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. He also sings backing vocals and sometimes lead vocals.
Joe Perry has been on almost every Aerosmith studio album. He also has his own band, the Joe Perry Project. Plus, he is part of the supergroup Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 84th on their list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. In 2001, he was welcomed into 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. In October 2014, Perry released his book, Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith. He wrote it with David Ritz.
Contents
Early Life and Dreams
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 Joe was very young, he loved the ocean. He dreamed of becoming a marine biologist, like his hero Jacques Cousteau. However, his grades at Hopedale Junior Senior High School were not very good. This made it hard for him to think about going to college. His parents even tried to encourage him by promising a summer internship. This would have been at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod.
Joe's school struggles continued. In his junior year, his parents sent him to Vermont Academy. This was an all-boys boarding school in Saxtons River. His parents hoped he would focus more on his studies there.
Years later, in his book Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith, Perry wrote about his learning difficulties. He realized he had ADHD, which was not diagnosed until recently. He said in an interview that in school, it was seen as a discipline problem. But when he started playing rock 'n' roll, it became less of an issue. He also thought that this learning difference might have both helped and hurt his guitar playing.
Discovering Music
His time at Vermont Academy changed Joe's life path. Students there came from all over the world. Many were from big cities like Los Angeles and New York. They introduced him to new cultures and ideas. Joe said it was a "real education" for him, but not the kind his parents expected.
His classmates showed him new music that was very different from what he had heard before. Joe had started playing guitar at age ten. Even though he is left-handed, he learned to play with his right hand. He said the Beatles were a huge early influence. Seeing them on The Ed Sullivan Show completely changed him. He thought they looked incredibly cool and were mesmerizing to watch.
After hearing the music his classmates liked, he became even more focused on his guitar. He would spend hours trying to perfectly match his playing to songs on records. At Vermont Academy, he first heard Jimi Hendrix. He also discovered British rock bands like the Who, the Kinks, and the Yardbirds. The Yardbirds' song "Train Kept a Rollin'" later became one of Aerosmith's famous covers. Joe Perry went from dreaming of marine biology to dreaming of being in a band like The Yardbirds. He loved their unique guitar sound.
Music Career Highlights
Forming Aerosmith and Early Success (1968–1979)
In the 1960s, Joe Perry formed 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 they sounded like Rolling Stones copies. But by the mid-1970s, Aerosmith found their own sound and became very popular.
They had hit songs like "Dream On". Their early albums, such as Toys in the Attic (1975) and Rocks (1976), were very successful. This was partly because of popular FM radio stations that played whole albums. They also had hit singles like "Same Old Song and Dance", "Sweet Emotion", "Walk This Way", "Back in the Saddle", and "Last Child".
During this time, Perry and Tyler were known as the "Toxic Twins". This nickname came from their energetic stage presence and close friendship. Aerosmith's fans were called "The Blue Army". This was because many teenagers in the audience wore blue denim jackets and jeans.
After the album Rocks, the band faced some challenges. Relationships within the band became difficult. This affected their music-making process. For their next album, they recorded in an old convent. Tyler and Perry often worked on their parts separately. The band struggled to create new songs. Still, Draw the Line, released in 1977, became a hit. It sold over two million copies. However, its singles did not reach the Top 40. On this album, Perry sang lead vocals on the song "Bright Light Fright".
Aerosmith toured in 1977 and 1978. But concerts sometimes had problems with things being thrown on stage. In 1978, Aerosmith released a live album called Live! Bootleg. They also released the song "Chip Away the Stone". They appeared in the film 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.
Aerosmith's Break and Joe Perry Project (1979–1984)
In 1979, Aerosmith performed at big music festivals. However, disagreements within the band grew. On July 28, 1979, at the World Series of Rock in Cleveland, an argument happened. This led to Joe Perry leaving Aerosmith. He left while they were recording the album Night in the Ruts. Other guitarists finished his parts.
Perry took some of his unrecorded songs with him. These became the basis for his album Let the Music Do the Talking, released in 1980. This album sold 250,000 copies. He then released I've Got the Rock'n'Rolls Again in 1981. After this, there were many changes in The Joe Perry Project band members. They also changed record labels. With new members, they released Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker in 1983. These albums did not sell as well. Former Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford joined The Project for their final tour.
Aerosmith Reunion and Comeback (1984–1999)
In February 1984, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford met with their old bandmates. Two months later, they rejoined Aerosmith. The band signed a new record deal. Joe Perry also brought his manager, Tim Collins, to manage Aerosmith. Collins helped guide Aerosmith's success for the next ten years.
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 as well as expected. It only sold enough to be certified gold.
