AEROSMITH Singer Says He Was "Sober As Can Be" When He Fell Off Stage
August 25, 2009, 15 years ago
In his first official interview since falling off the stage in South Dakota on August 6th, AEROSMITH singer Steven Tyler spoke with David Browne from Rolling Stone about the event and the future of the band. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:
Rolling Stone: What happened that night?
Tyler: "I don’t really know. There was a torrential downpour and the guys [at the campground] said, 'Look, it’s still slippery.' I watched myself on YouTube, and it could have been my knee buckling or any ankle. The last thing I remember before I hit the ground was people grabbing for me, but they couldn’t reach me because of the barricade. At any other Aerosmith show I probably would’ve been caught and thrown back onto the stage — naked and without jewelry [laughs]. I stood up and couldn’t raise my arm and knew I’d broken something."
Rolling Stone: Were you sober?
Tyler: "As sober as you can be."
Rolling Stone: How do you respond to reports of dissent within the band?
Tyler: "Someone is leaking stuff, pretending to know, and you know, I don’t even care. Has the band done things to me where I’ve wanted to quit? Positively. But I’ve stuck in there for the sake of a few sounds we got. I respect the power this band has in and of itself regardless of who says what."
Rolling Stone: When did you last speak with the other guys?
Tyler: "Two days ago. Shit’s good. I’m not the leader. No one’s the leader, we’re just one for all, all for one. It’s probably why we’ve never quit. No one’s got enough money! We split it evenly."
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