Aerosmith have cancelled all their concerts and officially retired from touring after lead singer Steven Tyler suffered a serious vocal injury.
The legendary rock band formed in 1970 and had already been on a tour that was being billed as a final outing – the Peace Out Farewell Tour – however had to postpone it just three performances in last year.
The band had kicked off the tour in September however the 75-year-old lead singer sustained vocal damage to his vocal cords and fractured his larynx, with the band then forced to reschedule a string of concerts.
Now, nearly 10 months on, the band has announced Steven’s ‘recovery from his vocal injury is not possible’ and they’ve made the ‘heartbreaking and difficult decision’ to retire from touring now altogether.
Sharing a statement on social media the band thanked fans for their support over the decades.
‘It was 1970 when a spark of inspiration became Aerosmith. Thanks to you, our Blue Army, that spark caught flame and has been burning for over five decades. Some of you have been with us since the beginning and all of you are the reason we made rock ‘n’ roll history,’ it began.
‘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.
‘We’ve always wanted to blow your mind when performing. 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. We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision – as a band of brothers – to retire from the touring stage.’
It concluded: 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. 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.’
They also told fans with tickets they would automatically be refunded.
Although the statement doesn’t specify whether Steven could get back in the studio, their last album, Music From Another Dimension, was released in 2012.
The band’s line-up had mostly remained for much of the past five decades, with the other four members being Joe Perry Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer and Brad Whitford.
When the farewell tour was postponed after three shows last September, a statement at the time said: ‘Unfortunately, Stevens vocal injury is more serious than initially thought. His doctor has confirmed that in addition to the damage to his vocal cords, he fractured his larynx, which requires ongoing care.’