Weeks following Aerosmith’s unexpected and immediate retirement from touring, bassist Tom Hamilton is letting fans know just how difficult the decision was for the iconic rockers.
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Aerosmith announced their official retirement from touring earlier this month after canceling the remaining dates of their Peace Out farewell tour due to an injury to lead singer, Steven Tyler’s sustained to his vocal cords in September 2023. An injury Hamilton felt needed some clarification for fans, making clear it “wasn’t a case of him blowing his throat out by doing something wrong.”
“Let me start by clearing up some information on Steven’s injury,” he stated in a written interview with Charlie Kendall’s Metalshop. “We were playing the third show of our ‘Peace Out’ tour last September [at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York]. During the third song of the set Steven had a fall that resulted in a fracture to his larynx. Somehow, he finished the show. Don’t ask me how. It’s a testament to his strength and desire to give the people what they came for.”
Tyler underwent surgery following the fall and despite making every effort to accomplish a full recovery and finish the tour, Hamilton shared it was simply “not possible.” The group came to the heartbreaking conclusion that their Elmont show last September was their last.
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“Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible,” Hamilton shared. “We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision – as a band of brothers – to retire from the touring stage. He had been healing well and working his a** off to get ready to go back out on the road but it just wasn’t possible.”
While the band mourns the end of an era, Hamilton is hopeful he and his bandmates will continue making music in some capacity. “We don’t know what the future holds but it won’t include touring,” he said. “I’m sure all of us have music in our future and it will manifest itself in ways that we haven’t planned yet. I’ve been playing in a band with some good friends. We have a bunch of really good songs and we hope to be putting them out soon and hopefully doing some gigs.”
While the future is unknown, Hamilton says one thing is for certain - he “can’t imagine” the band going on tour with another lead singer. “There’s been no talk at all about going on the road with another singer. I can’t imagine it,” he stated.