Joe Perry (musician)
Encyclopedia
Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry (born September 10, 1950) is the lead guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...

, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...

. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

 and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

. He was ranked 48th in the Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

's list The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

Early life

The paternal side of Perry's family are Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....

, originally from Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...

. His grandfather changed the family's name from Pereira to Perry upon arriving in the United States of America. His maternal side is Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...

, more specifically Napolitan
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

.

Perry was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...

 and grew up in the small town of Hopedale, Massachusetts
Hopedale, Massachusetts
Hopedale is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,911 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Hopedale, please see the article Hopedale , Massachusetts....

. There, his father was an accountant and his mother a high school gym teacher and later an aerobics instructor. She later retired to Arizona when Perry's father died in 1975. Perry also attended the prep school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...

 Vermont Academy
Vermont Academy
Vermont Academy is an American coeducational boarding/day school and college preparatory school for grades nine through twelve and also offers acceptance for students seeking a post-graduate year. Founded in 1876, it is located in Saxtons River, Vermont. The school is coeducational, and...

, a boarding school of about 232 students in Saxtons River, Vermont
Saxtons River, Vermont
Saxtons River is an incorporated village in the town of Rockingham in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 519 at the 2000 census. For over a hundred years, Saxtons River has been the home of Vermont Academy, an independent secondary school.The Saxtons River Village Historic...

.

Aerosmith

During Joe Perry's early years he formed a band with Tom Hamilton
Tom Hamilton (musician)
Thomas William "Tom" Hamilton is an American musician, best known as the bassist of hard rock band Aerosmith. He has co-written two of Aerosmith's hits, "Sweet Emotion" and "Janie's Got a Gun". Hamilton occasionally plays guitar and sings backing vocals Thomas William "Tom" Hamilton (born...

 called The Jam Band. Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...

, Joe, Tom, Brad Whitford
Brad Whitford
Bradford Ernest Whitford is the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock band Aerosmith. He graduated Reading Memorial High School in 1970.-Career:...

 and Joey Kramer
Joey Kramer
Joseph Michael "Joey" Kramer is the drummer for the American hard rock band Aerosmith....

 eventually joined and the band became Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...

. While initially dismissed as Rolling Stones knock-offs, the band came into its own during the mid-1970s with a string of hit records. Chief among these successes were Toys in the Attic
Toys in the Attic (album)
For his review of Toys in the Attic for Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the album's style a mix of Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones riffs and was filled with songs about sex with a different style than there ever was before. Greg Kot called the album a landmark of hard rock...

(1975) and Rocks
Rocks (album)
Rocks is the fourth album by American rock band Aerosmith, released May 3, 1976. Allmusic described Rocks as having "captured Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking". Rocks also ranked #176 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time...

(1976), thanks largely to the prevalence of free-form, album-oriented FM radio. The group also managed hit singles on the AM dial with songs like "Dream On
Dream On (Aerosmith song)
"Dream On" is the first single by Aerosmith from their 1973 debut album, Aerosmith. Written by lead singer Steven Tyler, this blues-influenced power ballad became their first major hit and classic rock radio staple...

", "Same Old Song and Dance
Same Old Song and Dance
"Same Old Song and Dance" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. The song was written by lead singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry. It was released on March 19, 1974 as the lead single of their second studio album, Get Your Wings...

", "Sweet Emotion
Sweet Emotion
"Sweet Emotion" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith, released by Columbia Records in April 1975 on the album Toys in the Attic and was released as a single a month later on May 19th . The song began a string of pop hits and large-scale mainstream success for the band that would continue for...

" and "Walk This Way
Walk This Way
"Walk This Way" is a song by American hard rock group Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the song was originally released as the second single from the 1975 album Toys in the Attic. It peaked at Number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977, part of a string of successful hit...

".

During this time, Perry and vocalist Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...

 became known as the "Toxic Twins
Toxic Twins
The Toxic Twins is a nickname given to lead singer Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry of American hard rock band Aerosmith. They have also been referred to as the Tyler/Perry partnership in songwriting...