In 1986, Perry and Tyler worked with the hip-hop group Run-D.M.C.. They remade Aerosmith's 1975 hit "Walk This Way". This song helped rap music become more popular. It also brought Aerosmith back into the spotlight. After overcoming their challenges, Aerosmith worked with famous songwriters and producers. They released very successful multi-platinum albums: Permanent Vacation (1987), Pump (1989), and Get a Grip (1993).
These albums had many hit singles like "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", "Love in an Elevator", "Janie's Got a Gun", "Cryin'", and "Crazy". They also had popular music videos and world tours. Aerosmith won many awards in the 1990s, including four Grammy Awards and ten MTV Video Music Awards. Perry and Tyler became close friends again. They wrote songs together and performed side-by-side on stage.
However, in 1996, tensions arose again while recording their next album. The band's manager caused some problems, almost leading Aerosmith to break up. Aerosmith fired Collins in 1996 and continued with new management. The album, Nine Lives, was released in 1997. It had hit singles like "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)" and "Pink". The band toured for three years to support it.
During this time, Perry appeared in a commercial for The Gap with Steven Tyler. The band also released their book Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith. In 1998, Perry helped create the band's first number one single, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing". This song was on the soundtrack for the movie Armageddon, which starred Tyler's daughter Liv. In 1999, the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith opened at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. On September 9, 1999, 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 Top 10 song "Jaded". Soon after, Joe Perry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Aerosmith. The band then went on the eight-month-long Just Push Play Tour. They have toured almost every year since.
The Aerosmith blues cover album Honkin' on Bobo was released in 2004. Perry released his first solo album, Joe Perry, in May 2005. He recorded it at his home studio. He played almost all the instruments himself. Critics liked it, with Rolling Stone magazine giving it a good review. He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2006 for the song "Mercy". In 2006, Perry performed with Steven Tyler and the Boston Pops Orchestra. They played a medley of songs for a nationally televised Fourth of July event in Boston.
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, a video game featuring the band's songs, came out in 2008. In 2009, Perry announced a new Joe Perry Project album, Have Guitar, Will Travel. It was released on October 6, 2009. This was the first Joe Perry Project album since 1983. He toured Europe and the U.S. to support it.
After Steven Tyler fell off a stage in August 2009, their tour was canceled. Tensions grew between Tyler and Perry. Media reports even suggested Tyler had left the band. But on November 10, 2009, Tyler made a surprise appearance at a Joe Perry Project concert. He told the crowd he was not quitting Aerosmith and performed "Walk This Way" with them. After Tyler completed rehabilitation in early 2010, the band announced a world tour. During this tour, there were a few more on-stage incidents and disagreements. But by the end of the tour, things had calmed down.
Aerosmith spent much of 2011 recording their next album. It was their first album of mostly new songs in ten years. In May 2012, their new song "Legendary Child" was released. It was performed live on the season finale of American Idol. The band's new album, Music from Another Dimension!, was released in November 2012. They supported the album with the Global Warming Tour. In January 2013, the song "Can't Stop Lovin' You" (a duet with Carrie Underwood) was released. In February, Perry and Tyler were honored with the ASCAP Founders Award. They were also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In 2013, Aerosmith extended their Global Warming Tour to Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Indonesia. This was their first time performing in Australia in 23 years. It was their first time ever in the other three countries. On May 30, Aerosmith performed at the "Boston Strong" charity concert. This concert helped victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. They also played shows in the U.S. and Japan. In the fall of 2013, Aerosmith toured Central and South America. This included their first shows in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Uruguay.
From May to June 2014, Perry performed 15 shows with Aerosmith in Europe. This was followed by the Let Rock Rule Tour in North America.
On October 7, 2014, Perry released his autobiography Rocks: My Life in and Out of Aerosmith. He promoted the book with a signing tour across the United States.
On June 13, 2015, Perry started the Blue Army Tour with Aerosmith. They played in 17 North American cities. Many of these were smaller places they had not played in years. On this tour, the band performed some less-known songs. Also in 2015, Perry was a narrator for the documentary film Unity.
Since 2015, Joe Perry has worked with Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp in the band Hollywood Vampires. They released their first album in September 2015. They performed at the 58th Grammy Awards in February 2016. In the summer of 2016, the Vampires toured North America.
On July 10, 2016, Perry collapsed on stage during a Hollywood Vampires concert in New York. He was taken to the hospital and quickly became stable. The Vampires continued their tour without him for a short time. After resting, Perry made a full recovery and rejoined the band.
