Joey Kramer of Aerosmith Intervierw

Last Updated on Thursday, 17 September 2009 03:14 Written by Gus Griesinger Thursday, 17 September 2009 02:38

 

 

 

    Backstageaxxess.com recently had the opportunity talk to the backbone of one of America’s greatest rock and roll bands of all time, Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer. Joey is currently promoting his book entitled "Hit Hard -A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom from the Top."  It depicts his life long battles with depression and drug abuse. In this candid interview, he discusses his past demons as well as the current situation with Aerosmith. We also talked about his love for cars and how he maintains his sobriety today. Why don’t we "Walk This Way" to see what Joey has to say….


Gus: Hello Joey!
Joey: Hey Gus!
Gus: How are you doing today?
Joey: Good man, how are you?
Gus: Great! I just want to say congratulations on your new book. I just got done reading it and a lot of people who have depression or this disease are ecstatic that somebody of your stature came out to write about this.
Joey: I’m really getting a lot of good positive feedback about it. As a matter of fact, I got no negative feedback at all! So I’m pretty stoked about that.
Gus: Did you take any experiences from the Aerosmith autobiography "Draw the Line" and incorporate them into your own book "Hit Hard?"
Joey: No, not really. This is all pretty much new stuff.  Well, I don’t know. This book is completely mine. I don’t really recall that much participating in the other one. So this one is about my stuff, my journey, and my experiences from being in Aerosmith, from my point of view.  I find it a little bit more interesting in that I combined the drug addiction, alcoholism, depression and everything else I’ve been through into this book.
Gus:  You also chose Nikki Sixx to do the forward for this.
Joey: Didn’t he do a great job?
Gus: Yes. I was wondering why you chose Nikki, than say, somebody you grew up with? Is it because he had experienced the same type of demons you did?
Joey: I wanted someone who had the same experience and who was on the same page so to speak.  Like it says in there he is a kindred rock and roll spirit and he has been through a lot of the same shit that I have been through and plus we are buddies!
Gus:  In going through your book, and during your breakdown at the Marlin Hotel in Miami, you were immediately checked into steps. This happened so quickly. Was preconceived or was this just happened?
Joey: When I went down to Miami I was emotionally broken down. That decision was made right on the spot. There was no preconceived anything.
Gus: I was like, wow it happened so quickly.
Joey: That’s exactly how it happened.

Joey: It was pretty flipped out man! My dad had never experienced anything like that before. I think he was pretty blown away himself as I think he never pictured doing anything like that. He was so at ease and comfortable that he allowed himself to do it. My friends and the people I was with kind of took him in and were like "Hey how you doing?"  It just happened and he loved it!
Gus: Did your parents know the extent of your drug use at that time?
Joey: No
Gus: When did they find out? Was it years later?
Joey: Yeah, it was years later. When I stopped going to Berklee and I joined up with the band I was playing with called The Unique 4 is when it started. That summer I went home with Hepatitis. It wasn’t Hepatitis C because I wasn’t using drugs intravenously. That was the beginning of it and they knew at the time that the drugs were what was wearing me down. I went home and my parents took my sisters to Europe and I stayed home with my grandmother to recuperate.
Gus: One of the men you gave a lot of credit to for helping you get sober was a Priest named Bill Hultberg. Do you still have a relationship with Bill?
Joey: Not really. I speak to him once in a great while. He is a great man and I have a lot of respect for him and he helped me out in a big way!
Gus: The book is a serious description of what you went through but there are a couple of funny parts like how you shit your pants during a meeting and wasn’t even aware of it. I have to ask, how the rest of the meeting went after that? (laughs)
Joey: ahh man… (laughs) I was so fucked up that I didn’t even know how to be embarrassed. Ohhh God that was the worst! (laughs.)  
Gus: You talked about how you actually came up with the name "Aerosmith" before actually joining the band. The book talks about how you joined the band but not how the actual name of the band came about. How did the name "Aerosmith" get chosen?

 

Joey:  Well, I think I described it pretty well on how I came up with it. There were a bunch of other names and suggestions that the rest of the guys came up with. I was carrying around that name for a couple of years and just threw it into the hat and everyone liked it. It was pretty much simple as that.
Gus: You talked about how your Dad took away your drums as punishment from coming home late one time and you had to borrow another guys set for a showcase you had to do. This guy turned out to be Steven Tyler. Looking back on it now, aren’t you glad your Dad took away your drums now?
Joey:  (laughs) That’s an interesting question and I don’t know if I have the answer to that but I suppose the answer would have to be yes.
Gus: You also talked about how Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were separate from you guys a lot and that you, Tom and Brad were considered "sidemen." Did you ever feel like you were considered sidemen and not as equals to Joe or Steven?
Joey:  Yeah. In the beginning we were basically like that yeah. When you come to an understanding of what the whole thing is really about and how it works you understand that. I think the only confusion is that people see it the way they see it and they don’t understand how a band works.
Gus: What was Steven Tyler’s reaction to the book?
Joey: He told me that as long as everything that was in there was true and honest, he didn’t mind it.
Gus: Was this something that was spoken to you about the book or was this said to you before it came out?
Joey: Both. He still maintains that as long as it’s true and honest that he is fine with it. I know there is some stuff in there that he isn’t crazy about but it’s the truth.
Gus: Another funny part was how you were called by him in the middle of the night to pick him up on the side of the road with a stand up bass fiddle.
Joey: (laughs) yeah.
Gus: The story went that no questions were asked where it came from. Did you ever find out where it came from?
Joey:  I don’t even know. I didn’t even question it.  When he called me up at that hour of the morning to pick him up, the last thing on my mind was where did you get that from?
Gus: He is also coming out with a book later this year. Is this also an autobiographical book about his demons as well?
Joey: I really don’t know and I really couldn’t say because he really doesn’t talk about it and I don’t talk to him about it. I think it will be a surprise to everyone!
Gus: Once Steven’s shoulder heals what is the future of Aerosmith? Will there be a new studio album that will be finally finished?
Joey: I sure hope so.
Gus: Where are you guys in completion of it?
Joey: We are a little bit the ways into it. We have some dates we have to complete in October and when we come back from that we will pick it up.
Gus: A lot of the pictures of you in the book when you’re behind the kit show a stuffed animal that is always on top of your bass drum. What is the meaning behind that?
Joey: That is "Willy" the mascot.
Gus: Ahhh.. I did not know that. I'm assuming Willy is still a part of the band today then?
Joey: Yeah. Yeah. He has been sewn up and fixed and re-stuffed. He had his eyes redone and a facelift. He has been on there for many years.
Gus: Your fans know your love for cars so how is business with your dealership, Corvette Mike, going?
Joey: Really well. I have no complaints about that.
Gus: In the book it talked about the possibility of joining up with some other dealerships in the area. Is that still going to hold true?
Joey: It hasn't happened yet I think due to the economy. When things get back on track we will think about that again.
Gus:  You talked about how your former manager Tim Collins manipulated you and I was wondering if you have a "one eye open" for the people you surround yourself with now?
Joey: You pretty much always have to do that. The people I have surrounded myself with now, I don't do that anywhere near what you might think.
Gus: All your hard work in therapy has helped you achieve balance in your life. How do you maintain that balance today?
Joey: Well, I have certain rules and regulations that I abide by. I live by a 12-step program and I'm very stringent about it. The desires for drugs and alcohol have pretty much left and I don't really think about it much anymore. I try to eat and sleep right, and go to the gym everyday. That's how I do it!
Gus: The book just came out and besides tonight any other promotional appearances throughout the country you will be doing for the book to get your word out?
Joey: I'm doing one tonight in Hyannis, Saturday September 12 in Providence, Rhode Island, Tuesday September 15th in Marlborough, Massachusetts and another one in Hawaii when we are there. So far that's pretty much it.  

 

Gus:  I want to thank you for talking to us at Backstageaxxess.com and for coming out with a book like this to show that someone of your stature has problems like every Joe Smith on the street.
Joey: The common thread throughout the book is what started off when I was very young which was the confusion between love and abuse. My goal here is to help people out. If I can help someone out just a little bit, then my goal is accomplished!
Gus: You also had two great writers with William Patrick and Keith Garde in helping you describe your journey.
Joey: Yes they did and kudos to them!


We would like to thank Kristine Ashton of MSOPR and Danielle Friedman from the Aerosmith camp for helping us set up the interview with Joey. For more information on Joey's book you can go to: www.joeykramer.com. For more information on Aerosmith, you can go to: www.aeroforceone.com.