" for their notorious hard-partying and drug use. Hard-core drug dealers made a cash grab following Aerosmith around the country knowing there would be a large line of customers.
Aerosmith's crowd in these days earned the nickname "The Blue Army
Blue Army (Aerosmith)
Blue Army is a term that refers to American hard rock band Aerosmith's loyal fanbase.-Overview:The term was originally coined by the band. According to Aerosmith's autobiography Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith, the term first came into fruition around 1975...

", so called by the band after the seemingly endless number of teenagers in the audience wearing blue denim jackets and blue jeans. The audience was abundantly female with long hair.

Following Rocks, the group began to stumble - drug use escalated and the creative process became hampered by strained relationships within the band. They managed another hit record in 1977 with Draw the Line, on which Perry sang lead vocals on the track "Bright Light Fright". A tour was scheduled for the fall of '77, but increasing violence at concerts eventually derailed it. A cherry bomb was thrown onstage in Philadelphia at The Spectrum
Wachovia Spectrum
The Spectrum, formerly known as the CoreStates Spectrum , First Union Spectrum , and Wachovia Spectrum was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...

 in October 1977, injuring both Perry and Tyler.

In 1979, the band headlined over Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...

, Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...

, AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...

 and Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...

 during the world music festival concerts. An argument backstage in Cleveland resulted in Joe Perry's wife throwing a glass of milk at Tom Hamilton
Tom Hamilton (musician)
Thomas William "Tom" Hamilton is an American musician, best known as the bassist of hard rock band Aerosmith. He has co-written two of Aerosmith's hits, "Sweet Emotion" and "Janie's Got a Gun". Hamilton occasionally plays guitar and sings backing vocals Thomas William "Tom" Hamilton (born...

's wife. Perry quit Aerosmith partway through the recording of the album Night in the Ruts
Night in the Ruts
-Side two:-Personnel:*Steven Tyler - lead vocals*Joe Perry - guitar, backing vocals*Brad Whitford - guitar*Tom Hamilton - bass*Joey Kramer - drums-Additional personnel:*Jimmy Crespo - additional guitars*Richie Supa - additional guitars - "Mia"...

, with the remainder of his parts played by temporary guitarists. Perry took a collection of unrecorded material with him, which would later become the basis of his album Let the Music Do the Talking
Let the Music Do the Talking
Let the Music Do the Talking is the first of four albums by The Joe Perry Project. It was also the most successful, selling approximately 250,000 copies in the United States. The title song, Let the Music Do the Talking was then covered and rerecorded by Aerosmith on their album Done With...

.

Return to the spotlight

Equipped with a new record label (MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...

) and three new band members in singer Mach Bell, bassist Danny Hargrove and drummer Joe Pet, The Joe Perry Project released Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker in 1983. The album met the same fate as its predecessor, selling 40,000 copies. Despite the poor sales, The Project went out on a final tour in support of the album, adding then ex-Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford to the line-up. During this tour, The Project performed in a series of co-bills with Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 top-ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts...

. The following year, both Perry and Whitford rejoined Aerosmith, who signed with Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...

 (which coincidentally was sold to MCA in 1990, absorbing the MCA label 13 years later).

In 1986, Perry and Tyler collaborated with Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...

 in a remake of their 1975 hit "Walk This Way", which brought their band renewed mainstream attention. After completing drug rehabilitation, Aerosmith went on to collaborate with various big-name songwriters and producers to launch their true comeback. Another string of successful albums (including the triple-platinum Pump
Pump (album)
*After the end of "What It Takes" there is a brief, untitled, instrumental hidden track composed and performed by Randy Raine-Reusch. This was not included on all the releases in all countries.-Bonus track :-Lawsuit:...

in 1989 and 1993's seven-times platinum Get a Grip
Get a Grip
Get a Grip is the 11th studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released in April 1993 by Geffen Records. Get a Grip was the band's last studio album to be released by Geffen before they returned to Columbia Records....

