AEROSMITH Guitarist Says He Played With SANJAYA 'Just For Fun'

Ruma Singh of the Bangalore Times reports: At the much-hyped "American Idol" finale last week, the biggest waves were created by AEROSMITH's Joe Perry, who teamed up with the controversial "Idol" Sanjaya Malakar as he belted out "You Really Got Me". Was a reality singing show the place for the legendary rocker, especially as bandmate Steven Tyler has already gone on record saying he doesn't quite approve of these contests?

"They (producers) asked me to play backup with Sanjaya and I agreed," Perry said. "Fans love the show. It's big, the second biggest in the U.S. after the Superbowl in terms of the number of viewers.

"I did it for fun — it was a tongue-in-cheek kind of thing. I also wanted to play with Kelly Clarkson (he accompanied her for "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"). She's got a fantastic voice."

On controversial Sanjaya: "Sanjaya's so young. I don't think he's had time to develop as a singer. Sometimes that happens naturally — Michael Jackson was a natural at five — at other times it takes years. Sanjaya has a lot going for him — he's got rhythm and timing. It's a matter of putting in the hours. Even THE BEATLES spent years playing at clubs. You have to rehearse and rehearse, play and play. In his case it may be too much too soon. Now even the show's runners-up get record deals! You have to see whether or not he's got it in him to keep it going. Sanjaya's a really nice guy. He could have been all blown up with the fame he's got, but he knows his limitations. He listens — he went along with all the suggestions I gave him. I found the experience interesting. For me, it was a piece of cake."

Watch a video clip of Perry performing with Sanjaya at YouTube.