Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry recently explained why it’s unlikely drummer Joey Kramer, who sat out the band’s recent round of “Deuces Are Wild” residency shows in Las Vegas, will take part in Aerosmith’s upcoming “Peace Out” farewell tour.
Joe Perry says Joey Kramer is unlikely to return
In a recent interview with Byrd of 97.1 FM The Drive, Perry said: “His heart’s in the right place, but, listen, playing the drums is an athletic event. And there’s a certain point where you’re just kind of, like,… every joint starts to give out, man. So at this point we’re not thinking he’s gonna be there. We’ll see.”
When Aerosmith announced its farewell tour earlier this week, the band said about Kramer’s absence from the upcoming trek: “While Joey Kramer remains a beloved founding member of Aerosmith , he has regrettably made the decision to sit out the currently scheduled touring dates to focus his full attention on his family and health. Joey’s unmistakable and legendary presence behind the drum kit will be sorely missed,” the band said in a statement.
For the past year, Aerosmith’s longtime drum tech John Douglas has been filling in on drums for Kramer, whose wife, Linda Gail Kramer, died last June at the age of 55. No cause of death has been revealed.
In 2020, Kramer sued the rest of Aerosmith for breach of contract, saying he was being blocked from performing after suffering “minor injuries” the previous year. He sought an injunction after they announced they would play without him at the 2020 MusiCares Person Of The Year and at the Grammy Awards. He lost that case.
