Fan Fare

Steven Tyler — “American Idol’s” new Paula Abdul?

Okay. So he’s no Simon Cowell. But based on his first outing on the “American Idol” judging panel,  Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler had the wackiness and unpredictability of  the much-loved, and much-missed Paula Abdul.

With Jennifer Lopez breaking her heart over saying no to some of the wannabe pop stars, it was left to Tyler, 62,  to inject much of the fun into the new line-up.

Whooping, clapping, hollering, and flirting with the contestants, the heavily made-up rocker also had the best of the jokes and one-liners — sometimes against himself.

“We are all here, because we’re not all there!” quipped Tyler — who has been in and out of rehab for addictions to everything from cocaine, to alcohol, to painkiller and sleep medication in his colorful 40-year stint with Aerosmith.

And even given producers’ obvious switch of emphasis to show more “good” contenders than laughable train wrecks,  it was Tyler who was quickest with the put-downs. “You scared everbody in the room,” he told the unfortunate Boy Scout who sang “My Way”.

“Did you eat a lot of paint chips as a child?” he asked another contestant.

Tyler’s sometimes foul language earned just a couple of bleeps on Wednesday, but looks likely to bring a sense of danger to the show when episodes go live in a few weeks time.

Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez — right fit for “American Idol”?

“American Idol” has finally announced its new judging panel, ending months of speculation about the future shape of the show.

But are  Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and actress/singer Jennifer Lopez  the right choice? And will star power be enough to keep old “Idol” fans (and hopefully millions more new ones) tuning in when the show returns in January?

Tyler, the volatile lead singer of America’s best-selling rock band, will certainly bring a rock edge to a contest that has specialised in producing middle-of the-road champions for an audience that ranges from 8 to 80 year-olds.

And J.Lo, as America’s leading Latina entertainer, may entice a whole new Hispanic audience to the show. (And as for her  reported “diva” demands that made the rounds a few weeks ago –  “so much rubbish”,  executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told journalists this week.)

It’s certainly a huge change of style for “American Idol” as it enters its 10th season. But will J.Lo, Tyler and returning judge Randy Jackson produce the kind of chemistry as a three-some that made the Randy-Paula-Simon combo so entertaining a few years ago?

“We have spent a lot of time together now.  We all have known each other for a while.  So I think we are gonna have a lot of cool camaraderie,”  Jackson told a news conference as the new judges were officially confirmed.

Neither Tyler or J.Lo were on anyone’s radar back in May when Simon Cowell left, and celebrities like Bret Michaels, Shania Twain, Elton John and shock jock Howard Stern were either lobbying hard for the job, or widely reported to be in talks about joining the panel.

Is Steven Tyler right fit for “American Idol”?

Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler looks to be on his way to join “American Idol” in what would be the first bona fide rock star judge on the show’s panel.

But is Tyler, 62, the right fit for a show aimed squarely at middle America? And if Tyler is in place, as widely reported, can the “Idol” judging panel carry a second major artist if rumors about country star Shania Twain, or Jennifer Lopez, or even Jessica Simpson turn out to be correct?

Tyler may be a rock god, but does he have anything useful, or witty, or coherent, to say to the aspiring “American Idols”?

And rock stars usually bring plenty of baggage after decades on the road — in Tyler’s case a history of prescription drug addiction,  drama, and an uncanny ability to fall off the stage.

How long would Tyler sign up to be on “Idol”? And would his new job mean another long hiatus (or even  the end) of touring and new albums for Aerosmith?

One thing is clear. Paula Abdul he is not. Nor Ellen. And if there’s one person who can withstand all the expected negative comparisons to Simon Cowell, it’s probably Tyler.

Tyler may be ready for “American Idol” but is America ready for Steven Tyler on prime-time TV twice a week for five months?

Shania Twain for “American Idol”? Judge auditions drag on

Another day.  Another potential “American Idol” judge surfaces.

Who knew Simon Cowell (or even Ellen DeGeneres) would be so hard to replace?

With Jennifer Lopez apparently out of the running for being “too demanding”, country singer Shania Twain’s name resurfaced on Thursday as  “Idol”  producers and the Fox television network searched for a new line-up in time for filmed auditions in mid-September for the show’s 10th season.

Twain proved an audience favorite after appearing earlier this year on the show, both as a guest judge and a celebrity mentor.  The idea of Lopez, on the other hand, had not gone down so well with fans online, making you wonder whether her name had been deliberately floated by “Idol” insiders to gauge popular reaction before any deals were signed.

Canadian country singer Twain, however, may have ruled herself out because of a planned TV show of her own on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) starting in 2011.  OWN said on Thursday it was still moving ahead with the show but did not yet have an air date.

What does seem to be emerging after the long months of  musical chairs is that “Idol”  looks headed to return to a three-judge format, probably  anchored by Randy Jackson and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. And reading between the headlines, one can see that the magic ingredient — chemistry — is playing a key role in the drawn out selection procedure.

It’s hard to see how Twain, or Tyler, who still has a performing, recording and touring career with Aerosmith,  will be able to fit in a five months, twice a week, commitment to “American Idol” over the long-term. And the same can be said of J.Lo who has a music career, a movie career, and twins to keep her busy.

Goodbye Ellen, Hello….who? to “American Idol”

Like it or not  “American Idol” will be getting a whole new talent line-up next season — and that’s just the judges.

But with Fox keeping their mouths firmly shut on who will replace Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres, it seems to be anyone’s guess as to what the new panel will look like, or even how many judges there will be.

Fox’s senior executives have refused to confirm or deny any of the rumors of recent weeks that have suggested that Jennifer Lopez, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, Jessica Simpson or even Justin Timberlake might be joining the show.

And they also refused to speculate on whether Kara DioGuardi or even Randy Jackson will return.

Even more tantalizing, Fox entertainment chairman Peter Rice said that some of the recent reports were accurate while other were “wildly inaccurate” — and he wasn’t saying which was which.

Meanwhile Brett Michaels is still publicly lobbying for the job, and Sean “Diddy” Combs repeated that he would be happy to do it — as long as he got the same salary as Simon.

So with a couple of the biggest jobs in popular TV still apparently wide open, who would you like to see dealing out the criticism when “American Idol” returns in January?

Who could replace Steven Tyler in Aerosmith?

Aerosmith without Steven Tyler is like cocaine without a straw, or alcohol without a hangover.

But as fans come to grips with the very real possibility that the rubber-faced singer may abandon his scarf-draped microphone stand at the helm of one of America’s most successful rock bands, the next question is: Who should replace him?

Guitarist Joe Perry said on Monday that the band is “positively” seeking a new singer, apparently having tired of the silent treatment Tyler has meted out to them in recent months. The final straw was an article published last week by Classic Rock magazine, in which Tyler said he was going to focus on “Brand Tyler.” Perry – Tyler’s musical foil for 40 years – was not happy to learn about the singer’s plans online, and upped the ante by saying Aerosmith would continue without him.

One candidate to replace Tyler could be Hagen Grohe, a German singer plucked from obscurity to sing on Perry’s newly released solo album, “Have Guitar, Will Travel.” Perry has taken the solo project on the road, and Grohe does versions of such Aerosmith nuggets as “Walk This Way” and a reggaefied “Dream On,” in a soaring vocal style reminiscent of Axl Rose. When Reuters asked Perry last month about Hagen eventually replacing Tyler, a somewhat outlandish idea at the time, Perry did not exactly rubbish the proposal.

Bands who replace lead singers have a mixed track record. AC/DC went on to bigger and better things with Brian Johnson, although many fans three decades later still long for his late predecessor Bon Scott. Deep Purple moved into the big leagues after Ian Gillan replaced Rod Evans in 1969. Van Halen survived the 1985 replacement of David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar, but the rock band stumbled badly in 1996 when it brought in Gary Cherone.

