Joe Perry (Born September 10, 1950 in Lawrence, Massachusetts), is the lead guitarist and chief songwriter for the rock and roll group Aerosmith.
He was introduced to music at age 6 by his neighbours, introducing him to classic rock and roll groups from the 1950s and The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in the 1960s became his real inspiration for picking up a guitar and begin playing with such people as The Yardbirds and John Mayall. He played for many other bands, including The Jam Band where he met future Aerosmith member Tom Hamilton. In 1969, Perry met singer Steven Tyler at The Barn in Sunapee, New Hampshire, with whom he would form Aerosmith the next year. Aerosmith would go on to be one of the most successful bands of the 1970s; however, after a string of poorly received albums and amidst increasing tension in the band (no doubt in part due to excessive drug and alcohol use), Perry exited the band in 1978. He went on to form his own band, The Joe Perry Project, almost immediately after his departure from Aerosmith. The Joe Perry Project initially found some success, but the band eventually faded into obscurity due to numerous line-up changes and Perry's drug habits. In 1984, Perry disbanded the Project and rejoined a rejuvenated Aerosmith. In 1998, Perry and Diane Warren co-wrote one of the band's biggest hits, I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing (from the film Armeggeddon), although Warren ended up getting sole writing credit. Perry has also done some work as an actor, including a guest starring role in an episode of Homicide: Life on the Streets.
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Last updated: 05-21-2005 15:24:59
