Throughout his career as the lead singer of Aerosmith , Steven Tyler has often been compared to his Rolling Stones , Mick Jagger .
It's easy to understand why the media jumped on the comparison early in Tyler's career, a time when the United States ostensibly presented an answer to the biggest British rock band of the time, complete with a vocalist who looked remarkably like Jagger.
However, these comparisons were reportedly a source of "harm" for Tyler, and the group revealed that their inability, throughout their career, to escape the shadow of the Rolling Stones was sometimes irritating.
In a 2013 interview, Tyler and his bandmate Joe Perry reflected on 43 years in the rock 'n' roll business. The two had just been honored with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Founders Award for songwriting, and when asked how he felt about being honored for his songwriting, Tyler explained: “[The awards] are very nice. But we always played our music and didn't give a damn. Still, the criticism of being a 'cheap Rolling Stones imitator' was constant. And it hurt for the first couple of years.”
He continued: “It was constantly Mick Jagger this and Mick Jagger that – that I was copying him, and Janis Joplin too. Mick was the cheapest and easiest shot. 'Well, he looks like him, so let's write about that.'”
His bandmate, Perry, added, "You could tell they weren't listening because we definitely didn't sound like the Stones," and Tyler chimed in, "But we did our best to try."
“We steal from everyone,” Perry concluded. “Amateurs copy and professionals steal, and we are professionals. We don’t hide the fact that we take from the people who came before us.”
To make the comparisons even worse, a year before the interview in 2012, Jagger appeared on Saturday Night Live in a skit where he impersonated Tyler. During the parody sketch, comedian Bill Hader introduced “Tyler” saying: “Borrowed from 'American Idol' and those weird Burger King commercials. We’re lucky to have him… Steven Tyler.”
Mick Jagger entered the stage dressed in a full Steven Tyler costume, complete with a giant black wig with platinum stripes, a women's shirt with a snake print, and a red bandana tied around his neck. During the show, Jagger squinted to mimic Tyler's facial expressions and imitated his voice, full of mannerisms.
Fortunately, it seems Tyler saw the comedic side of the skit and even thought about it, explaining shortly afterward that he didn't think Jagger did him justice. "Ohhh, [Mick] got it so wrong," Tyler said. "He could have done the 'yeah, yeah, yeah' thing."
He then explained, however, that Jagger's appearance was perfect: "I thought he looked good with long hair," Tyler commented. "I always wanted him to grow it back." Overall, it seems Tyler wasn't too upset about the portrayal. "It was good," Tyler admitted. "It was fun." After all, it's nice to be recognized by one of your heroes, even if it's through a comedy sketch.
It seems that, despite wanting to step out of Jagger's shadow, he will always remain one of Tyler's icons, whether he likes to admit it or not. As he once explained: “[Jagger] was my hero, there was actually a six or seven year period where I was afraid to tell the press, so I was like, 'No, he's not,' of course, I came out of the closet and said, 'He is!' To this day, to this minute, to this second, Mick Jagger is still my hero.”
Watch part of Steven Tyler's Jagger impersonation on Saturday Night Live below:
