He Lives In Chaos
Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler has an unmistakable image on stage. But behind the scarves, makeup, and legendary hats, the “Demon of Screamin’” has a personal life almost as chaotic as his wardrobe. Two wives, some controversial relationships, a secret daughter, epic accidents, and chronic substance misuse have all contributed to making his personal life as jaw-dropping as one of his concerts.
1. Staying In School Was A Challenge
Steven Victor Tallarico was born in Manhattan, New York, on March 26, 1948. Mom was a secretary, and Dad taught music at a high school. When he was a child, the Tyler family moved to Yonkers, New York, where he attended Roosevelt High School.
Let’s just say that Tyler and high school didn’t really get along.
Donaldson Collection, Getty Images
2. He Hung Out
Steven Tyler took the “high” in high school quite literally, and soon ran into trouble for it. After getting caught smoking weed, Tyler got the boot from high school. He would later finish at Quintano School for Young Professionals. Getting kicked out of school gave Tyler the chance to hang out, and his favorite place was Greenwich Village.
Soon, he’d meet up with his rock star idols.
3. He Touched Stardom
Like many music lovers of his generation, Steven Tyler worshipped the Rolling Stones. When he was 17 years old, he got to attend a concert and even got to touch members of the band. Some of his friends had even noticed that, with his oversized lips, Tyler resembled lead singer Mick Jagger.
He may have had a rock star look, but there was some hard work ahead of him before he could become a musician.
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4. He Had Humble Beginnings
Tyler’s humble beginnings as a musician involved singing backup vocals on a band called the Left Banke. In 1964, Tyler started his own band called the Strangeurs, which later became Chain Reaction. It was at a concert in Sunapee, New Hampshire, where Tyler met two men who he would join forces with in his pursuit of rock and roll fame.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
5. He Brought The Band Together
Performing at the concert in Sunapee was Jam Band, and Steven Tyler recruited two members—Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton—to form a new band. Tyler added an old buddy named Joey Kramer to play the drums, and they quickly made a decision. If they were going to be famous, they’d have to move.
6. They Came Up With A Name
For some reason, the guys thought Boston was a great city to start a band. Tyler and the band moved in together and started working on their music. Of course, a rock and roll band needed a rock and roll name to gain attention. Kramer took Harry Nilsson’s album Aerial Ballet and morphed it into Aerosmith, and the other members came around to liking it. Well, it certainly was better than their other choice: “Fox Chase”.
Now that they had a name, Tyler needed a look to make him stand out from the rest.
Columbia Records, Wikimedia Commons
7. He Dressed Like A Woman
Sure, Mick Jagger was Tyler’s muse for his music. But for his on-stage style, Tyler looked to another iconic singer: Janis Joplin. Yep, it was a woman who inspired Tyler in his fashion choices. It’s no surprise that Tyler would later co-write the hit song “Dude Looks Like a Lady”.
There was only one thing between Tyler and the wardrobe of his dreams.
8. He Had No Money For Clothes
Steven Tyler wanted to command attention as the frontman of Aerosmith, so he thought an outrageous wardrobe would help. Unfortunately, he didn't have any money. What he did have was a friend with a sewing machine. Francine Larnis took Tyler to a fabric store, and together they designed Tyler’s look.
Tyler was finally ready for the stage.
Richard E. Aaron, Getty Images
9. They Signed On The Dotted Line
Aerosmith had a very humble beginning. Their first live show was at Nipmuc Regional High School in Mendon, Massachusetts. Brad Whitford joined the band, and they managed to transition to performing at clubs. When they eventually found a manager, they set their sights on Columbia Records. In 1972, the band signed a deal with Columbia for $125,000.
Now Tyler and the guys had to show Columbia they could sell records.
Ron Pownall Photography, Getty Images
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10. They Were A Rip-Off
The band’s first album was Aerosmith, and Tyler’s own “Dream On” became the band’s first hit. As Aerosmith got more popular, they started to hear a certain critique over and over again. They were just knockoffs of the Rolling Stones. The fact that Tyler looked a little like Jagger didn’t help matters at all.
Tyler would not rest until he silenced the doubters.
