Tom Hamilton

Overview

Submitted by guitar-list on Tue, 2013-11-12 08:00

musical style:

photograph of Aerosmith

Aerosmith is a prominent American rock band. Three of its members, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Tom Hamilton, first met in Sunapee, New Hampshire in the late 60s, but it wasn't until 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, that the three decided to form a band together. Later, they met up with Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (rhythm guitar). The band enjoyed major popularity throughout the 70s, making rock anthems such as "Dream On" and "Sweet Emotion", but they split from 1979-84 due to serious in-group arguments and substance abuse problems that contributed to their decline.

Producing a wide variety of tunes influenced both by the 60s hard rock legends as well as the bombastic rhythm and blues artists that the band loved, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler became known as the "toxic twins" due to their rambunctious live performances and nasty lifestyles. The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia reportedly said Aerosmith featured "the druggiest bunch of guys I've ever seen." Classics from their early area with much airplay also include 1974's "Same Old Song And Dance" and 1976's "Back In The Saddle", with 1973's "Dream On" being a concert favorite.

Jimmy Crespo replaced Joe Perry for about five years as the band's fortunes failed. However, in 1984, chiefly due to the tireless efforts of Joe Perry's then manager, Tim Collins, to reform the band, Aerosmith was born again. Despite his own client Perry's insistence that it was unthinkable, Collins succeeded in helping the band resolve old differences and ultimately overcome their addictions. By 1989, the band had completely stopped their drug abuse. During this time, they enjoyed a resurgence in popularity that has endured since and has made them one of top-selling and most popular rock bands in the world today. Part of that renewal came in the form of a 1986 collaboration with hip-hop stars Run- D.M.C. on a new rap rock version of Walk This Way. This song served as an early step in bridging the gap between the hip-hop community and mainstream rock and roll fans, and its incredibly popular music video brought both musical groups much acclaim.

Massive hits from the band's 80s comeback include 1989's "Love In An Elevator" and 1987's "Rag Doll" among others. Areosmith's greatest worldwide hit has been "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing", a single from the blockbuster movie 'Armageddon'. They have even infiltrated Disney Theme Parks in the U.S. and other countries with their own thrill ride 'Rock 'n' Rollercoaster featuring Aerosmith'. Continuing the ubiquitous marketing plan, they are also featured in their own version of the popular "Guitar Hero" video game.

In 2010, the band suffered a setback, and an on-again, off-again break-up following an on-stage accident in which Steven Tyler broke his collarbone, but by mid-year, European tourdates were announced and the band went on.

The Legendary Child Songfacts states that This was released as the first single from Aerosmith's fifteenth studio album, Music From Another Dimension!, which will be released on August 28, 2012 . The lead single was "Legendary Child," an unfinished piece originally put together in 1991 during the initial sessions for the Get a Grip album. The song was debuted live by the band on the finale of the eleventh series of American Idol on May 23, 2012.

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