first heard Jimi Hendrix. He also discovered British rock bands like the Who, the Kinks, and the Yardbirds. The Yardbirds especially inspired him. He loved their unique guitar sound. Joe Perry then knew he wanted to be in a band, just like The Yardbirds.
Aerosmith's Journey
Forming Aerosmith and Early Success (1968–1979)
In the 1960s, Joe Perry formed a band called The Jam Band with Tom Hamilton. Later, Steven Tyler, Brad Whitford, and Joey Kramer joined them. This group became Aerosmith.
At first, some people thought Aerosmith sounded like Rolling Stones. But by the mid-1970s, they became very popular. They released hit albums like Toys in the Attic (1975) and Rocks (1976). Songs like "Dream On", "Sweet Emotion", and "Walk This Way" became big hits on the radio.
Aerosmith's fans were called "The Blue Army." The band gave them this name because many young fans wore blue denim jackets and jeans.
After Rocks, the band faced some challenges. They recorded their next album, Draw the Line, in 1977. It sold well, but its singles did not reach the top of the charts. Joe Perry sang lead vocals on the song "Bright Light Fright" on this album.
In 1978, Aerosmith released a live album called Live! Bootleg. They also appeared in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Clubs Band. For the movie, they covered the Beatles' song "Come Together." This was their last Top 40 hit for almost ten years.
Joe Perry Project and Aerosmith's Break (1979–1984)
In 1979, Joe Perry left Aerosmith due to disagreements. He was recording the album Night in the Ruts at the time. Perry took some of his unrecorded songs with him. These songs became the basis for his first solo album, Let the Music Do the Talking, released in 1980.
His solo band was called The Joe Perry Project. The album sold 250,000 copies. The Project released two more albums: I've Got the Rock'n'Rolls Again (1981) and Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker (1983). These albums did not sell as well. Former Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford joined The Project for their last tour.
Aerosmith's Comeback (1984–1999)
In February 1984, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford reunited with their old bandmates in Aerosmith. They officially rejoined the band two months later. Aerosmith then signed a new record deal.
In 1984, Aerosmith started a successful comeback tour called the "Back in the Saddle Tour." The next year, they released Done with Mirrors. Critics liked it, but it did not sell many copies.
A major turning point came in 1986. Perry and Tyler worked with the hip-hop group Run-D.M.C. to remake Aerosmith's 1975 hit "Walk This Way." This song helped rap music become popular. It also brought Aerosmith back into the spotlight.
Aerosmith had great success in the 1990s. They won several Grammy Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. Perry and Tyler became close friends again. They wrote songs together and performed side-by-side on stage.
In 1997, they released the album Nine Lives. It featured hit singles like "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)" and "Pink." The band toured for three years to support the album. In 1998, Perry helped create the band's first number one song, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." This song was on the soundtrack for the movie Armageddon.
In 1999, the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith opened at Walt Disney World in Florida. Later that year, Perry and Tyler performed "Walk This Way" live with Run-D.M.C. and Kid Rock at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Continued Success and Solo Work (2000–Present)
In 2001, Aerosmith performed at the Super Bowl XXXV half-time show. They also released the album Just Push Play, which included the hit song "Jaded." Soon after, Joe Perry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Aerosmith.
In 2005, Perry released his first solo album, simply called Joe Perry. He recorded it in his home studio. He played almost all the instruments himself. Critics praised the album. He was even nominated for a Grammy Award for the song "Mercy." In 2006, Perry performed with Steven Tyler and the Boston Pops Orchestra for a Fourth of July celebration in Boston.
A video game called Guitar Hero: Aerosmith was released in 2008. In 2009, Joe Perry released another Joe Perry Project album, Have Guitar, Will Travel.
Aerosmith continued to tour and record new music. In 2012, they released Music from Another Dimension!. They supported the album with the Global Warming Tour. In 2013, Perry and Steven Tyler received the ASCAP Founders Award and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. They also performed at the "Boston Strong" charity concert for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.
