Joe Perry was born on September 10, 1950, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He grew up in an average family in the small town of Hopedale where his father worked as an accountant and his mother as a gym teacher and aerobics instructor.
Perry’s average life ended forever when he combined forces with Steven Tyler, Tom Hamilton, Brad Whitford, and Joey Kramer in 1969. The group, known simply to fans as Aerosmith, enjoyed their first significant success during the mid 1970s with the release of the albums Toys in the Attic and Rocks. Perry, along with the wild lead vocalist Steven Tyler, became known as the "Toxic Twins" for their non-stop partying lifestyle and heavy drug use. Their risky lifestyle, increased reliance on drugs, tensions between members of the band, and crowds of fans that had become increasingly wild and violent eventually proved to be too much for Perry. He left the band in 1979.
Less than a year later, Perry had turned his efforts towards establishing his own band, which he named The Joe Perry Project. Let the Music do the Talking, the group’s first record, achieved marginal success, reaching #47 on the charts. This would prove to be the highlight in the short career of the fledgling group. Even though concert sales were favorable, the albums I’ve Got the Rock’n’ Rolls Again and Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker, failed to garner much recognition from either fans or critics.
Under the encouragement of manager Tim Collins, Perry agreed to rejoin his bandmates in 1984, much to the delight of fans and fellow band members. Perry worked with Run DMC to remake the single "Walk This Way," launching one of the greatest comebacks in music history. They produced many successful albums and hits, including "I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing." This single was produced by Perry and songwriter Diane Warren, and was featured in the hit film Armageddon. The band continues to tour to this day, gaining new generations of fans with each passing year.
Along with being an integral part of Aerosmith, Perry also released a self-titled album in 2005. With Perry himself providing all of the instrumentals and vocals, it was considered a major musical accomplishment by critics. He received a Grammy nomination for his efforts in the category of Best Rock Instrumental, but ultimately lost to Les Paul. Perry also has a passion for the culinary arts, and developed a line of signature hot sauces called Joe Perry’s Rock Your World Hot Sauces. His talents were displayed on the show hosted by cooking and domestic guru Rachael Ray.
Perry called Elyssa Jarret his wife from 1975 to 1985. True to the rock and roll lifestyle, the pair had a love hate relationship, with their squabbles often escalating to extreme levels. Reportedly, during one lover’s spat, Elyssa bit Perry in the face. Their son Adrian was born before their divorce. Joe wasted no time moving on, marrying Billie Paullete Montgomery Perry in the same year he divorced Elyssa. His wife, along with their children Tony and Roman are still happily together.
YUDDY
