Steven Tyler’s health forces Aerosmith to retire from touring
Aerosmith have officially played their final show. The band announced on Friday, 2nd August, that they’re retiring from touring as they cancelled all remaining concert dates, claiming that it is not possible for their singer, Steven Tyler, to adequately recover from his vocal injury.
Aerosmith have been touring almost constantly since their formation in the 1970. They’ve headlined over 30 major world tours during their career, bringing their timeless rock anthems to every continent as their expansive fan base spreads far and wide.
They already knew that this most recent tour, which began in 2023, would likely be their last. It was billed as “the “Peace Out… Farewell Tour”, intending to run from September 2023 through to February 2024. However, it halted on 9th September 2023 after a show in New York. Initially, the shows were just postponed after Tyler suffered vocal cord damage and received doctors’ orders not to sing for at least 30 days. However, as the injury was worse than they realised, the shows have now been cancelled altogether.
“We’ve always wanted to blow your mind when performing,” the band wrote in a statement. “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,” they continued. “We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision – as a band of brothers – to retire from the touring stage.”
The statement doesn’t address whether they hope to make a return to recovering music. Their last album, Music From Another Dimension!, came out in 2012, while Tyler released a solo album in 2016. But it’s unsure whether their retirement from the road could mean more studio time or whether this genuinely is it for the group.
Either way, they expressed their deep gratitude for their fans. “It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours. In every club, on every massive tour and at moments grand and private you have given us a place in the soundtrack of your lives,” they wrote.
They also thanked their touring team as they continued, “We are grateful beyond words for everyone who was pumped to get on the road with us one last time. Grateful to our expert crew, our incredible team and the thousands of talented people who’ve made our historic runs possible.”
But in conclusion, the band shared what appeared to be their last words as they said, “A final thank you to you – the best fans on planet Earth. Play our music loud, now and always. Dream On. You’ve made our dreams come true.”
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