Ellen Poppinga - K & K, Getty Images
11. They Proved Them Wrong
The huge success of Aerosmith's third album, Toys in the Attic, proved that Steven Tyler and his bandmates were more than just faux Rolling Stones. But there was one way that Tyler did still resemble the Rolling Stones. He had a passion for models. In 1977, Tyler met model and Playmate Bebe Buell, and the two had a brief affair.
But another secret was brewing.
Screenshot from Sweet Emotion, Universal Music Group (1975)
12. He Was A Baby Daddy
When Buell had her fling with Tyler, she was also dating musician Todd Rundgren. When Buell found out that she was pregnant with Tyler’s baby, she had to make a big decision. Telling the truth about the father of her unborn child had its risks.
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music, Getty Images
13. She Kept It A Secret
Bebe Buell knew that Steven Tyler was the father of her baby, but she hesitated to name him as the dad. The simple reason was that Tyler now had a reputation as a party boy, and people were talking about his recreational substance use. When Buell had her daughter, she called her Liv and gave her the surname Rundgren.
The father of baby Liv would be a secret—at least for now.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
14. They Almost Didn’t Make It
In the 70s, Aerosmith’s team looked into renting a Convair CV-240 plane, but ultimately changed their minds. They could have never known at the time, but that decision likely saved them from unspeakable tragedy. The same plane that they looked at went down in flames later that year, while carrying several members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and their crew. After the fatal crash, Aerosmith’s crew revealed that they’d caught the pilot and co-pilot sharing a bottle of whiskey during the safety inspection, which was just one of the reasons they rejected the craft.
Tyler had avoided a plane crash—but his romantic life was still a real trainwreck.
Ron Pownall Photography, Getty Images
15. She Had A Type
Steven Tyler had idolized the Rolling Stones and, of course, he wasn’t the only one. Actress and party queen Cyrinda Foxe also loved the Stones. She loved them enough to marry David Johansen, who fronted the New York Dolls. This was another band that some say was also a cardboard cutout of the Rolling Stones.
But when Foxe met Tyler, the situation exploded.
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16. He Won Her Heart
Both Aerosmith and the New York City Dolls got compared to the Rolling Stones, but maybe Tyler was just a little bit more like the Stones than Johansen was. You see, when Cyrinda Foxe met Tyler, she heartlessly dumped one Stones impersonator for another. In 1978, Tyler and Foxe got married.
And as the other members of Aerosmith also got married and attempted to settle down, tensions erupted.
17. There Was A Backstage Brawl
In 1979, Aerosmith was working on Night in the Ruts when they decided to take a break and go on tour. But tensions were running high as substance misuse amongst the band members began to spiral into dangerous territory. An explosive argument between two of the band members’ wives turned violent when Joe Perry’s wife threw a glass of milk at Tom Hamilton’s wife.
As the frontman of the band, Tyler got dragged into the brawl.
18. He Lost A Bandmate
Steven Tyler was certainly ready to cry over spilt milk. He and Perry were having a screaming match about the bad behavior of Perry's wife. Then one of two things happened, and it depends on who you ask. Tyler said he fired Perry, and Perry alleges he quit.
One way or another, Tyler had lost one of Aerosmith’s founding members.
19. He Spiraled Downward
All this chaos was tearing the band apart, and Tyler in particular was suffering. His substance use was increasing, and he and Perry had gained the name “Toxic Twins” because they were using some very serious stuff together. This lifestyle was hard on Tyler’s health, and his music also deteriorated. Suddenly, the venues Aerosmith was playing were getting smaller.
Everything came to a head in Portland, Maine.
20. He Collapsed On Stage
At a 1980 concert in Portland, Maine, Tyler’s excesses tragically derailed the show. In the middle of the concert, he dramatically crumpled onto the stage. He was down, and he wasn’t getting up. He stayed flat on the stage for the rest of the show. It looked like Tyler’s career was over.
Still, Tyler’s troubles were about to become even more spectacular.
21. He Had A Scary Motorcycle Accident
Sometime in the fall of 1980, Steven Tyler was in a devastating motorcycle accident. This led to a two-month hospital stay, postponing the band’s plans for the future. After his recovery, Tyler was ready to record Aerosmith’s next album, Rock in a Hard Place. After laying down the track for the first single, Brad Whitford had an announcement to make. He was leaving Aerosmith and forming his own band.