) and many hit singles followed. Perry and Tyler resumed their friendship, again co-writing songs and performing very close together on stage. In 1998, Perry helped conceive the group's first number one single, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is a song performed by American rock band Aerosmith for the 1998 film Armageddon. Written by Diane Warren, the song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 . The song stayed at number one for four weeks from September 5 to September 26, 1998...

", with pop songwriter Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...

. It appeared on the soundtrack to the hit film Armageddon, in which Tyler's daughter Liv
Liv Tyler
Liv Rundgren Tyler is an American actress and model. She is the daughter of Aerosmith's lead singer, Steven Tyler, and Bebe Buell, model and singer. Tyler began a career in modeling at the age of 14, but after less than a year she decided to focus on acting. She made her film debut in the 1994...

 starred. In 2006, Perry performed alongside Steven Tyler for a three-song medley ("Dream On
Dream On (Aerosmith song)
"Dream On" is the first single by Aerosmith from their 1973 debut album, Aerosmith. Written by lead singer Steven Tyler, this blues-influenced power ballad became their first major hit and classic rock radio staple...

", "Walk This Way
Walk This Way
"Walk This Way" is a song by American hard rock group Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the song was originally released as the second single from the 1975 album Toys in the Attic. It peaked at Number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977, part of a string of successful hit...

", "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is a song performed by American rock band Aerosmith for the 1998 film Armageddon. Written by Diane Warren, the song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 . The song stayed at number one for four weeks from September 5 to September 26, 1998...

") with the Boston Pops Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....

 as part of a nationally-televised event to celebrate the Fourth of July in Boston, Massachusetts.

Solo album

Perry released his first solo record, the self-titled Joe Perry
Joe Perry (album)
Joe Perry is the first solo album by Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, released on May 3, 2005 on Sony BMG. Joe Perry is his first solo album without The Joe Perry Project. The album peaked at #110 at the Billboard charts...

, in May 2005. It was recorded at his home studio (The Boneyard) in suburban Boston, with every instrument but the drums played by Perry himself. Critics also responded favorably; Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

magazine crowned it with three-and-a-half (out of five) stars, declaring "A Joe Perry solo joint? about time!" He was also nominated for "Best Rock Instrumental" at the 2006 Grammys for the track "Mercy" but lost to Les Paul
Les Paul
Lester William Polsfuss —known as Les Paul—was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which made the sound of rock and roll possible. He is credited with many recording innovations...

.

Return of the Joe Perry Project

In 2009, while on tour with Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...

, Joe Perry announced that he would be releasing a new Joe Perry Project
The Joe Perry Project
The Joe Perry Project is an American rock band formed by Aerosmith lead guitarist Joe Perry. Perry started working on forming the band shortly before his departure from Aerosmith in 1979...

 album entitled Have Guitar, Will Travel, which was released on October 6, 2009. The first single from the album was "We've Got a Long Way to Go." This marks the first Joe Perry Project album since 1983's Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker
Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker
Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker is an album by The Joe Perry Project, released in 1983 on MCA Records. Work on the album started in early 1982 with Aerosmith rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford. Demo versions of Black Velvet Pants, No Time For Women and the unreleased When Worlds Collide with Perry in...

, and the fifth Joe Perry solo album in total, counting the 2005 self-titled album.

Family life

Perry was married to Elyssa Jerret from 1975 to 1982, a union that gave him a son, Adrian. Perry is now married to Billie Paulette Montgomery Perry. They married in 1985 after meeting on the set of his "Black Velvet Pants" video in 1983. Billie appears on one of Perry's guitars, which is dubbed "The Billie Perry Guitar". They have two sons together named Tony and Roman, while Billie has also has a son from a previous relationship named Aaron. Adrian and Tony Perry are founding members of the rock group TAB the Band
TAB the Band
TAB the Band is an American indie rock band from Duxbury, Massachusetts. Formed in December 2006, the group consisted of brothers Adrian Perry and Tony Perry , and Ben Tileston . In August 2008, Lou Jannetty joined the band...

