Biography

As co-founding member, principal co-songwriter, electrifying lead guitarist and co-producer of Aerosmith--America's Greatest Rock & Roll Band--Joe has achieved permanent iconic stature in the pantheon of rock. He has helped to drive his band, over the course of three decades, to sales of more than 150 million albums, critical acclaim, four Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The world's true Guitar Hero was immortalized in 2008, when Aerosmith made history and created a cultural firestorm with the Activision released Guitar Hero®: Aerosmith®, an epic collaboration that marked the first music-based game to feature one band. The groundbreaking partnership united "America's greatest hard rock act" (as described by Mojo editor Phil Alexander in a May '07 cover story) with the massively successful video game franchise; sales exploded and broke records, with Aerosmith reaching yet again a younger generation of fans.

In 2009, Joe Perry released his fifth solo CD- Have Guitar Will Travel, entirely written and produced by Perry. The hard driving, ten-song, in your face, collection features Perry's trademark rock and blue ferocity. In his 2005 Grammy-nominated fourth solo album Joe Perry--recorded at the BoneYard, Perry's basement home studio in Boston-- he provided an exciting glimpse of another side of himself. Still as scorching hot on guitar as he is preternaturally cool in his persona, Perry created a collection of songs reflecting his deepest personal concerns, from his passion for rock and love of the blues to his keen social conscience and devotion to friends and family.

His previous solo works--as the "Joe Perry Project"--include the self-produced Let The Music Do The Talking (1980) and Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker (1983), along with I've Got The Rock 'N' Rolls Again (1981), all of which were recorded at a time when Joe was on hiatus from Aerosmith.

As a producer, JOE has received a producing credit (solo or included as AEROSMITH) for the band's following albums: Rocks, Draw The Line, Night In The Ruts (Partial), Greatest Hits, Classics Live Ii, Just Push Play, and their last studio album Honkin' On Bobo.

PERRY has expanded his musical outreach to include composing for film and television. He composed the theme song for the "Spiderman" animated TV series as well as instrumental music for the independent movie This Thing of Ours, starring James Caan. His other instrumental credits include Aerosmith's Grammy-nominated track, "Boogie Man," a guitar tour de force from 1994's Get A Grip album, as well as "Mercy"--from Joe Perry, his last solo album--which earned him a Grammy nomination in the "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" category (2005).

Perry's guitar prowess was documented in a version of James Moore's "I'm A King Bee," performed with Aerosmith bandmate Steven Tyler heard on the album and film, Lightning In A Bottle, the 2005 Martin Scorsese-produced concert documentary on the blues shot at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

In September, 2009 Joe Perry met the nation's Top Scientists and Leaders on Capitol Hill for a panel discussion focusing on promoting cures and improving therapies for Cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, HIV/AIDS and PTSD, followed by a performance with JOE and a back up band consisting of NIH Director Francis Collins, MD PhD, Rudy Tanzi, PhD Professor of Neurology at Harvard University and others. A few months later JOE and other iconic celebrities including will.i.am, Sheryl Crow, Seal and Josh Groban, appeared alongside the Top Scientists and Leaders for a feature called Rock Stars of Science in GQ's Men of the Year issue.

At the Lollapalooza Festival in 2009, JOE took the stage with Janes Addiction to play "Jane Says", for what would be the band's first major performance together at Lollapalooza since 1991. The night before PERRY joined Jimmy Buffett at Toyota Park in Chicago and performed on "Margaritaville" to roughly 30,000 fans.

On July 1, 2007, PERRY joined Tom Jones and his band at the historic "Concert For Diana" at Wembley Stadium on the classic "Ain't That A Lot of Love" (with Joss Stone on guest vocals) and covers of Prince's "Kiss" and the Arctic Monkeys' "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor." Between this appearance, viewed by more than 500 million worldwide, and his special guest performance with Kelly Clarkson on the 2007 season finale of "American Idol," Perry and his fiery signature guitar sound (not to mention his cool, mysterious aura) were a part of two of the year's biggest TV events.

In late 2006, at the personal invitation of Chuck Berry, JOE jammed with Mr. Berry and his band at his 80th birthday celebration at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis. JOE also played guitar on Mick Jagger's last solo album, Goddess in the Doorway; appeared in the video for Nelly's "#1" hit single; and played guitar on Les Paul & Friends: A Tribute To A Legend.

In June 2006, PERRY and his wife Billie hosted a concert for the town of Woodstock, Vermont (where his family occasionally live in the landmark "Sleepy Hollow Farm") for the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars. Later that year, PERRY went to see the All Stars and joined them on stage for a medley of Bob Marley's "War" and "Get Up Stand Up." JOE also ensured that the band could continue to pursue their music by providing them with instruments (guitars, basses and strings) along with a MAC computer for the youngest member.

Beyond his music career, JOE made his acting debut guest-starring as DEA agent "Joe Landrewsky" in an October 1998 episode of the critically hailed NBC drama "Homicide: Life On The Street." Perry also had a cameo in Wayne's World 2 and the 2005 film MGM/UA movie Be Cool, a sequel to Get Shorty, which also features an Aerosmith performance of the group's smash "Cryin'." In 2005, fashion designer John Varvatos, a fan of JOE's, asked him to be in one of his major fashion campaigns with his son Tony. He appeared on billboards and high fashion magazines around the US.

Perry and his wife Billie have four sons (Tony, Roman, Adrian and Aaron); The legendary guitarist frequently sits in with TAB THE BAND which is led by sons Adrian and Tony.

In 2003, PERRY launched his own food company "Joe Perry's Rock Your World". With the first products being BoneYard Brew Table Sauce, later followed by Mango Peach Tango; JOE is planning to release his Mac and Cheese "Joe Perry's Rockin' Roni" soon. It will have two flavors: White Cheddar and Shells and Spicy Buffalo Cheddar and Elbows.

PERRY and his family are well-known animal lovers and helped to fund the building of a new animal shelter in their community. PERRY was also instrumental in bringing awareness to the Friesian Horse. Twenty years ago, Joe and Billie were the first in the New England area to own a pair of the once endangered breed, a cause Billie is very involved with. In that time, the Friesian Horse has gone from the endangered list to rare breeds list and now numbers in the tens of thousands in America alone. In addition, he also supports the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society whose members undertake campaigns to protect marine species and environments.

Joe's work with Aerosmith has resulted in an unending array of accolades and honors. Beyond their Grammy Awards and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, other key milestones over the past 35 years include: 12 MTV Video Awards; two People's Choice Awards; six Billboard Music Awards; eight American Music Awards; 23 Boston Music Awards; and an Academy Award nomination for Best Song, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (from the soundtrack to Armageddon).

Recent Aerosmith releases include: 2011's Tough Love: Best Of The Ballads; the 2004 blues-influenced CD Honkin' On Bobo (which received a four-star review in Rolling Stone); 2004's live DVD You Gotta Move; 2005's Rockin' The Joint, a live CD recorded at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas; and 2006's career retrospective Devil's Got A New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith that featured two unreleased songs. Aerosmith are recording a new album this summer with Producer Jack Douglas. They've maintained their high profile through an array of key television, commercial and film appearances and have had their music featured in numerous films, commercials and TV shows. In 2001, Aerosmith performed at the prestigious NFL Superbowl XXXV Halftime Show along with Britney Spears and 'N Sync--in front of approximately 84.3 million viewers--and they were a headliner at Woodstock '94. Other highlights include the CBS-TV 4th of July concert in 2006 with the Boston Pops Orchestra and an alliance with NASCAR racing: their newly-recorded live version of their classic "Back In The Saddle," with new racing-themed lyrics, was an integral part of the ABC-TV/ESPN's NASCAR telecasts in 2007.

In 2007, Aerosmith's World Tour broke attendance records with sold out stadium shows in numerous countries including Dubai, Russia, India, Finland, France, England Italy, Germany, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, Belgium etc. In November 2009, the band played at the Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi to 50,000 fans. On the 2010 Cocked Locked, Ready to Rock tour, Aerosmith felt "Aero-mania", as thousands of frenzied fans in Latin America mobbed the band everywhere they went. In October 2011, the band returned to Latin America where they played to fans in Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Panama, Brazil, Columbia and Ecuador. In November, 2011, Aerosmith performed in Japan for the first time in 7 years and really enjoyed playing for their fans who were struck with the recent tragedies there.