And then there’s INXS, which struggled to replace late singer Michael Hutchence, despite or because of a reality-TV contest. Sublime’s recent attempt to reunite with a new singer was shot down by a judge at the behest of the family of the ska-punk band’s late frontman. Others like Queen did not even bother trying — at least until 2004, 13 years after the death of Freddie Mercury, when two-thirds of the group’s surviving members joined up with British blues singer Paul Rodgers.

Which brings us back to Aerosmith. Rodgers, the former frontman of Bad Company, is Perry’s favorite singer. People magazine facetiously (we hope) suggested Adam Lambert or Roth as replacements. Maybe Chris Cornell, of Soundgarden and Audioslave fame, would be a good fit? Or Pink, especially since Aerosmith had a hit song of that name? Or a merger with Run-DMC, whose rap version of “Walk this Way” reignited Aerosmith’s career? Or perhaps the answer is staring at Perry in the mirror?

UPDATE: Aerosmith wife no fan of band’s albums

(updates with comment from Joe Perry)

The wife of Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry doesn’t particularly care for the band’s recordings, and has never listened to any of their albums in their entirety. 

“I am not a fan of Aerosmith’s music without the live performance behind it,” Billie Perry (at right with her husband) wrote on her Twitter page on Sunday.

“Honestly I have never listened to 1 CD all the way through. I listen in the studio when they record. I’ve never put an Aero CD on my player. I did order a few songs from iTunes, but have not listened.” 

She considers Aerosmith to be one of the greatest live acts in rock ‘n’ roll, but “… without the live show the songs n lyrics don’t move me.”

Perry’s comments come at a sensitive time for the veteran rock band. Aerosmith was forced to cancel a troubled tour two months ago after singer Steven Tyler fell off the stage, and he has not spoken to his bandmates since.

Joe Perry, who is promoting a new solo album that will keep him on the road through March, recently told Reuters he has not written a song with Tyler in 10 years.

UPDATE – The Aerosmith tour cancellation you saw coming

Word has finally come from camp Aerosmith that the band will cancel its tour. It really came as no surprise, considering the extent of the injuries suffered by lead singer Steven Tyler last week.

Before the official word of the cancellation, Tyler, 61, described what happened when he fell from the stage and broke his shoulder during a concert on Aug. 5 near Sturgis, South Dakota.

“I landed upside down, and after twenty stitches on the back of my head, and a broken left shoulder, I just want to say that I’m plain grateful that I didn’t break my neck!,” he wrote. “In truth, after thousands of live shows, falling off the edge four times ain’t too bad.”

Five Canadian shows were scrapped in the aftermath of the South Dakota incident. Before the cancellation, the next show was to be on Monday in Seattle. Despite the dire prognosis for the tour, a radio station in Los Angeles continued until the last minute promoting the band’s stop in the city next Friday.

It sounds like Tyler narrowly avoided serious injury, so fans can be grateful that the worst thing to come out of the whole mishap so far is a tour cancellation. But given the difficulties the band had pulling off this latest series of gigs, what can we expect the next time Aerosmith hits the road? Will it be a tamer, safer version of the band? Dream on.

(Additional writing by Alex Dobuzinskis)

Same old song and dance: Aerosmith scrubs Florida shows

Want some good news about Aerosmith’s troubled tour? Dream On. The veteran rockers have officially postponed shows scheduled for Saturday in Tampa and Monday in Sunrise/Ft. Lauderdale, after a few days of confusion as to whether they would proceed. Seven shows have now been scrapped as a result of an unspecified leg injury suffered by 61-year-old singer Steven Tyler.

The trek kicked off on June 10 in St. Louis, and the band managed to perform seven shows through June 29 before Tyler (pictured left with guitarist Joe Perry at the American Music Awards last November) was hobbled. Initial sympathy expressed by fans on the official message board at Aeroforceone.com is now turning into frustration as they have to cancel travel and accommodation plans, babysitters and the like.