In October 2014, Perry released his autobiography, Rocks: My Life in and Out of Aerosmith. He went on a book-signing tour to promote it.
Since 2015, Joe Perry has been part of the Hollywood Vampires. This band includes Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp. They released their first album in 2015. They also performed at the 58th Grammy Awards in 2016.
In July 2016, Perry had a health scare while performing with the Hollywood Vampires. He quickly recovered and returned to the tour.
In 2017, Aerosmith announced their "Aero-Vederci Baby!" tour in Europe. Perry also released his fourth solo album, Sweetzerland Manifesto, in 2018. It featured guest musicians like Johnny Depp and Robin Zander.
In 2019, Perry joined Aerosmith for a series of shows in Las Vegas called "Aerosmith: Deuces are Wild."
Personal Life
Joe Perry has been married twice. He was married to Elyssa Jerret from 1975 to 1982. They had one son, Adrian. In 1985, he married his second wife, Billie. They have two sons, Tony and Roman. Billie also has a son named Aaron from a previous relationship. Adrian and Tony Perry are members of the rock band Dead Boots.
Joe Perry has homes in Vermont, Massachusetts, Florida, and Los Angeles. He has also created his own line of hot sauces called Joe Perry's Rock Your World Hot Sauces. He even cooked on a TV show called Inside Dish with Rachael Ray.
Musical Influences
Joe Perry is a big fan of early Fleetwood Mac, especially their guitarist Peter Green. He also loves guitarist Jeff Beck. Beck even played with Aerosmith in 1976 as a birthday gift for Perry.
Perry was also greatly influenced by Jimi Hendrix. He has covered Hendrix's song "Red House" with both The Joe Perry Project and Aerosmith. He also looks up to Johnny Winter.
Joe Perry is a huge fan of Led Zeppelin and their guitarist Jimmy Page. He and Steven Tyler inducted Led Zeppelin into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. They said that Aerosmith would not be the same without them.
Equipment
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Joe Perry has a collection of about 600 guitars. He especially likes Gibson guitars, particularly the Les Paul model. Gibson has even made special versions of some of his guitars.
One of his favorite guitars was a 1959 Gibson Les Paul. He had to sell it during his divorce in 1982. Years later, he found out that Slash from Guns N' Roses owned it. Perry asked Slash for years to sell it back. Eventually, Slash gave him the guitar as a gift for his 50th birthday! Perry also owns various Gibson ES guitars and Gibson Firebirds.
Discography
Studio albums
- Joe Perry (2005)
- Have Guitar, Will Travel (2009)
- Joe Perry's Merry Christmas (2014)
- Sweetzerland Manifesto (2018)
- Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII (2023)
with Aerosmith
- Aerosmith (1973)
- Get Your Wings (1974)
- Toys in the Attic (1975)
- Rocks (1976)
- Draw the Line (1977)
- Night in the Ruts (1979)
- Done with Mirrors (1985)
- Permanent Vacation (1987)
- Pump (1989)
- Get a Grip (1993)
- Nine Lives (1997)
- Just Push Play (2001)
- Honkin' on Bobo (2004)
- Music from Another Dimension! (2012)
with The Joe Perry Project
- Let the Music Do the Talking (1980)
- I've Got the Rock'n'Rolls Again (1981)
- Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker (1983)
with Hollywood Vampires
- Hollywood Vampires (2015)
- Rise (2019)
- Live In Rio (2023)
Guest appearances
- Played guitar on Eminem's song "Sing for the Moment" (2002).
- Played guitar on Bon Jovi's song "Last Chance Train" (2004).
- Appeared with Johnny Depp on Steve Hunter's The Manhattan Blues Project (2013).
- Contributed guitar to "Bad Man" with Robin Thicke and Travis Barker (2016).
- Contributed guitar to "Rain & Dream" by B'z (2019).
- Contributed guitar to "Get Ready" with Blake Shelton (2020).
See also
In Spanish: Joe Perry para niños
- The Joe Perry Project
- Toxic Twins
