Aerosmith is an American hard rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in October 1970, the group originally included vocalist Steven Tyler, lead guitarist Joe Perry, rhythm guitarist Ray Tabano, bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer, although Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford early the following year.[1] The band's lineup has remained constant for much of its tenure, save for a five-year period between 1979 and 1984. First, Perry left the band after a show on July 28, 1979, when a confrontation between his then-wife Elyssa and Hamilton's wife Terry led to an argument between the guitarist and Tyler, resulting in the former's departure.[2] After contributing to Night in the Ruts as a session guitarist, Jimmy Crespo was invited to replace Perry in Aerosmith in October 1979. Whitford also left Aerosmith in 1981 to work on a solo project with former Ted Nugent singer Derek St. Holmes.[3] He was replaced by Rick Dufay, before both Perry and Whitford returned to the band in the spring of 1984.[4]
In addition to the band's regular five-piece lineup, Aerosmith has added several touring musicians since its inception. David Woodford performed saxophone on the band's 1973 self-titled album, and was added to its touring lineup for the subsequent promotional tour.[5] Similarly, keyboardist Scott Cushnie performed on 1975's Toys in the Attic and remained for the album's touring cycle.[6] Mark Radice briefly took on the role of touring keyboardist in early 1978, followed by frequent collaborator Richard Supa in 1980, Bobby Mayo between 1982 and 1983,[7] and Clayton Bruce Ost in 1987.[8] Thom Gimbel joined as Aerosmith's first long-term keyboardist in 1989, remaining with the band until 1995.[9] He was replaced by Russ Irwin beginning with the Nine Lives Tour in 1997,[10] who toured with the band until he was replaced by Buck Johnson in 2014.[11] The 2012–2013 Global Warming Tour featured saxophonist Mindi Abair,[12] percussionist Jesse Sky Kramer (Joey's son) and backing vocalist Melanie Taylor.[13]
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Tyler | 1970–present | all Aerosmith releases | |||
| Tom Hamilton | |||||
| Joey Kramer | |||||
| Joe Perry | all Aerosmith releases except Rock in a Hard Place (1982) | ||||
| Brad Whitford | rhythm and lead guitar | all Aerosmith releases – one track session contribution on Rock in a Hard Place (1982) |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Tabano | 1970–1971 | rhythm and lead guitar | none | ||
| Jimmy Crespo | 1979–1984 | ||||
| Rick Dufay | 1981–1984 | rhythm and lead guitar |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Hunter | 1973–1974 | lead guitar | Get Your Wings (1974)[14] | ||
| 1973–1974 | |||||
| Michael Brecker | 1973–1974 | tenor saxophone | |||
| 1973–1974 | trumpet | ||||
| Jon Pearson | trombone | ||||
| Stan Bronstein | saxophones | [15] | |||
| Jay Messina | 1975 | bass marimba | Toys in the Attic (1975)[16] | ||
| conductor | |||||
| Uncredited | horn section | ||||
| Paul Prestopino | 1976, 1977 | Rocks (1976), Draw the Line (1977)[17] | |||
| [18] [19] | |||||
| Karen Lawrence | 1977 | backing vocals | Draw the Line (1977) | ||
| Mary Weiss | 1979 | Night in the Ruts (1979)[20] | |||
| George Young | alto saxophone | ||||
| Louis del Gatto | baritone saxophone | ||||
| Lou Marini | tenor saxophone | ||||
| 1979 | trombone | ||||
| Neil Thompson | 1979 | guitar | |||
| 1981–1982 | piano | Rock in a Hard Place (1982) | |||
| saxophone | |||||
| Reinhard Straub | violin | ||||