Aerosmith was coming undone around him.
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22. He Was In A Bad State
The shows for Rock in a Hard Place were in nightclubs and theaters, not arenas. Before a show in Worcester, Massachusetts, Steven Tyler met up with ex-bandmate Perry, and the two started partying. By the time Tyler got on stage, he was in no condition to perform. Once again, he collapsed on the stage and refused—or just couldn’t—get up.
Tyler and Aerosmith were in desperate need of rescue.
Richard E. Aaron, Getty Images
23. There Was An Intervention
Aerosmith's 1985 album, Done with Mirrors, showed an upswing in the band’s popularity. But their manager, Tim Collins, didn't see a bright future for Aerosmith. He flatly stated the problem: it was Tyler’s partying that was the real issue tearing them apart. Collins, the other band members, and a doctor confronted Tyler, and off he went to rehab.
There was a chance that Tyler and Aerosmith could be great again.
Screenshot from Let the Music Do the Talking, Universal Music Group (1985)
24. They Did It Sober
Other bandmates followed Steven Tyler to rehab, and in 1987 they came out with Permanent Vacation. Tyler said it was “the first one we ever did sober”. The album was a huge success and led to a tour with Guns N’ Roses, who of course had their own substance use issues. Luckily, Tyler and the guys managed to stay clean.
A new squeaky-clean Tyler was ready for romance.
Screenshot from Rag Doll, Universal Music Group (1987)
25. He Got Her A Bit Part
On May 28, 1988, Tyler married Teresa Barrick, who was a fashion designer. They got hitched in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a daughter and son soon followed. Tyler gave Barrick a role in his video for the hit song “Dude Looks Like A Lady”. Her role was the overly specific character of “blonde woman with a jackhammer and hardhat”.
Tyler’s star was still ascending, and it was about to hit a high.
26. He Did Comedy
Steven Tyler and Aerosmith were certainly flying high—but only metaphorically. They stayed sober and scored a stint on Saturday Night Live where they did a sketch on “Wayne’s World”. E! later called it the “number-one moment in the history of the program”. Staying sober was definitely working for Tyler.
But there were some rocky moments as well.
Screenshot from Saturday Night Live, NBCUniversal (1975-)
27. It Was An Awkward Meeting
As part of his 12-step recovery program, Tyler wanted to meet up with his ex, Bebe Buell. The plan was to meet up at a Rundgren concert, which made things complex, as Rundgren was also Buell’s ex. And, on top of that, Buell’s daughter Liv thought Rundgren was her father.
When Buell turned up at the meeting with Liv at her side, it got awkward.
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28. He Bought His Girl A Drink
Buell showed up to meet Tyler and brought Liv with her. Tyler had to play it cool and just be nice to this young girl, who he knew was his own flesh and blood. He couldn’t let on that he was her father. He broke the ice by buying little Liv a Shirley Temple.
This meeting would have a huge effect on Tyler's secret daughter.
29. He Was On Her Walls
After meeting Steven Tyler, Liv “fell madly in love” with him. She even covered her bedroom walls with his posters. She later said that she even started talking to Tyler, as if she could actually communicate with him through the posters. When Liz got the chance to go backstage at an Aerosmith concert, she got the shock of her life.
30. The Truth Came Out
After Liv, Tyler had had another daughter named Mia, but her mother was a different woman. When Liv met Mia at an Aerosmith concert, something clicked. This girl looked a lot like her. Liv turned to her mom, and Buell knew it was time to tell the truth. Liv very awkwardly learned that the man whose image she was swooning over in her bedroom was actually her father.
Tyler welcomed another child into his life, but in a very Tyler way.
31. He Wanted Her In A Video
One of the first things Steven Tyler did once he knew Liv was his daughter was get her a job. She was just 16 years old when she appeared in his music video for “Crazy”. They dressed her like a naughty schoolgirl, and near the end of the video, she’s pole dancing and starts singing just like dear old Dad. Some might call that a little creepy.
But Tyler’s bizarre family dramas were far from over.
