AEROSMITH Guitarist Says Rumors Of Internal Strife Are 'Totally Wrong And Irrelevant'

AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry has shot down as "totally wrong and irrelevant" a report published in the Friday (November 16) edition of the New York Post, which claimed that the members of the band are "barely speaking to each other," with tensions rising in the group over the disappointing sales of its new album and the lack of sold-out shows on its current tour. Adding fuel to the fire, according to the New York Post, are continuing reports that singer Steven Tyler's engagement to Erin Brady is on the rocks, while his attorney and business manager, Dina LaPolt, is too busy filming her own reality show pilot to help Tyler through his problems.

During an appearance on yesterday's (November 19) edition of the SiriusXM satellite radio show "Eddie Trunk Live", Perrydebunked the rumors, saying, "It must have been a slow news week."

Continued Perry: "We were wondering, 'Who's saying this?' and 'Why are they saying this?' It's totally wrong and irrelevant. The least they could have done was get [the facts] right… [The people they quoted] haven't have anything to do with the band in 10 or 12 years. The band is getting along better than ever. We were thinking about [releasing a statement], but then why even validate it by even answering?"

Back in 2010, after another troubled period in the group's career, Tyler told The Pulse Of Radio that he thought AEROSMITH was too good a band to let their differences break them apart. "You know, sometimes differences do get in the way, but when we start playing together, it just is the truth of why we were both born and put on this planet," he said. "There's a lot of things that I hate Joe for saying and he hates me for saying, and things we've done back and forth, but this band is a band and married forever. So we may have our differences, but the marriage still holds, especially when there's a stage for us to get up on and rock out on."

AEROSMITH's first set of all-new material in 11 years, "Music From Another Dimension!", debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard album chart last week, selling 63,000 copies in its first week of release.

The group's last collection of new songs, 2001's "Just Push Play", entered the chart at No. 2 with sales of 240,000 copies.

Another source added, "Tyler is very unhappy about the reception of the album, and is blaming [record label] Columbia."

A spokesperson for the band told the Post, "AEROSMITH is doing great and on tour and on fire. Any claim to the contrary is absolutely false."

Addressing the continuing questions about Tyler's relationship with Brady, the spokesperson replied, "As the New York Post has been told before, just as any couple goes through trials and tribulations in a relationship, Steven and Erin have asked for their privacy at this time. It's clear that someone is spreading false and malicious rumors, including stories about false tensions between Steven and Dina. To give them any credence would only empower them to disseminate more lies."