Joe Perry

American musician, the lead guitarist with "Aerosmith." He was a 19-year-old working at the local ice-cream parlor in Sunapee, New Hampshire, when he met Steven Tyler who was there for his summer vacation. Perry was playing nights in the "Jam Band," and Tyler sat in for a gig. They decided to form a trio with another Jam member, Tom Hamilton. Tyler recruited Joey Taylor on drums and guitarist Ray Tabano.

The group moved into an apartment in Boston, with Brad Whitford soon replacing Tabano, and began to build up a local reputation as a hard-rock act. They did their first gig as "Aerosmith" at a Boston high school.

They signed a contract with a label and recorded "Aerosmith" in August 1973. When they hit the live circuit they began moving up the charts, playing to crowds over 100,000 by 1979. They signed with Geffen Records for a reported five-album-$7 million advance. In 1995 they made a four-album deal with Sony for a $10 million advance.

Perry was involved with substance abuse in their early days but did rehab in 1988.

Perry and Steven Tyler each had a grandchild born on the same day, 10 May 2017, according to a post on Aerosmith's Facebook page. Tyler's seven-pound, 11-ounce grandson was born at 5:45 a.m., while Perry's granddaughter was born at 2:11 p.m., weighing in at six pounds, nine ounces.