BIRTHDAY WISHES: Joey Kramer was born today in 1950 in The Bronx, New York. For over four decades, Joey Kramer has been the drumming force behind the rock band Aerosmith. His playing defines what great rock drumming is all about - a deep, solid groove combined with tasteful fills and rock solid time. Joey Kramers drumming is as much a part of Aerosmiths sound as Steven Tylers voice, and Joe Perrys guitar. Since he was a boy, Joey Kramer has been fascinated with the drums. By the age of 14, he was cutting his musical teeth as part of a Ventures-type instrumentals band named The Medallions. However, it wasnt until He started drumming with an 11-piece rhythm and blues outfit during his late teens that he discovered the music that would serve as his main source of inspiration. In 1970 Kramer reconnected with a friend, Steven Tyler, who had joined forces with Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton and were in need of a drummer. Kramer jumped in and Aerosmith took off. Brad Whitford joined the group in 1971. Kramer is credited with originating the name Aerosmith when he conceived the name Aerosmith while listening to Harry Nilssons album Aerial Ballet in 1968, two years before the band was formed. Kramer insists that there is no connection between the name Aerosmith and Sinclair Lewis novel Arrowsmith. For their first two years, Aerosmith played throughout New England and got their break on August 5, 1972 at Maxs Kansas City Club in New York City. That night the famed record executive Clive Davis was in attendance and was so impressed with the group that he signed them to Columbia Records on the spot. In 1973 the band released their self-titled debut album, “Aerosmith,” and took to the road. They toured relentlessly over the next two years, taking time off only to record their follow up album, “Get Your Wings” which went Gold. “Toys In the Attic” was released in 1975 followed by the 1976 release of “Rocks” and the band turned a significant creative and commercial corner during this era as they generated hits like “Last Child,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Back in the Saddle” and “Walk This Way.” Aerosmiths endless roadwork paid off in Platinum record sales and sold out shows before massive crowds of over 80,000 at the legendary Texxas Jam, and to over 350,000 at the famous CAL Jam in 1978. Aerosmith’s status as one of the most popular live acts of the decade was achieved. In 1984, after Perry and Whitford rejoined the group following a few years of being away, a recharged Aerosmith hit the road for their Back in the Saddle Tour. In 1985 the group signed a new record deal with Geffen Records and released “Done With Mirrors.” That was followed by “Permanent Vacation,” which hit record stores in 1987. This was the first in a string of releases that brought Aerosmith even more fame, success and accolades than ever before. Their videos for “Dude Looks Like a Lady,” “Angel” and “Rag Doll raised the bar for music video production. The band succeeded “Permanent Vacation” with 1989’s “Pump,” which spawned the hits “Love in an Elevator,” “Janie’s Got a Gun,” “The Other Side” and “What it Takes.” Aerosmiths popularity continued into the 1990s when they released “Get a Grip” in 1993 featuring “Livin’ on the Edge,” “Cryin,” “Eat the Rich,” “Crazy” and “Amazing.” Their album “Nine Lives” was released in 1997, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and featuring the hit singles, “Pink” and “Falling in Love is Hard on the Knees.” They closed out the decade with their first No. 1 hit single “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” from the 1998 movie “Armageddon” soundtrack. More recently, the band released their fifteenth studio album, Music from Another Dimension! in 2012. Joey Kramer and Aerosmith have enjoyed tremendous success throughout their career. Over the years, they have sold over 150 million albums worldwide, scoring 21 Top 40 hit singles and 9 No. 1 hit singles. Theyve also received numerous awards including six Billboard Music Awards, eight American Music Awards, 23 Boston Music Awards, 12 MTV Video Awards, four Grammys, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Song, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” They were selected as one of the Best Rock Bands by Rolling Stone and Hit Parader magazines and were chosen as the first rock band to be honored as MTV Icons. In 2001, Aerosmith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2009, Kramer released his memoir, Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top. In 2011, Kramer was characterized in cartoon-form and provided his own voice when he made a guest appearance in an episode of The Simpsons. Last year, he launched his own brand of coffee called Rockin and Roastin in an effort to bring gourmet coffee with a reasonable price to the public. Still going strong today, Joey and Aerosmith are about to embark on the North American leg of their Let Rock Rule World Tour this summer, starting in Wantagh, New York, on July 10th. Be sure to look for them in a city near you!
Posted on: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 16:00:17 +0000
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