Tom Hamilton Said He Was Glad That Joe Perry Left Aerosmith

In a recent interview, Aerosmith’s bassist, Tom Hamilton, opened up about the moment Joe Perry left the band nearly 50 years ago.

Reflecting on the chaos that led to Perry’s exit, Hamilton recalled a major blowup after a show at Cleveland Stadium. He said:

“We had just played in front of a big crowd, and everything blew up in the dressing room.
“I knew there was no point in talking about it. I just wanted to get away from all the conflict.”

Tom Hamilton Thankful for the Changes

Despite the tension, Hamilton surprisingly expressed gratitude for Perry’s departure. “I’m actually glad it happened,” he said. “Joe went off to do a solo project, and we brought in Jimmy Crespo, who was a great guitarist and writer.” Hamilton shared that they relocated to New York to work on a new album with Crespo, but admitted:

“We got the job done, but barely.”

Joe Perry’s Reasons for Leaving

Joe Perry, meanwhile, had his own reasons for leaving Aerosmith. He left during the recording of their 1979 album Night in the Ruts to focus on personal issues and explore new creative ideas. “We needed to be more open to new ideas,” Perry explained, noting that hearing Van Halen’s debut album had a big impact on him.

“I remember hearing that first Van Halen record and loving it. Eddie’s guitar playing was incredible. I knew it was time to take a break because new ideas were needed.”

Perry also reflected on the band’s strained dynamics at the time. “We needed to readjust our perspective and learn to get along again,” he said, adding:

“I remember saying we weren’t ready for the ’80s.”

Even though Perry left, he remained involved in Night in the Ruts, which was eventually released with his name still credited. This challenging time in Aerosmith’s history, while full of conflict, ultimately led to growth and new musical explorations for the band.