| John Lievano | acoustic guitar | ||||
| Drew Arnott | 1987 | mellotron | Permanent Vacation (1987)[21] | ||
| Ian Putz | baritone saxophone | ||||
| Henry Christian | trumpet | ||||
| Scott Fairbairn | cello | ||||
| Mike Fraser | plunger mute | ||||
| Morgan Rael | steel drums | ||||
| Jim Vallance | organ | ||||
| Christine Arnott | backing vocals | ||||
| Bob Rogers | trombone | [22] | |||
| Tom Keenlyside | [23] | ||||
| Bruce Fairbairn | |||||
| Bob Dowd | 1989 | backing vocals | Pump (1989) | ||
| Catherine Epps | voice | ||||
| Randy Raine-Reusch | |||||
| Henry Christian | |||||
| Ian Putz | |||||
| [24] | |||||
| Paul Baron | 1992 | trumpet | Get a Grip (1993) | ||
| backing vocals | |||||
| Sandy Kanaeholo | log drums | ||||
| Melvin Liufau | |||||
| Wesey Mamea | |||||
| Liainaiala Tagaloa | |||||
| Mapuhi T. Tekurio | |||||
| Aladd Alationa Teofilo | |||||
| [25] | |||||
| Ramesh Mishra | 1996 | sarangi | Nine Lives (1997) | ||
| Suzie Katayama | |||||
| Paul Santo | [26] | ||||
| 2000 | horns | Just Push Play (2001) | |||
| Dan Higgins | |||||
| Chelsea Tyler | backing vocals | ||||
| Paul Caruso | 2000 | loop programming | |||
| Liv Tyler | 2000 | whispering | |||
| Tony Perry | scratching | ||||
| Jim Cox | piano | ||||
| 2003 | Honkin' on Bobo (2004) | ||||
| 2003 | vocals | ||||
| The Memphis Horns | brass | ||||
| Julian Lennon | 2011–2012 | backing vocals | Music from Another Dimension | (2012) | |
| Sharlotte Gibson | |||||
| Laura Jones | |||||
| Johnny Depp | |||||
| Bruce Witkin | |||||
| Marti Frederiksen | |||||
| tenor saxophone | |||||
| John Mitchell | baritone saxophone | ||||
| trombone | |||||
| 2011–2012 | trumpet | ||||
| Larry Hall | 2011–2012 | ||||
| vocals | |||||
| Hammond organ | |||||
| Jesse Kotansky | violin | ||||
| Daphne Chen | |||||
| Eric Gorfain | |||||
| Lauren Chipman | viola | ||||
| Richard Dodd | cello | ||||
| Zac Rae | |||||
| Daniel J. Coe | synthesizer | ||||
| Dan Potruch | percussion |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Woodford | 1972–1973 | saxophone | [27] [28] | ||
| Ray Colcord | 1973–1974 | keyboards | Get Your Wings (1974) – three tracks only | ||
| Scott Cushnie | |||||
| Mark Radice | 1978 | ||||
| Richard Supa | 1980 | ||||
| Bobby Mayo | 1982–1983 | none | |||
| Clayton Bruce Ost | 1987–1988 | keyboards | |||
| Thom Gimbel | 1989–1995 | A Little South of Sanity (1998)[29] | |||
| Russ Irwin | 1997–2014 | [30] | |||
| Jesse Sky Kramer | |||||
| Mindi Abair | 2012 | saxophone | none | ||
| Melanie Taylor | backing vocals | Music from Another Dimension! (2012) – two tracks only | |||
| Buck Johnson | 2014–2024 | Aerosmith Rocks Donington 2014 (2015)[31] |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Minehan | 1994 | guitar | Minehan substituted for Whitford, who was grieving a family member's death, on a Japanese tour in 1994.[32] | ||
| David Hull | bass | Hull substituted for Hamilton at shows in 2006, 2009 and 2013 due to illness and cancer treatment.[33] [34] [35] | |||
| Bobby Schneck | 2009 | guitar | Schneck substituted for Whitford, who was recovering from surgery, at shows in June and July 2009.[36] | ||
| John Douglas | drums | Douglas substituted for Kramer during the band's Las Vegas residency in 2019, while Kramer was injured.[37] |
| Period | Members | Studio releases | |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 1970 – April 1971 |
| none | |
| April 1971 – June 1979 |
|
| |
| July 1979 – July 1981 |
|
| |
| July 1981 – May 1984 |
|
| |
| May 1984 – present |
|
|