.

Perry's first grandchild, Austin, was fathered by his stepson Aaron, who is also the CEO for the Joe Perry's Rock Your World hot sauce brand. Currently Perry lives on Sleepy Hollow Farm in South Pomfret
Pomfret, Vermont
Pomfret is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 997 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was named after the Earl of Pomfret...

, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

 where he raises Friesian horse
Friesian horse
The Friesian is a horse breed originating in Friesland, Netherlands. Although the breed's conformation resembles that of a light draft horse, Friesians are graceful and nimble for their size. During the Middle Ages, it is believed that the ancestors of Friesian horses were in great demand as war...

s. He also has a home he resides in occasionally in Duxbury, Massachusetts.

Equipment

The main guitar associated with Joe Perry is the Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...

. He has used many different types of Les Pauls since the 70s, including Les Paul Juniors, Les Paul Standards, and Les Paul Customs. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Gibson issued a Joe Perry signature Les Paul guitar; this guitar was customized with an active mid-boost control, black chrome hardware, and a translucent black finish. However, in 2004, this model was replaced by another Joe Perry signature Les Paul, the Joe Perry Boneyard Les Paul. This guitar is characterized by Perry's custom "Boneyard" logo on the headstock and a figured maple top with a green tiger finish, and is available with either a stopbar tailpiece or a Bigsby tailpiece; Perry typically uses a Bigsby-equipped Boneyard model in Aerosmith and solo live shows. The Gibson Joe Perry was a present from his wife Billie and then he was allowed to manufacture it. Perry has also endorsed an affordable replica version of the Boneyard guitar made by Epiphone that carries the same USA made Burstbucker pickups as the Gibson model.

Perry also uses other Gibson models. Another model he uses frequently is a customized Gibson B.B. King "Lucille" guitar; however, instead of the black finish and "Lucille" signature on the headstock, Perry's guitar features a white finish, a "Billie Perry" signature on headstock and an image of Billie Perry on the front of the guitar. He has also used Gibson SGs, Firebirds, ES-175s, ES-335s, and ES-350s at various points in his career.

Perry has been known to play guitars of other luthiers and manufacturers. In the late 1970s and 1980s, Perry frequently used various Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...

s; many of these guitars were left-handed Strats turned upside-down and appropriately restrung. One of these "upside-down" models is still played occasionally by Perry onstage, usually for "Sweet Emotion
Sweet Emotion
"Sweet Emotion" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith, released by Columbia Records in April 1975 on the album Toys in the Attic and was released as a single a month later on May 19th . The song began a string of pop hits and large-scale mainstream success for the band that would continue for...

". Perry also uses Fender Telecasters, some modified with neck humbuckers. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Perry (along with fellow Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford) endorsed B.C. Rich
B.C. Rich
B.C. Rich is a manufacturer of guitars and bass guitars founded by the late Bernardo Chavez Rico in 1969. Currently, most B.C. Rich guitars are manufactured in Asia, but luthiers of the company's custom shop continue to hand-make instruments. The Hanser Music Group, based in Kentucky, operates B.C....

 guitars, and frequently used the Mockingbird (such as in the performance of "Come Together
Come Together
"Come Together" is a song by The Beatles written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on The Beatles' September 1969 album Abbey Road....

" in the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (film)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a 1978 American musical film. Its soundtrack, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, features new versions of songs originally written and performed by The Beatles. The film draws primarily from two of their albums, 1967's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club...

) and 10-string B.C. Rich models. He has also been photographed playing what looks like, judging by the headstock logo, a custom built Spector guitar, and some ESP guitars during the 80s.

