Steven Tyler Comes Out of Performance Retirement With Aerosmith at Benefit Concert

In 2024, Aerosmith announced that it would officially retire from touring after Steven Tyler suffered significant damage to his vocal cords. But all it took was a good cause for the musician to make a return to the stage. Over the weekend, Tyler hosted a Grammy Awards watch party at the Hollywood Palladium through his Janie’s Fund foundation. At the end of the night, he performed six songs with assistance from a few special guests.

Following appearances from Linda Perry, Marcus King, Billy Idol, Steve Stevens, and Joan Jett, Tyler opened his set with Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt joining on each song. They performed “More Than Words” with Mick Fleetwood and “Dream On” with Lainey Wilson. Aerosmith‘s Tom Hamilton and the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson joined Tyler and Bettencourt for “Sweet Emotion,” “Walk This Way” with Jessie J, and “Heartbreaker.” The pair also performed “Toys in the Attic.”

Proceeds from the Janie’s Fund event will support young women who have endured abuse and neglect, as well as those impacted by the recent Los Angeles wildfires. The nonprofit organization partnered with the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the Widows, Orphans & Disables Firefighter’s Fund.

Last year, Hamilton expressed his hope that Aerosmith could find a way to continue performing, even on a small scale. “On the hope scale, I’m somewhere between 7 and 9,” he told AARP. “We won’t be doing any tours from now on, but I’ll always have hope that other types of opportunities will come along.”

Aerosmith announced the end of their touring career in August 2024, cutting their farewell tour short. “As you know, Steven’s voice is an instrument like no other,” the band wrote in a collective statement. “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.”