Screenshot from Crazy, Universal Music Group (1993)
32. She Wanted To Expose Him
In 1997, Tyler’s ex-wife Cyrinda Foxe published her memoir: Dream On: Livin’ on the Edge with Steven Tyler and Aerosmith. When it came time for the paperback edition, Foxe had a surprise in store for her readers. She was going to include photos of Tyler in the buff. Tyler quickly lawyered up and stopped her. She then turned around and tried selling the photos online.
You couldn’t blame Tyler for having some full-frontal hate for Foxe, but he surprised everyone.
33. He Had A Big Heart
Just one year after trying to sell pics of Steven Tyler in his birthday suit, Cyrinda Foxe had a stroke. Sadly, she was broke and had no place to live. Tyler swooped in and got her a room at the Gramercy Park Hotel and then later paid her hospital bills. When a friend organized a fundraiser for Foxe, Tyler selflessly donated an Aerosmith guitar that fetched $5,000 for the cause. Sadly, a few years later, Foxe passed on from a brain tumor.
Meanwhile, Tyler and Aerosmith were reaching new levels of fame.
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34. He Clawed His Way Back
The new millennium brought Aerosmith back to the front lines of rock and roll. The decade saw Steven Tyler and Aerosmith performing at the Super Bowl with NSYNC, on a commercial for Dodge, and even with the Boston Pops. As the decade neared its close, one clumsy step by Tyler had the potential to take the whole band down.
35. He Disappeared
While performing with Aerosmith in Sturgis, South Dakota, Tyler took a shocking tumble right off the stage. The stay in the hospital was not so surprising, but what happened next certainly was. It came out in the media that Tyler was not in communication with Aerosmith. Then Perry made a stunning announcement. Tyler was leaving the band and embarking on a solo career.
Fans couldn’t believe their ears.
36. He Set The Record Straight
The same day that Perry announced the departure of Tyler from Aerosmith, Tyler appeared on stage with Perry’s band, the Joe Perry Project. They sang "Walk This Way” together, and Tyler announced that he had no intention of leaving Aerosmith.
Fans breathed a sigh of relief, but they soon noticed that Tyler had changed.
37. He Did Double Duty
While Steven Tyler did indeed stay with Aerosmith, he also started getting other jobs on his own. One of those jobs was American Idol. Perry had a fit because he only heard about Tyler's decision to take over for Simon Cowell through the media. He also worried about Tyler being stretched too thin and, most importantly, he didn't want Aerosmith’s name tied to a reality TV show.
People started wondering. Why was Tyler doing this show anyway?
American Idol 2012, Getty Images
38. The Job Had Perks
Of course, everyone was wondering why Tyler had taken the job on the reality show in the first place. Tyler later said that he took the job because there was too much tension in Aerosmith and, of course, he wanted the money. He also said that sitting next to fellow judge Jennifer Lopez was a big motivation.
Tyler certainly brought a different energy to the well-established show.
American Idol 2012, Getty Images
39. He Was Too Kind
When Steven Tyler walked onto American Idol, he was filling Simon Cowell’s shoes, and this created a problem. Tyler said he didn’t want to “rip into” contestants like his predecessor. He said, “That’s not what I’m about”. Tyler preferred to call the contestants “beautiful”. But there were a few other bizarre comments coming from Tyler on Idol.
Screenshot from American Idol, Fremantle (2002-)
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40. He Was Quotable
Tyler didn’t like to rip into contestants, but he didn’t mind confusing them. Like these two memorable quotes: "from my melodic sensibility, it was really delicious" and “it sounded like Vanilla Fudge singing 'Eleanor Rigby’”. Other times Tyler’s message was perfectly, and embarrassingly, clear. Like when he told one female contestant that her skirt had “just the right amount showing”.
It seemed Tyler had a questionable grasp of what was appropriate—and what definitely wasn’t.
Screenshot from American Idol, Fremantle (2002-), enhanced
41. It Got Awkward
One of Tyler’s worst gaffes on American Idol happened in the audition room. He was meeting one of the contestant’s families, and when he got to dad, Tyler told him that his daughter was “hot, humid, and happening”. Just what a proud father of a 15-year-old girl wants to hear.
Next, it was Tyler himself who got hot and humid.
