In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Aerosmith found themselves in a delicate period and were seeking alternative solutions. At the time, lead singer Steven Tyler was recovering from a serious fall from a stage and decided to focus both on his solo project and on his participation as a judge on the reality show American Idol .
In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock , guitarist Joe Perry defended the right of each band member to pursue their own projects at any given time, but also said that he thought of Aerosmith as a whole. “The band wasn’t very solid. There were some conversations and a lot of people were involved – lawyers, different managers… I thought Steven might want to take a four-year break, do what he wanted to do,” he said.
According to Perry, some names considered to replace Steven Tyler were Chris Cornell , Billy Idol , Lenny Kravitz and Paul Rogers , but the one that came closest was Sammy Hagar. "I'm not sure how the word got around, but I know Sam as a cheerful, easy-going guy. And he definitely had a good voice, so I understand why the idea circulated."
Previously, Sammy Hagar himself had already spoken about the story to Ultimate Classic Rock . "I probably would have messed it up because I'm not a toxic guy," he joked. "When fights start, I get out of there. I can't stand being in a bad situation."
READ ALSO: Sammy Hagar apologizes for the way he spoke about Eddie Van Halen in his autobiography