The six-string bass guitar is a trademark of Perry's guitar sound; instead of playing it like an ordinary bass guitar, he uses it like a regular guitar, playing riffs, chords, and solos. The six-string bass helped to create the characteristic growl of Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle
Back in the Saddle
"Back in the Saddle" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. It is the first song on Aerosmith's pinnacle hard rock album Rocks released in 1976. The song was released as the third single from the album in 1977...

", "Combination", and "Draw the Line
Draw the Line (song)
"Draw the Line" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, and was released in 1977 as the first single from the album Draw the Line. It peaked at #42 on the Billboard Hot 100...

". In the past, Perry used Fender Bass VI
Fender Bass VI
The Fender Bass VI, originally known as the Fender VI, is a six-string electric bass or Scale Baritone Guitar by Fender.The Fender VI was released in 1961, and followed the concept of the Danelectro 6-string bass released in 1956, having six strings tuned E-E, an octave below the Spanish guitar...

 and Danelectro six-string basses; he also used a Gibson EB-6 for the bass solo on "King of the Kings" on the Joe Perry Project's Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker album (as indicated by the album's liner notes). Perry currently uses an Ernie Ball MusicMan six-string bass onstage.

For amps, Perry uses a collection of various alternating vintage amps on stage, including 200 watt Marshall Major amps, Fender Silverface Dual Showman amps, a Fender Tweed Bassman and many more. In the studio he uses various vintage low wattage tube amps including a Fender Tweed Champ and an Epiphone Pacemaker Model EA50T manufactured in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the early 60s.

For slide work, Perry typically uses a Dan Armstrong Lucite guitar, such as for "Draw the Line".
Joe has also been known to use a Pro Co RAT
Pro Co Rat
The Pro Co "The RAT" is a guitar effects pedal produced by Pro Co Sound. The original RAT was developed in the basement of Pro Co's Kalamazoo, Michigan facility in 1978...

, Klon Centaur, talkbox, Dunlop Cry Baby
Dunlop Cry Baby
The Dunlop Cry Baby is a popular wah-wah pedal, manufactured by Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc. It is the best selling guitar pedal of all time. The name Cry Baby was from the original pedal from which it was copied, the Thomas Organ/Vox Cry Baby wah-wah. Thomas Organ/Vox failed to register the name as...

 and a DigiTech Whammy
Digitech Whammy
-Overview:The WH-1 Whammy pedal, the original whammy, first engineered and manufactured in 1989 by IVL Technologies and discontinued in 1993, remains the most sought-after.-Controls:...

.

Perry currently has a collection of about 600 guitars .

Solo discography

  • Let the Music Do the Talking
    Let the Music Do the Talking
    Let the Music Do the Talking is the first of four albums by The Joe Perry Project. It was also the most successful, selling approximately 250,000 copies in the United States. The title song, Let the Music Do the Talking was then covered and rerecorded by Aerosmith on their album Done With...

    (1980)
  • I've Got the Rock'n'Rolls Again
    I've Got the Rock'n'Rolls Again
    -Track listing:#"East Coast, West Coast" – 3:06#"No Substitute For Arrogance" – 3:25#"I've Got The Rock'N'Rolls Again" – 4:34#"Buzz Buzz" – 3:41#"Soldier Of Fortune" – 3:05#"TV Police" – 4:11#"Listen To The Rock" – 3:20#"Dirty Little Things" – 3:42...

    (1981)
  • Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker
    Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker
    Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker is an album by The Joe Perry Project, released in 1983 on MCA Records. Work on the album started in early 1982 with Aerosmith rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford. Demo versions of Black Velvet Pants, No Time For Women and the unreleased When Worlds Collide with Perry in...

    (1983)
  • Joe Perry
    Joe Perry (album)
    Joe Perry is the first solo album by Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, released on May 3, 2005 on Sony BMG. Joe Perry is his first solo album without The Joe Perry Project. The album peaked at #110 at the Billboard charts...

