Aerosmith's Joe Perry Credits Fans for Keeping Rock 'n' Roll Alive and Well

"It's the same now; those fans are still there, and that's what's really keeping it alive"

BY Kayla HigginsPublished Jul 5, 2022

One question that has been up for debate in recent years among rock 'n' roll fans is whether or not the head-banging, tongue-wagging genre is dead. KISS's Gene Simmons, who notoriously thinks it's deceased, was the subject of Joe Perry's discontentment in a new interview with VWMusic.

The Aerosmith lead guitarist has officially declared that he's in disagreement with Simmons: Perry thinks the genre hasn't yet reached its end, crediting the loyalty of the fans as the heartbeat that keeps rock alive.

When journalist Andrew Daly inquired about whether rock was really dead, the rocker countered: "No, not at all. There are some great rock 'n' roll bands carrying the flag too, and one example is Brad's [Whitford, Aerosmith guitarist] son Graham, who plays with Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown."

"I think they're like, kicking ass, and the thing is, there's a lot of guys who want to get out there and play rock 'n' roll guitar and play that kind of music," Perry elaborated. "The issue is that there aren't enough fans to hear it, so it's only going to go so far, but there are still people there for them to build a following."

Comparing late '60s rock culture to our present day, he continued: "All the rock 'n' roll that I liked, they didn't even have a place at the Grammys for it, and there was nothing overly commercial about it."

"I saw the Who in a small club playing Tommy," Perry recalled. "It was only a club, but the place was packed, and it was still about the fans there who wanted to hear it. It's the same now; those fans are still there, and that's what's really keeping it alive."

True to form for a member of Aerosmith, he dreams on.

Though the infamous quote about rock being dead can be traced back to 2014, Simmons continues to stand by it — and still enjoys scrapping with the rock community, with his latest jab at fellow old guy Mick Jagger once again dividing audiences.

Latest Coverage