Perry’s Twitter messages did not help. He told fans on Wednesday that the shows in Florida would not go ahead, but then changed tack the following day saying there had been a misunderstanding.

The good news is that guitarist Brad Whitford, who was sidelined by a head injury just before the tour started, is ready to rejoin his bandmates once Tyler is back in the saddle. All eyes are now on the Atlanta show scheduled for Wednesday.

The band says the seven shows (so far) will be rescheduled but has not confirmed any details. Perry said on a Florida radio station Friday that he hoped to be back in October. Dates are on tap through Sept. 16 in Detroit.

Aerosmith turn to Web for guidance from fans

Back in their youthful heyday, the members of Aerosmith indulged in every sort of hedonistic pursuit backstage after their concerts. These days, they head straight to the tour bus and surf the Web to see what their fans thought about the show, says lead guitarist Joe Perry.      The feedback is important in the early stages of a tour, such as the one that began last Wednesday in St. Louis, as the band struggles to regain match form after a 20-month absence from the stage.      “They don’t hold anything back,” Perry said of the comments on sites such as the official Web site, aeroforceone.com. “It’s a lot of fun to read it. Some of it isn’t so much fun, but it still gives you good feedback … We can take care of the technical stuff and what we expect out of ourselves, but the most important thing is how it affects the fans.”   With just two shows of the tour under its belt, the set list will undergo some major changes, and fan input will be an influence, Perry told Reuters on Sunday, calling from the bus taking him from Milwaukee back to the band’s Boston hometown.

“The bottom line is we’re entertainers. We want to keep the fans happy. We’re not these egotistical artists that dictate, ‘Well you must listen to this one and you must like it whether you applaud or not.’”

The centerpiece of each show on the new tour is the performance of an early album in its entirety, front to back. For at least the next two weeks, that album is the 1975 smash “Toys in the Attic,” which features the hits “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion.” (The album closer “You See Me Crying” is currently absent from the set list because it is “one of the toughest songs probably in our catalog,” Perry said, and vocalist Steven Tyler needs two more shows to get his throat into shape).      Once the band settles into a groove, it will probably dust off its 1976 follow-up “Rocks,” which features the top-40 tunes “Back in the Saddle” and “Last Child.” The band’s first two albums, its 1973 self-titled debut and 1974′s “Get Your Wings” are also candidates for a revival.

But what Perry really wants to do is exhume is the unloved 1979 album “Night in the Ruts,” recorded during the band’s lengthy, drug-fueled nadir. Perry plays on only some of the tracks because he left the band before the album was released.      “I think there are probably two songs on there that we could play pretty much right off the bat,” he said. “The rest of them we’d have to sit down and really take them apart, relearn all the guitar parts. There are some rockin’ songs on there and it would be fun to play them live.”      So far on the tour Perry takes to the microphone for the “Rocks” cut “Combination,” and he envisages adding other solo outings such as “Bright Light Fight” (from 1979′s “Draw the Line”) and “Walk on Down” (from 1993′s “Get a Grip”).      In the meantime, he started mixing a new solo album on Sunday, and hopes to premiere some new music during the summer ahead of an official release in September or October. The nine-track disc was recorded during a frantic 40-day burst of activity after sessions for Aerosmith’s long-delayed album were postponed when Tyler came down with pneumonia.      The album, with the working title of “Freedom,” will be credited to the Joe Perry Project, a combo he formed during his five-year hiatus from Aerosmith.      Perry does some vocals, and also brought in a singer in the bluesy Paul Rodgers mold, whom he declined to identify. One of the tracks Perry sings is called “Oh Lord,” which he likened to a Jim Morrison-style prayer set to music. Some high-school choristers, including his son Roman, are featured on the tune.      “That’s the kind of thing I really don’t hear on an Aerosmith record,” Perry said.