Alice Cooper has revealed that Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler asked him not to let guitarist Joe Perry go back on stage after his mid-tour collapse in July.
Perry was on the road with the Hollywood Vampires when he suffered a health alert, which was rumoured to have been related to his heart at first.
He was back in action less than two weeks later – but not before Tyler had expressed concern for his longtime colleague, saying: “I know how to maintain my health. I don’t think he knows how to.”
Cooper tells CBS Local: “I didn’t realise Aerosmith only did two shows a week. Honestly, I just figured everybody was like me. I do five shows a week, and very physical shows.
“We were on our eighth show in 10 days. It was pretty brutal. I think he was dehydrated and basically exhausted.
“I talked to him before the show and he said, ‘I don’t think I’ve eaten anything in three days.’ I went, ‘Well, that’s not smart.’
“It wasn’t his heart, though, and it wasn’t anything vital, because four or five days later he was on stage with us and I’d never seen him look so good.”
He continues: “Steven called me and said, ‘Hey, don’t put him back on stage – I’m afraid.’ I went, ‘Look, I’m going to talk to him and see how he is.’
“I went up to his room. He looked unbelievable, sounded great, got up and played the whole show. I never heard him play that good, so he’s back.”
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Cooper admits that life on the road is “gonna wear you out” if proper care isn’t taken, adding: “It’s like doing a two-hour aerobic every night. I don’t drink and I don’t smoke, anything like that, so by end of the tour I’m in great shape.”
The Hollywood Vampires formed to pay tribute to Cooper’s late friends including Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Keith Moon. He reflects: “We’re honouring all our dead, drunk, friends – and then one of our guys goes down.”
But he calls Perry “a trooper” and “a road rat, like the rest of us.” The Hollywood Vampires complete a tour of South America later this month.
Hollywood Vampires remaining tour dates 2016
Oct 21: Chevrolet Hall State Of Pernaumbuco, Brazil
Oct 24: Lima District Estadio Nacional, Peru
Oct 27: Mexico City Arena Ciudad, Mexico
Hollywood Vampires: the unlikeliest, soberest supergroup ever?
