Some things never change, like rock bands supplying a steady stream of drama.
Legendary music group Aerosmith was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year at the awards event at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday night, and accepting the award on the band’s behalf was famous front man Steven Tyler … along with their recently dismissed longtime drummer, Joey Kramer.
Even though Kramer, 69, managed a brief acceptance speech after Tyler, 71, concluded, and was pictured backstage holding a statuette along with the rest of the band, he was not permitted to play with them onstage during the event.
He feels entitled: Aerosmith was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year on Friday night, and accepting the award was front man Steven Tyler (second from left) along with recently dismissed drummer, Joey Kramer (third from left). Other Aerosmith honorees include Joe Perry (far left), Brad Whitford (second from right) and Tom Hamilton (far right), pictured with Interim President of The Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr. (center, in back)
Last Friday, January 17, the drummer filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts alleging that fellow band members Tyler, Joe Perry, 69, Tom Hamilton, 68, and Brad Whitford, 67, did not allow him to rejoin the group after a recent temporary disability, according to an article this past Tuesday by TMZ.
Kramer, after suffering minor injuries in spring 2019, claimed that when he was ready to return, Aerosmith asked him to audition to prove he could ‘play at an appropriate level’ despite other band members never having to audition following an absence.
And when the Bronx, New York native finally auditioned earlier this month, Aerosmith did not allow him to return.
On Friday night, Joey was not the drummer onstage when the band performed during the MusiCares award event — even though he did come onstage to accept the trophy.
That’s not Joey: Even though Kramer managed a brief acceptance speech after Tyler concluded, he was not permitted to play with them onstage during the event; Tyler and Perry seen here with a replacement drummer
Happier times: Kramer is a founding member of Aerosmith; seen here with Tyler at a press conference in Moscow, Russia in 2015
He will also be barred from performing with Aerosmith at the upcoming Grammy Awards on Sunday night, but will most likely attend music’s biggest night.
In a previous statement to TMZ from Aerosmith, the band said, ‘Given his decisions [to bring a lawsuit against the band] he is unfortunately unable to perform but of course we have invited him to be with us for both the Grammys and our MusiCares honor. We are bonded together by much more than our time on stage.’
Kramer has been credited with coming up with the band’s name two years before it was formed back in 1970, in Boston.
However the band now cites the fact that there is not ample time for Kramer to rehearse with the band in preparation for these big performances.
‘Being prohibited from playing with a band that I have given 50 years of my life to supporting, is beyond devastating. This is not about money. I am being deprived of the opportunity to be recognized along with my peers, for our collective, lifetime contributions to the music industry. Neither the MusiCares’ Person of the Year Award nor the Grammys’ Lifetime Achievement honors can ever be repeated,’ Kramer told TMZ.
No Joey: Several musicians took the stage at MusiCares on Friday night, including Alice Cooper and even Johnny Depp, but Kramer was nowhere to be found
Legendary crooner: Tyler, along with the other members of the band, expressed through their lawyers that they felt Kramer was not up to par for performing and would have needed additional time to properly rehearse
‘I hope our fans can understand that all I’m trying to do is get back to playing with the band that they love – and that’s Aerosmith with all five original members. The greatest magic and success of Aerosmith happens when all the band’s founding members are together in the house,’ he continued.
He concluded: ‘To be removed from my rightful place on stage to celebrate our success – a success that acknowledges my own life’s work, is just plain wrong.’
Kramer’s legal team made a request Monday for a judge to allow him to rehearse with Aerosmith.
However, as of Wednesday, that request was denied.
Miffed: ‘Being prohibited from playing with a band that I have given 50 years of my life to supporting, is beyond devastating’ Kramer said in a statement; seen here playing with the band last February
Aerosmith will perform a medley of their hit songs Sunday at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California.
The four-time Grammy winners played as the MusiCares Person of the Year Friday in recognition of their philanthropic efforts over five decades and their impact on American music history.
Aerosmith has an ongoing concert residency Deuces Are Wild in Las Vegas that will end on June 4.
There he was: Joey is seen on the drums behind lead vocalist Steven and guitarist Joe as they perform for NBC’s Today show at Rockefeller Center in New York in 2018
