Steven Tyler Considering Legal Action To Halt Aerosmith Replacement

The ongoing soap opera between Steven Tyler and Aerosmith is shaping up to be the rock n’ roll story of 2010. We’ve been reporting on the band’s search for a replacement singer while Tyler battles his demons, but now looks like Tyler isn’t too keen on some other singer taking over spot as lead singer of Aerosmith – even if only for a little while.

Billboard reports that Tyler and his team of lawyers are ‘taking steps to reassert his position in the band.’

According to the Billboard story, Tyler’s Los Angeles-based attorney, Skip Miller, fired off a letter to Aerosmith manager Howard Kaufman last week requesting that Aerosmith’s management “immediately cease and desist from engaging in acts and conduct to the harm and detriment of your own client, Aerosmith, and our client who is one of its members.”

Oh now this is getting good.

Miller has since told Billboard that he called a meeting of Aerosmith’s “shareholders” on February 9 to discuss the band’s future. The four-page letter also states that “we reserve all of our legal rights and remedies in this matter, including, without limitation, pursuing legal action for damages and other appropriate relief.”

“Steven Tyler does not want lawsuits,” said Miller. “We do not want to go in that direction. The direction we want is Aerosmith, with Steven Tyler, touring in Europe, touring Latin America, releasing a new album … This is the direction it’s all intended to go. It’s just amazing to me current management would be taking any other position.”

First off, who knew the band had ‘shareholders?’ I have this image of a dark room with a big, round table in the middle and a bunch of old men dressed in suits and chomping on cigars debating the fate of the band. But I digress.

Regarding Miller’s letter, Aerosmith’s management has no comment.

Billboard notes that Tyler is in therapy for a painkiller addiction brought on by orthopedic problems. It’ll be interesting to see if he steps out with a comment. Clearly he’s pissed about Joe Perry and the guys bringing in singers, so maybe he’s ready to mix it up. I think we can all understand Tyler not wanting to be replaced, and he has every right to fight for his place in the band. But something tells me not everyone is on the same page here – the question is does the communication void narrow quickly, or expand with each passing legal threat?

Miller says the letter in question was prompted by Perry’s recent comments in the Canadian press about replacing Tyler and by a meeting earlier in January attended by Kaufman.

“…the animus and negativity you have expressed toward Mr. Tyler has created an inability to protect both Steven as an individual and the band as a whole. This behavior directed toward a person committing to rehabilitation and recovery is detrimental and hurtful on both a personal and professional level.”

He added that ‘Aerosmith without Steven Tyler is like the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger, or U2 without Bono.’

Hard to argue that. Anyone besides Tyler in the lead vocal position would be plain weird. But Van Halen went on without Dave, Black Sabbath without Ozzy, so nothing is impossible when it comes to rock n’ roll. Yes, it’s been odd to report news that the likes of Billy Idol, Lenny Kravitz and Paul Rodgers are on a supposed short-list of replacement singers, but clearly there is a deeper part of this story between Tyler and Perry (perhaps the entire band) that remains unknown at this time.

Legal shenanigans aside, the real question is who needs who more? Does ‘Aerosmith’ need Steven Tyler to truly be ‘Aerosmith?’ Or is no musician bigger than the band/brand, and with or without Tyler Aerosmith could go on recording and performing with the same fan support?

Can the band ever get back on the same footing is the real question. Will Perry and Tyler be able put everything behind them for the sake of the band if the situation disintegrates into a game of lawyers, contracts and media spin? Once you sue the guys in your band to let you back in the band – regardless of who is right and wrong -, the thrill, as they say, might be gone.

Do you think we’ll see Steven Tyler back as the lead singer of Aerosmith?