    (2005)
  • Have Guitar, Will Travel (2009)

Chef Perry

Joe Perry has spearheaded the creation of an entire line of hot sauces entitled Joe Perry's Rock Your World Hot Sauces, which are featured widely in the marketplace. A quesadilla featuring a flavor of the namesake hot sauce is available as an appetizer at Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 by Americans Peter Morton & Isaac Tigrett. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2006, Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and...

. Additionally, Perry was featured in a television episode of Inside Dish
Inside Dish
Inside Dish with Rachael Ray, hosted by Rachael Ray was a hybrid cooking/talk show on the Food Network. In each episode Ray chats with a celebrity as they cook or eat at a restaurant. Inside Dish is the third of Ray's four shows on Food Network, and premiered on November 5, 2004...

with Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray
Rachael Domenica Ray is an American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray and three Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day...

 on a recent stop on Aerosmith's tour, in which he prepared a meal, displayed his passion for knives, discussed his hot sauce brand and cooking, and gave insight into what goes into meal preparation on Aerosmith tours.

Until recently, Perry, along with Aerosmith band member Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...

 and other partners, co-owned Mount Blue, a restaurant in Norwell, Massachusetts
Norwell, Massachusetts
Norwell is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is currently 10,506 at the 2010 Census.Norwell was first settled in 1634 as a part of the settlement of Satuit , which encompasses present day Scituate and Norwell. It was officially created, in 1849 and soon became...

.

Influences

  • He is a huge fan of early Fleetwood Mac
    Fleetwood Mac
    Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...

    , particularly their first lead guitarist, Peter Green
    Peter Green (musician)
    Peter Green is a British blues-rock guitarist and the founder of the band Fleetwood Mac...

    , which explains the occasional inclusion of the FM classics "Stop Messin' Round" and "Rattlesnake Shake" in Aerosmith
    Aerosmith
    Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...

    's sets. Steven Tyler has even mentioned that hearing Perry play "Rattlesnake Shake" brought them together.
  • He is also a huge fan of guitarist Jeff Beck
    Jeff Beck
    Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...

     and looked at him as one of his influences. Beck played onstage with Aerosmith in 1976, as a 'birthday present' for Perry.
  • Perry was also strongly influenced by Jimi Hendrix
    Jimi Hendrix
    James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...

     as evidenced in particular by some of the playing on the Joe Perry Project track song "The Mist Is Rising", and his covering the Hendrix classic "Red House
    Red House (song)
    "Red House" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and originally recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1966. The song, a slow twelve-bar blues, "is one of the most traditional in sound and form of all his official recordings". It was developed during his pre-Experience days while Hendrix was...

    " both with the Project and later with Aerosmith.
  • He was a huge influence on Slash
    Slash (musician)
    Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...

    , who after hearing Rocks
    Rocks (album)
    Rocks is the fourth album by American rock band Aerosmith, released May 3, 1976. Allmusic described Rocks as having "captured Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking". Rocks also ranked #176 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time...

    decided to take up the guitar rather than race BMX. Slash owned Perry's old '59 Les Paul, but later returned it as a birthday present.

Guest appearances

  • Played on Gene Simmons
    Gene Simmons
    Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...

    's 1978 self titled solo album
    Gene Simmons (album)
    -Personnel:*Gene Simmons - electric and acoustic guitars, vocals, co-producer*Neil Jason - bass guitar*Elliot Randall - guitar*Allan Schwartzberg - drums*Sean Delaney - percussion, co-producer...

    .
  • Played on two tracks of the 1978 debut solo album by David Johansen
    David Johansen (album)
    David Johansen is a 1978 album by the rock musician David Johansen and his first solo album following his tenure as lead singer of the New York Dolls. The album was released on Blue Sky Records, a sub-label of Columbia Records that was associated with Johnny and Edgar Winter...

    .
  • Played additional guitar on Alice Cooper
    Alice Cooper
    Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...