In September and October 2016, Perry rejoined Aerosmith for a festival and a nine-date tour of Latin America. In November 2016, Aerosmith announced a "farewell" tour in Europe for 2017. This tour, called Aero-Vederci Baby!, was expected to last several years. The band also considered recording another album. After the European tour, the band performed in South America in late 2017.
In November 2017, Perry announced his fourth solo album, Sweetzerland Manifesto, for January 2018. It had ten new songs and featured guest musicians like Johnny Depp and Robin Zander. In November 2018, Perry released the first song from Sweetzerland Manifesto, called "Quake". It featured Aerosmith bandmate Brad Whitford.
In 2019, Perry joined Aerosmith for a residency in Las Vegas called "Aerosmith: Deuces are Wild". This name refers to both Las Vegas gambling and the band's 1994 song. The band played many shows through June 2020. They also performed at festivals and other venues during this time.
Personal Life
Joe Perry was married to Elyssa Jerret from 1975 to 1982. They had a son named Adrian. He married his second wife, Billie, in 1985. 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 group Dead Boots. As of 2014, Perry and his wife had homes in Vermont, Massachusetts, Florida, and Los Angeles.
Perry has created a line of hot sauces with Ashley Food Company. They are called Joe Perry's Rock Your World Hot Sauces. You can even find a quesadilla with his hot sauce at Hard Rock Cafe. Perry was featured on a TV show called Inside Dish with Rachael Ray. He cooked, talked about his love for knives, and discussed his hot sauce.
Until 2006, Perry co-owned a restaurant called Mount Blue in Norwell, Massachusetts, with Steven Tyler and others.
Perry lives in Massachusetts and has a home in Pomfret, Vermont.
After performing at a Billy Joel concert in November 2018, Perry collapsed backstage. He had a similar collapse in July 2016. His breathing problems seemed to be from lung congestion. However, Perry later said it was due to "dehydration and exhaustion." Because of this, Perry canceled his concert tour for the rest of 2018 to rest.
Musical Influences
Joe Perry is a big fan of early Fleetwood Mac, especially their first lead guitarist, Peter Green. This is why Aerosmith sometimes includes Fleetwood Mac songs like "Stop Messin' Round" and "Rattlesnake Shake" in their shows. Steven Tyler even said that hearing Perry play "Rattlesnake Shake" helped bring them together.
Perry also greatly admires guitarist Jeff Beck. Beck even played on stage with Aerosmith in 1976 as a birthday gift for Perry. Jimi Hendrix was another strong influence on Perry. You can hear this in songs like "The Mist Is Rising" by The Joe Perry Project. Perry also covered Hendrix's "Red House" with both The Project and Aerosmith. Perry also mentions Johnny Winter as an important influence since he was about seventeen or eighteen.
Perry is a huge fan of Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page. He and Steven Tyler had the honor of inducting Led Zeppelin into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. They said that Aerosmith would not be the same without them.
Guitar Collection
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Joe Perry has a collection of about 600 guitars! He really likes Gibson guitars, especially the Les Paul. Gibson has even made special "Signature series" models that are copies of his guitars.
One of his favorite guitars was a 1959 Gibson Les Paul. He had to sell it during his divorce in 1982. Later, he asked his guitar team to find it. One day, Brad Whitford showed him a magazine with Slash holding that very Les Paul! Perry immediately called Slash and asked for it back for years, even offering more than it was worth. He eventually gave up because it was affecting their friendship. Many years later, at Joe's 50th birthday party, Slash surprised him by giving him the guitar as a gift! Perry also owns many Gibson ES guitars and Gibson Firebirds. One of his Gibson ES guitars has a painting of his wife, Billie, on it.
Music Albums
Solo 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 David Johansen's 1978 album.
- Played guitar on Gene Simmons's 1978 album.
- Performed the solo on the Eminem song "Sing for the Moment".
- Played the solo on the Bon Jovi song "Last Chance Train".
- Appeared with Johnny Depp on Steve Hunter's The Manhattan Blues Project (2013).
- "Bad Man" (with Robin Thicke and Travis Barker from the Pitbull album Climate Change) (2016).
- Contributed guitar to the song "Rain & Dream" on the 2019 album New Love by B'z.
- "Get Ready" (with Blake Shelton from the Pitbull album Libertad 548) (2020).
Other Appearances
- Perry performed the theme song to the Spider-Man animated series.
- He played a detective in the Homicide: Life on the Street episode "Brotherly Love".
- He performed a duet of "You Really Got Me" with Sanjaya Malakar on American Idol 6.
- Perry was a judge for the 5th annual Independent Music Awards.
See also
In Spanish: Joe Perry para niños
- The Joe Perry Project
- Toxic Twins
