MÖTLEY CRÜE's NIKKI SIXX Pays Tribute To AEROSMITH: Their Early Catalog Is 'Unparalleled'

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx has paid tribute to AEROSMITH after the legendary Massachusetts rockers announced that they were officially retiring from touring due to Steven Tyler's vocal injury.

AEROSMITH made the announcement on August 2 — nearly one year after the now-76-year-old singer fractured his larynx during a September 2023 show.

Earlier today (Tuesday, August 6),Sixx took to his social media to share the following message: "In 1973, a fifteen-year-old kid named Frank Feranna walked into a record store alone and emerged with the first AEROSMITH album in hand. I would carry that album with me everywhere, including to friends' houses, confessing to them that this was the future of rock 'n' roll.

"As the years rolled on, my opinion never changed. Lyrically, musically, rhythmically, and especially with those monster songs, AEROSMITH was unparalleled. Their entire catalog is outstanding, but those first five albums were the holy grail for a young, future Nikki Sixx.

"I recently sat on the cliffs in St. Barths, playing along to those albums. Can I just say, Tom Hamilton's work continues to inspire me, and what a rhythm section they had with Joey Kramer behind that kit. Joe Perry and Brad Whitford wove those guitars back and forth to the point you sometimes couldn't distinguish the dueling guitars because the sound became one big kick to the side of the head. Steven Tyler, to me, has always been the ultimate singer, lyricist, and showman, but personally, he's a man who helped me at the beginning of my sobriety. I've been lucky to become a peer, a friend, and always a fan of this great American rock 'n' roll band.

"Thank you, AEROSMITH, for everything."

This past May, Sixx was asked by the KSHE 95 radio station if there was something — a TV show, a specific album or going to a concert — that made him decide to pursue playing music as a career. He responded: "It was hands down AEROSMITH. There's no other band that even comes close to what touched my heart as a 14-year-old. And those first five albums, I don't think anybody can touch 'em, in my opinion. They're like [LED] ZEPPELIN, [BLACK] SABBATH — those first five AEROSMITH albums. I mean, I know every lyric — I know that so inside out that I almost like fall under 'superfan' [when it comes to] that stuff. And they're great guys. We've got to tour with them before. But, man, put on AEROSMITH'Rocks', and then put on anybody else's record. And they're, like, 'Sorry. We shouldn't have put that record on.'"

Three years ago, Sixx told SPIN that the first five AEROSMITH LPs were "huge albums" for him. "But when I got the first AEROSMITH album — I heard this raw, dirty, garage band — it was like the amps were spitting and sputtering, and the drums were in the pocket, and Steven Tyler's approach on 'One Way Street' to 'Make It', to me, that was like the moment that set up the rest of their career," he said. "And for me, I always go back to that record as one of the most important records, and obviously 'Dream On' is on that record, which is a standout on its own for a first album."

Last year, Sixx named "Rocks" the greatest album of all time. He explained to Classic Rock magazine: "That album captured everything for me. It was raw, and dirty, and yet there was something going on that, especially when I was a kid, I couldn't really understand, because there were so many rhythms and overdubs. It's such a well-crafted album, song-wise, and with the energy of the band… it's an amazing album. Maybe it didn't become a commercial monster like 'Permanent Vacation', but when I was a teenager, 'Toys In The Attic' and 'Rocks' were monsters."

In AEROSMITH's original announcement, the band wrote: "As you know, Steven's voice is an instrument like no other. 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," the statement continued. "We are grateful beyond words for everyone who was pumped to get on the road with us one last time."

The band also thanked its fans for their constant support.

"Thanks to you, our Blue Army, that spark caught flame and has been burning for over five decades," the statement read. "Some of you have been with us since the beginning and all of you are the reason we made rock 'n' roll history."

"It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours. In every club, on every massive tour and at moments grand and private you have given us a place in the soundtrack of your lives," the statement continued.

The "Peace Out" tour came to a halt after what turned out to be a final gig in Elmont, New York on September 9, 2023. That show came just three dates into the trek, which was supposed to last through February 2024. Tyler said in a statement at the time that the injury caused bleeding but that he hoped he and his AEROSMITH bandmates would be back on the road after postponing a few shows.

The rescheduled "Peace Out" tour was due to begin September 20 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with special guests THE BLACK CROWES.

Tickets for remaining dates of the "Peace Out" tour will be refunded through Ticketmaster. If fans purchased tickets through a third-party reseller like StubHub or SeatGeek, refunds will be available through that point of purchase.

AEROSMITH hasn't made a studio album since "Music From Another Dimension!", which came out in 2012.

Tyler released a solo LP in 2016.