    's song House of Fire
    House of Fire
    "House of Fire" is a 1989 single by American rock musician Alice Cooper from his 1989 album Trash. It was co-written by rock guitarist Joan Jett and American songwriter Desmond Child....

     (1989).
  • Perry was the first non-Kiss
    KISS (band)
    Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...

     member to guest on stage with the masked band as he wore a pair of Paul Stanley
    Paul Stanley
    Stanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...

    's boots and jammed in the song "Strutter" on December 13, 2003, in Oklahoma City. This was one of the stops on an Aerosmith/Kiss tour.
  • Perry played on the guitar super-ensemble CD Merry Axemas Volume 1 with his own track "Blue Christmas
    Blue Christmas
    "Blue Christmas" is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson. The heart-broken tale of unrequited love during the holidays had long been considered a Christmas staple of country music, having been recorded first by Doye O'Dell in 1948 and popularised by Ernest Tubb the next year...

    ". The album also features Rush's Alex Lifeson
    Alex Lifeson
    Aleksandar Živojinović, OC, better known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, is a second generation Serbian-Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist of the Canadian rock band Rush. In the summer of 1968, Lifeson founded the band that would become Rush with friend, drummer John Rutsey...

    , Joe Satriani
    Joe Satriani
    Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...

    , Steve Vai
    Steve Vai
    Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....

    , Jeff Beck
    Jeff Beck
    Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...

     and others.
  • He played the guitar solo on Eminem
    Eminem
    Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...

    's "Sing for the Moment
    Sing for the Moment
    "Sing for the Moment" is a song by American rapper Eminem from the album The Eminem Show, released in 2002. It was released as a music single in 2003.-Song information:Eminem samples the song "Dream On" by rock group Aerosmith...

    ", Joe Perry liked the use of sample and said once "It's great. The song lives again in another form."
  • He also appeared in the Nelly
    Nelly
    Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...

     video "#1"
  • He performed a duet of "You Really Got Me
    You Really Got Me
    "You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released on 4th August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks...

    " with Sanjaya Malakar
    Sanjaya Malakar
    Sanjaya Joseph Malakar is an American singer of Indian origin, who was a finalist on the sixth season of American Idol. He gained national attention on the series, controversially advancing to 7th place with public votes, despite being poorly received by the show's judges, particularly Simon...

     on American Idol 6
    American Idol (Season 6)
    The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host...

    .
  • He played with Tom Jones
    Tom Jones (singer)
    Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...

     and later in a duet of Tom Jones and Joss Stone
    Joss Stone
    Jocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...

     in the Concert for Diana
    Concert for Diana
    Concert for Diana was a concert held at the then new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday; 31 August that year brought the 10th anniversary of her death...

     on July 1, 2007.
  • He was part of an all-star lineup—including Little Richard
    Little Richard
    Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...

     and Cheap Trick
    Cheap Trick
    Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...

    's Rick Nielsen
    Rick Nielsen
    -External links:* * *...

    -- that recorded the 2006 version of the Monday Night Football
    Monday Night Football
    Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...

    theme song with Hank Williams, Jr.
    Hank Williams, Jr.
    Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country...

  • Perry played guitar on the title track of David Hull's Soul in Motion.
  • Perry endorsed John McCain
    John McCain
    John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

     for the 2008 Presidential election
    United States presidential election, 2008
    The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...

    , and described himself as a "lifelong Republican
    Republican Party (United States)
    The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

    ".
  • Perry performed the main theme to the Spider-Man animated series
    Spider-Man (1994 TV series)
    Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated series starring the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The show ran on Fox Kids from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998. The producer/story editor was John Semper, Jr. and production company was Marvel Films...

    .
  • Perry was also a judge for the 5th annual Independent Music Awards
    The Independent Music Awards
    The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....

     to support independent artists' careers.
  • Played a detective in the Homicide: Life on the Street
    Homicide: Life on the Street
    Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...

    episode "Brotherly Love". He was credited as "Anthony Joseph Perry."

External links

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