Steven Tyler facts: Aerosmith singer's age, wife, children and career explained

9 August 2024, 14:54

They call him 'The Demon of Screamin''.

Anybody who's ever heard Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler sing, they'd know exactly why he's been bestowed the nickname.

With powerful, ear-bleeding and now-iconic wail, Tyler propelled Aerosmith to rock music royalty, winning a handful of Grammy Awards and even topping the charts in the US.

For those not so familiar with Aerosmith, you'd have definitely heard the band's soaring ballad 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing' which was used as the soundtrack to the 1998 disaster movie Armageddon which starred Bruce Willis and his daughter Liv Tyler.

Fronting Aerosmith, Steven Tyler has sold over 150 million records worldwide, had numerous charting hits, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

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Away from the band, Tyler has collaborated with artists such as Pink and Santana, and even had a stint as a judge on the television singing competition American Idol.

Known for his rock 'n' roll excesses off the stage - he and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry were dubbed the "toxic twins" - Steven Tyler also became an icon because of his androgynous dress sense and on-stage acrobatics.

His legacy as one of rock's greatest frontmen is undeniable, so let's take a deep dive into the life of Steven Tyler:

How old is Steven Tyler and where was he born?

Steven Victor Tallarico was born on 26th March 1948 in Manhattan, New York. In 2024, he turned 76 years old.

His father Victor was a classical musician and pianist who taught music, and his mother Susan was a secretary. He has Italian and German heritage on his father's side, and Polish, English and African-American ancestry on his mother's side.

Living in The Bronx for his childhood, the family relocated to Yonkers when Steven was an adolescent, who studied at Roosevelt High School before being expelled after being caught smoking marijuana.

He frequently hung out in Greenwich Village, New York, where he first saw The Rolling Stones.

In his autobiography, Walk This Way, Tyler recalled: "Everybody told me that I looked just like Mick Jagger with my big lips and Keith Richards basically was the music I used to love more than anything."

How did Steven Tyler get his start in music?

Steven Tyler played in various bands before forming Aerosmith in 1971, notably Chain Reaction who were moderately successful when he was a teenager.

Going to see a band aptly named Jam Band, he discovered his future Aerosmith bandmates Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton who he convinced to start a new band with.

They relocated to Boston, Massachusetts where they were eventually picked up by New York-based managers David Krebs and Steve Leber, the latter of which insisted they were "the closest thing I've ever seen to The Rolling Stones".

Aerosmith scored a record deal and toured with bands like Mott The Hoople, but it took a minor hit for the band not to get dropped by the label.

Ambitious rock anthem 'Dream On' was a song inspired by Tyler's father playing piano to him as a child, and it became their first ever charting single which paved the way for the band's future success throughout the seventies and beyond.

What are Aerosmith’s biggest songs?

Aerosmith - I Don't Want to Miss a Thing (Official HD Video)

- 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing'

- 'Dude (Looks Like A Lady)'

- 'Walk This Way'

- 'Dream On'

- 'Crazy'

- 'Love In An Elevator'

- 'Cryin''

- 'Pink'

- Janie's Got A Gun'

- 'Livin' On The Edge'

Why did Aerosmith retire from touring?

Aerosmith announced their 'Farewell Tour' in 2023 after fifty years on the road, which would see them perform across North America as well as a rumoured performance at Glastonbury Festival.

"It’s not goodbye it’s PEACE OUT! Get ready and walk this way, you’re going to get the best show of our lives," their statement said at the time.

Tyler damaged his vocal cords during one performance on the tour on 10th September 2023, and was advised to cancel a run of shows to recover.

"I’m heartbroken to say I have received strict doctor’s orders not to sing for the next 30 days," Tyler, 75, posted on Instagram.

"I sustained vocal cord damage during Saturday’s show that led to subsequent bleeding. We’ll need to postpone a few dates so that we can come back and give you the performance you deserve."

Sadly however, his vocals never fully recuperated as it transpired that Tyler had in fact fractured his larynx which required "ongoing care".

This led to Aerosmith announcing the "heartbreaking" decision to retire from touring altogether, as Tyler's iconic voice would never be the same again.

"As you know, Steven’s voice is an instrument like no other," the statement read on 2nd August 2024.

"He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury. We’ve seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side."

"Sadly, it is clear that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible. We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision - as a band of brothers - to retire from the touring stage."

Is Steven Tyler married?

Steven Tyler isn't currently married, though has been married twice before - firstly to model Cyrinda Foxe from 1978 to 1987, then to clothing designer Teresa Barrick from 1988 to 2006.

As it stands in 2024, Tyler is in a relationship with his former personal assistant Aimee Preston who began dating when he was 67 and she was 28.

Tyler has had a series of high-profile romances and affairs, having dated Playboy playmate Bebe Buell, Elizabeth Jagger, and Carly Simon throughout the years.

He was in a highly controversial relationship in the seventies with 16-year-old Julia Holcomb, an Aerosmith fan who he convinced to take on the road with him despite her being a legal minor.

How many children does Steven Tyler have?

Steven Tyler has a total of four children: daughters Liv Tyler, Mia Tyler, and Chelsea Tyler, as well as a son Taj Tyler.

Cryinda Foxe is Mia's mother, and Teresa Barrick is the mother of Chelsea and Taj.

Bebe Buell is Liv Tyler's mother, though she was raised by musician Todd Rundgren as a child, as Buell felt Steven's drug abuse was so out of control he'd be a poor father figure when she was born.

It was only at the age of eleven that Liv found out Steven Tyler was her biological father.

What is Steven Tyler’s net worth?

Aerosmith - Dude (Looks Like A Lady) (Official Music Video)

Steven Tyler has a reported net worth of $150 million.

Are there any other facts we should know about Steven Tyler?

We're Not Worthy!

Mrs. Doubtfire (5/5) Movie CLIP - Looks Like a Lady (1993) HD

Steven Tyler - along with his Aerosmith bandmates - famously made a cameo during the iconic "we're not worthy" scene in goofball music comedy Wayne's World 2.

Aerosmith were on a low ebb during the late seventies and early eighties, not having scored a hit single for nearly a decade. That all changed when hip-hop trio Run-DMC did a remix of 'Walk This Way' and revived Aerosmith's fortunes.

Tyler is an animal rights activist, supporting organisations that promote animal welfare and has spoken out against animal cruelty.

He is also an accomplished painter away from fronting Aerosmith, and founded his own fashion brand called 'Rock Your Legs'.

Aerosmith's 1987 single 'Dude (Looks Like A Lady)' became cemented in cinema history after soundtracking the famous hoover scene in 1993 movie Mrs. Doubtfire starring the late, great Robin Williams.