Lenny Kravitz Says He Won't Replace Steven Tyler in Aerosmith

Cross Lenny Kravitz off the list of potential singers to fill in for Steven Tyler as he takes his two-year hiatus from Aerosmith: The singer — who recently rocked with Aretha Franklin and celebrated the 20th anniversary of Let Love Rule — took to his Twitter yesterday to address rumors that he might be joining Joe Perry and gang, saying his friendship with Tyler prevents him from accepting the role if it was offered. "As much as I am flattered that Aerosmith's camp would consider me to front the band, Steven Tyler is a family friend, and no voice could ever take the place of his," Kravitz wrote. "I hope the band stays together. They are classic."

The Kravitz rumors stem back to comments made by Aerosmith's former A&R rep John Kalodner to Rolling Stone about Tyler's potential departure from the band. "I was talking to Marty Frederickson the other night about this just artistically because he co-wrote 'Jaded' and worked with them for the last 10 years or so," Kalodner told RS. "We were talking about how no one can replace Steven Tyler, but the only person he said and I agreed with that could even make Aerosmith anything would be Lenny Kravitz — which was a unique idea Marty had."

Aerosmith in live photos: four decades of Rockin' the Joint.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, the remaining members of Aerosmith are weighing the possibility of continuing on and celebrating their 40th anniversary with another singer in place of Tyler, who revealed to the band that he hopes to take the next two years to work on "Brand Tyler." "We're going just look at all our options. Steven has made it pretty clear; he wants to go off and do what he wants to do," Perry told RS. "But the band isn't going to wait around ... Aerosmith is too good a band to sit around and twiddle their thumbs."

For much more from Perry, plus interviews with Joey Kramer, Brad Whitford and Kalodner, read Aerosmith In Turmoil: Behind the Story.

Related Stories:
• Aerosmith's Kramer Speaks Out About Aerosmith Singer Search
• Aerosmith on Steven Tyler: "He Doesn't Act Like a Sober Person"
• Exclusive: Joe Perry: Aerosmith's Problems Far From Over

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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