Steven Tyler once said, “Anything worth doing was worth overdoing,” and he’s certainly lived by that motto. As Aerosmith’s frontman, Tyler embodied the wild spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, pushing boundaries in ways few others could match. From wild escapades with groupies to blowing millions on cocaine, his life has been a whirlwind of excess.
How wild is the man who sang that Armageddon song? In 1975, at age 27, Tyler convinced the parents of a 16-year-old girl to hand over guardianship to him. That girl was Julia Holcomb, and their unsettling relationship is just one of many eyebrow-raising tales that might make you cringe.
Aerosmith has rocked the stage for over 40 years, selling over 150 million albums. But with that kind of longevity comes a slew of strange and sordid stories, many revolving around Tyler’s eccentric lifestyle. Dive in to discover some of the weirdest and wildest stories from Steven Tyler’s life—if you dare.
7. He Blew $6 Million on Cocaine
Steven Tyler’s cocaine habit was as legendary as his rock star persona. In his 2012 memoir, he revealed that he spent around $6 million on the drug over the years, an amount most people won’t see in a lifetime.
When asked about that staggering figure on Australia’s 60 Minutes, Tyler casually confirmed, “Realistically, five or six [million]. But it doesn’t matter.” He then added, “You could also say I snorted half of Peru, but it doesn’t matter.”
For Tyler, the exact number seemed irrelevant—what mattered was that his addiction was as excessive as everything else in his life.
6. Joan Jett Turned Down His Advances
Even rock stars face rejection, though Steven Tyler seemed to defy that norm. He once boasted about his flawless success with women, attributing it to his persistence and charm. “I’m a persistent motherf*cker. I’m very sensual and very rhythm-oriented and into poetry. Women can feel that,” he said.
However, Tyler’s memoir revealed a different story. It turns out even rock gods can get turned down. Tyler admitted to showing up naked outside Joan Jett’s hotel room one night.
Jett’s response was blunt. “I’m not into big 10-inch, honey,” she said, referencing a line from Aerosmith’s Toys in the Attic. Then, she shut the door on him.
5. At 63, He Commented on a 16-Year-Old’s Skirt
When Steven Tyler was 63 and serving as a judge on American Idol, his behavior often crossed into uncomfortable territory. Late night host Jimmy Kimmel even created a segment called “Steven Tyler’s Creepy Leer of the Night” to highlight these moments.
Tyler’s most unsettling comment occurred during the audition of 16-year-old Victoria Huggins. He remarked about her skirt, “Just the right amount showing… that’s nice.”
The awkwardness was palpable, with Randy Jackson laughing nervously and Huggins responding, “Well, I gotta appeal to the boy audience, but I wanna be a lady.”
4. His First Sexual Experience Was at Age 7—with Twins
In a 2009 interview with Elle, Steven Tyler shared a startling story about his first sexual experience. According to Tyler, it happened when he was just 7 years old with French twins he met in a church choir.
“They took me home one day, and we had a you-show-me-yours-I’ll-show-you-mine session,” Tyler recalled. “Isn’t that great?”
Reflecting on it later, Tyler remarked on the odd coincidence that both his ex-wife Teresa and his current girlfriend at the time were also twins, musing, “How much sweeter does it get?”
3. No Sex Allowed During the Band’s Last 10 Days on Tours
In Aerosmith’s 2012 autobiography Walk This Way, the band’s engineer, Rabbit Henson, claimed that the members had a strict rule during the last 10 days of each tour—no oral activity allowed. This was supposedly to prevent any potential venereal diseases from being passed on to their girlfriends when they returned home.
However, in a 2009 interview, Steven Tyler offered a different take on this rule. He explained that the real reason for the 10-day abstinence was to ensure that they “went home with a full cup of chowder.”
Tyler added that if someone didn’t follow this rule, it raised suspicions among the band members, suggesting it was less about health and more about proving loyalty.
2. At 27, He Gained Guardianship of His 16-Year-Old Girlfriend
In 1975, 27-year-old Steven Tyler began living with 16-year-old groupie Julia Holcomb. To avoid legal trouble, Tyler convinced Holcomb’s mother to sign over guardianship of her daughter to him.
They lived together for a while, but their relationship unraveled after Holcomb became pregnant and had an abortion. Afterward, she returned to live with her parents. Tyler later spoke about the abortion, revealing how deeply it affected him.
In Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith, he described the experience as a “big crisis,” admitting he was devastated and wracked with guilt. He recalled watching the procedure and feeling like he had done something unforgivable.
1. He and Joe Perry Caught Crabs During a Foursome
Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry have shared the stage—and much more—since Aerosmith formed in 1970. In Tyler’s 2012 memoir, he revealed one of their more intimate and unfortunate experiences: contracting an STI together during a foursome.
Tyler humorously recounted the incident, saying, “One night on the road, Joe and I were sharing a bed with two girls and woke up in the morning with a seafood blue plate special… Crabs for everybody!”
It’s just one of many wild stories from their decades of rock ‘n’ roll misadventures, illustrating the close (and sometimes itchy) bond between Tyler and Perry.