A few months ago, drummer Joey Kramer , who has been with Aerosmith since 1970, had to take time off due to a health issue that left him with "minor injuries." When he felt he could return, the band asked him to do a test to show that he still had the rhythm and energy to come back.
According to TMZ , the group asked him to record himself playing some songs and then they would contact him to say whether he was fit to return or not. The response was negative, and the band asked him to return when he was better and fully recovered. In the process, he said that the stress of having to prove himself to his friends and bandmates of 50 years old negatively affected his performance.
Kramer also said that Aerosmith charged him $20,000 per week of shows and $10,000 per week of rehearsals for the substitute drummer. The TMZ article includes a response from the band saying that Joey had "several opportunities" to return but he wasn't committed enough.
He, however, has a different opinion and has filed a lawsuit against the band, alleging that his colleagues are hindering his return to the group. According to Kramer, remaining sidelined means he will miss important moments, such as Aerosmith's performance at the Grammy Awards with the MusiCares project, which will honor Steven Tyler for his initiatives supporting abused women.
In their statement, the band said: “Joey Kramer is our brother; his well-being is of utmost importance to us. However, he has not been emotionally and physically fit to play with the band, according to himself, for the past six months.”
“We would be doing a disservice to Joey, ourselves, and our fans if he performed without adequate time to prepare and rehearse. Bearing that in mind, he chose to file a lawsuit on the Friday night of the holiday weekend preceding the Grammys, showing complete disregard for our limited window for performing at these important events.”
Still, the band insists he is welcome to return to the group in the future. “Given his decisions, unfortunately he is unable to play, but of course we invited him to be with us both at the Grammys and at the MusiCares tribute. We are connected by much more than our time on stage.”
