What Happened to Steven Tyler?

We take a look at the life, career and complicated, occasionally controversial legacy of Aerosmith front-man Steven Tyler.

Aerosmith is arguably one of the most iconic rock bands of all time. Formed in Boston in 1970, the band has more than withstood the test of time, with them the biggest-selling American Hard rock band of all time, selling over 150 million records. From their early days, through their massive resurgence in the eighties and nineties, to today- people still love Aerosmith.

Fronted by Steven Tyler, with Joe Perry perhaps the most iconic “guitar player with mystique” ever, the band had a slew of iconic hits in the seventies, including “Dream On,” “Sweet Emotion,” and “Walk This Way.” But, as with many iconic rock bands, drug addiction took an enormous toll, and by the time the early eighties rolled around, Aerosmith seemed to be on a collision course with obscurity. What followed was perhaps one of the greatest comebacks in rock history, with Aerosmith teaming up with Run DMC for an iconic rock/rap hybrid cover of their hit “Walk This Way” before churning out a whole slew of new hits, including “Janie’s Got a Gun,” “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” and more. In the nineties, their popularity only increased, with their iconic MTV videos for “Cryin’” and “Crazy” featuring Alicia Silverstone and Steven’s own daughter, Liv Tyler, culminating in one of the biggest hits of their career – “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing”, from the Armageddon soundtrack.

The band is still going strong, with Tyler winning new fans by being a judge on American Idol. But, Steven Tyler has not been without some controversy, with a past relationship with a woman he once had guardianship over returning to the headlines. Indeed, Tyler’s story is filled with hard rock triumphs, with a little rock n’ roll nightmare mixed in. In this episode of What Happened to this Celebrity, which is written (with Mathew Plale), narrated, edited and produced by Taylor James Johnson, we dig deeply into Steven Tyler’s legacy.

What’s your favorite Aerosmith track? Let us know in the comments!

About the Author

Chris Bumbray began his career with JoBlo as the resident film critic (and James Bond expert) way back in 2007, and he has stuck around ever since, being named editor-in-chief in 2021. A voting member of the CCA and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, you can also catch Chris discussing pop culture regularly on CTV News Channel.