Aerosmith Frontman in Rehab for Prescription Drug Addiction
Posted on December 23, 2009Steven Tyler, frontman of the band Aerosmith, has entered a rehabilitation facility to treat an addiction to painkillers that stemmed from 10 years of performance injuries. Tyler said he’s eager to return to work with his band mates.
"I love Aerosmith; I love performing as the lead singer in Aerosmith. I am grateful for all of the support and love I am receiving and am committed to getting things taken care of," the 61-year-old performer said in a statement released Tuesday.
The Associated Press reports that the band canceled a summer tour in August after Tyler fell off the stage during a performance in South Dakota and broke his left shoulder.
Dr. Brian McKeon, who is treating Tyler, said in a statement that orthopedic injuries over the past decade have left the singer with severe chronic pain that will require surgeries on his knees and feet.
Tyler checked into rehab last year to recover from several foot surgeries and physical therapy. He said the procedures were to correct longtime foot injuries resulting from his physical performances.
The singer was known for heavy drug and alcohol abuse in the 1970s and early 1980s, but completed rehabilitation in 1986.
