Aerosmith made the “heartbreaking” and “difficult” decision to retire from touring.
The iconic rock band announced on Friday that they will no longer be touring due to lead singer Steven Tyler’s vocal injuries.
“It was 1970 when a spark of inspiration became Aerosmith. Thanks to you, our Blue Army, that spark caught flame and has been burning for over five decades. Some of you have been with us since the beginning and all of you are the reason we made rock ‘n’ roll history,” the statement began.
Last year, Tyler, 76, “fractured his larynx,” forcing the band to postpone the rest of their “Peace Out” farewell tour and it seems that the legendary frontman never fully recovered.
“We’ve always wanted to blow your mind when performing,” the statement continued. “As you know, Steven’s voice is an instrument like no other. He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury. We’ve seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side.”
“Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible. We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision – as a band of brothers – to retire from the touring stage.”
The band added that they are “beyond grateful” to those that bought tickets for the tour and “our expert crew, our incredible team and the thousands of talented people who’ve made our historic runs possible.”
They ended the emotional missive thanking “the best fans on planet Earth.”
“Play our music loud, now and always. Dream On. You’ve made our dreams come true.”
The band was formed in Boston in 1970, with members Tyler, Joe Perry, Ray Tabano, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer, with Brad Whitford soon replacing Tabano.
They had monster hits over the decades, including “Dream On,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Janie’s Got a Gun” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.”
The group has won four Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