Screenshot from American Idol, Fremantle (2002-), enhanced
42. He Exposed Himself
During the auditions for season 11 in Las Vegas, Steven Tyler must have felt overly hot. He removed all his clothes except for his boxer briefs and then mooned the camera. Lopez had to cover her eyes to stop from setting them on Tyler’s “prize”. As a finale, the scantily clad Tyler jumped into a swimming pool.
Another finale was close behind: Tyler’s departure from American Idol.
American Idol 2012, Getty Images
43. He Changed The Law
Steven Tyler, like many celebrities, has a problem with paparazzi taking his photo without permission. Tyler decided to fight the paparazzi in Hawaii, where he has a home. Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac joined him in initiating the Steven Tyler Act. This would give celebs the right to sue paparazzi who invade their privacy just to get a much-sought-after pic.
Now it was time for Tyler to be on the other side of a courtroom.
44. She Made A Chilling Accusation Against Him
In 2023, Julia Misley came out with an explosive accusation. She alleged that she met Tyler back in 1973, when she was 16 years old, and he was 25. Misley claimed that he led her to believe it was a romantic relationship—but later, she realized it was something much darker.
And she was ready to go to court to prove it.
Ed Vill from Caracas, Venezuela, Wikimedia Commons
45. He Was Her Guardian
Misley said that she was too young and unable to say no in the face of Tyler’s fame and power, leading to her suing for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The real kicker to Misley’s story is that she alleges that Tyler persuaded her mother to transfer over guardianship of the girl while she was still a teenager. And Tyler didn’t deny it.
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46. He Made It His Defense
In fact, Tyler tried to use his status as legal guardian to get immunity from the charges.
Back then, the relationship went on three years—and it was one which included a marriage proposal that was later revoked, a terrible fire at their home, and a pregnancy which was terminated at Tyler’s behest—he feared the fire and their partying might lead to birth defects. This was definitely a weird one, even by Tyler’s standards. It was up to the courts to decide what to do.
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia Commons
47. He Didn’t Do It
A Los Angeles court eventually dismissed all of Misley’s claims against Tyler—except for one. The one remaining claim refers to only one night that Misley allegedly spent with Tyler. Tyler’s attorney, who may not be the brightest light in the math department, said that the court had dismissed 99.9% of the claims. But his troubles weren’t over yet.
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia Commons
48. She Wasn’t The Only One
Following Misley’s suit, another bombshell allegation came out in court—one alleging that Tyler had assaulted another teen back in 1975. Jeanne Bellino said that she met Tyler at a party and had an unsettling encounter where he forced himself on her in a phone booth and then again later in a hotel entrance. Ultimately, her suit was dismissed because she’d waited too long to bring it to the courts.
Tyler had survived the suits, but Aerosmith was in danger of becoming a sinking ship.
49. He Relapsed
Just as Aerosmith was preparing for their second residency in Las Vegas, Steven Tyler found himself in the hospital getting foot surgery. Unfortunately, this led Tyler back into the unpredictable world of recreational drug use. But Tyler had learned his lesson. All it took was an emergency trip to rehab, and he got clean in time for the show.
50. He Was Lost
There was obviously a very high toll to Tyler’s addiction to substances—and it included some of his memories of the band’s high points. As the story goes, Tyler was with his band when he heard a song on the radio he liked. He suggested covering it, only for his band to tell him it was their song—one he’d co-written nine years earlier. The substance misuse had completely erased it from his memory.
And even after Tyler got sober a second time, there was another medical crisis ahead.
51. It Was A Sad Farewell
In 2023, Aerosmith launched its farewell tour, and Tyler got some news that had the potential to derail it. Doctors said he had a vocal injury. Aerosmith had to begrudgingly cancel the tour, and then doctors told Tyler he would never recover. Aerosmith then made the sad announcement that they would be retiring from touring altogether.
Tyler had to face something harsh and unexpected: a post-Aerosmith life.
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52. He Mellowed Out
When Steven Tyler was at his peak of fame and outrageousness, it was hard to imagine him as a grandfather. But a grandfather he is. From his four children, Liv, Mia, Chelsea, and Taj, he has gained four grandchildren. Apparently, they all call him Papa Stevie. You can bet he has some great bedtime stories to tell them. Well, maybe when they get older.
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Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
