Joe Perry is an American Musician and songwriter born on September 10, 1950. He’s famous for being a founding member of the rock band Aerosmith, where he plays guitar and occasionally sings. Perry also has his band called the Joe Perry Project, and he’s part of the Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp.
He’s good at playing guitar. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 84th on their list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. In 2001, he got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Aerosmith. Perry and his songwriting buddy Steven Tyler received the ASCAP Founders Award in 2013 and were also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In 2014, he wrote a book called “Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith” with David Ritz, which tells about his experiences in and out of the band.
| Full Name | Joseph Anthony Pereira |
| Date of Birth | September 10, 1950 |
| Place of Birth | Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States |
| Occupation | Musician, Songwriter |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.75 m) |
| Spouse | Billie Paulette Montgomery (m. 1985) |
| Children | Roman Perry, Adrian Perry, Aaron Hirsch, Tony Perry |
| Net Worth | $140 Million |
Joe Perry’s Early Life and Education
Joe Perry was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and grew up in Hopedale, Massachusetts. His dad was an accountant from Madeira, Portugal, and his mom was an Italian gym teacher at a high school.
When he was young, Perry loved the ocean. He wanted to be a marine biologist like his hero Jacques Cousteau. But he struggled in school at Hopedale Junior Senior High. His grades were bad, and it seemed like college might not be an option. His parents even offered him a chance to intern at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution if he could improve his grades. But Joe still struggled, so his parents decided to send him to Vermont Academy, a boarding school in Saxtons River, Vermont.
Perry wasn’t happy about leaving Hopedale, but his parents hoped living at the school would help him focus on his studies. Years later, in his memoir, Perry revealed he had ADHD, which wasn’t diagnosed until later. He said it made school tough but also helped his guitar playing in some ways.
Vermont Academy was different from what Perry expected. The students came from all over, and many were from big cities like LA and NYC. They introduced him to new music and culture, like The Village Voice and underground music. Perry was already into guitar, influenced by the Beatles, but he became even more obsessed with music after hearing his classmates’ tunes.
At Vermont Academy, Perry heard Jimi Hendrix for the first time and discovered British rock bands like the Yardbirds. These bands changed his outlook, and he shifted his dream from marine biology to being in a band like the Yardbirds.
Career
In the 1960s, Joe Perry started The Jam Band with Tom Hamilton. Later on, Steven Tyler, Brad Whitford, and Joey Kramer joined forming Aerosmith. They were initially seen as imitating The Rolling Stones but gained their own identity in the mid-1970s with hits like “Dream On” “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way.”
Perry and Tyler were known as the “Toxic Twins” due to their wild lifestyle. Aerosmith’s fans were called “The Blue Army” because many wore denim. However, the band faced difficulties due to drug use and conflicts affecting their music and performances.
After a successful album tensions within Aerosmith led to Perry leaving temporarily. He formed the “Joe Perry Project” but faced challenges with album sales. Eventually, Perry and Whitford reunited with Aerosmith in 1984 leading to a successful comeback tour and albums.
Despite struggles with drugs Aerosmith collaborated with Run-D.M.C. on “Walk This Way” bringing them back into the spotlight. They then released hit albums like “Permanent Vacation” “Pump” and “Get a Grip” winning awards and going on worldwide tours.
There were ups and downs including conflicts within the band and with management. However, Aerosmith continued to create music stars in commercials and even had their theme park ride. They also reunited with Run-D.M.C. for a special performance in 1999.
Back in 2001, Aerosmith had a big year. They performed at the Super Bowl halftime show and released a successful album called “Just Push Play” which had the hit song “Jaded.” Joe Perry one of Aerosmith’s members was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that year. After that, the band went on tour almost every year except for 2008. In 2004 they released a blues cover album called “Honkin’ on Bobo” and Perry released his first solo album in 2005.
In 2008 there was a video game called “Guitar Hero: Aerosmith” that featured the band’s music. During this time there were some tensions within the band especially after an incident where Steven Tyler fell off the stage. There were rumors that Tyler was leaving the band but he reassured fans at a concert in 2009 that he wasn’t.
The band continued to make music and tour with some ups and downs along the way. They released a new album in 2012 called “Music from Another Dimension!” and went on a tour to support it. They also received awards for their music.
Aerosmith kept performing even in countries they had never visited before. They also participated in charity concerts like the “Boston Strong” concert for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.
Joe Perry also worked on side projects like the Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp. In 2016 he had a health scare when he collapsed on stage but thankfully recovered.
Aerosmith announced a farewell tour in 2017 but they’re still going strong. Perry released another solo album in 2018 and in 2019 Aerosmith had a residency in Las Vegas called “Aerosmith: Deuces are Wild.” They’ve been playing shows and making music for decades showing no signs of slowing down
Net Worth
Joe Perry’s Net Worth is estimated to be $140 Million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Joe Perry’s net worth mainly from his successful music career. As a key member of Aerosmith, Perry has contributed to the band’s massive album sales, lucrative concert tours, and numerous hit singles, which have sold millions of copies worldwide.
Additionally, Perry has earned money from songwriting royalties, solo projects, and collaborations with other artists. His involvement in various business ventures, including a hot sauce brand and a book deal for his autobiography, also adds to his wealth. Overall, his long-standing and influential role in the music industry is the primary source of his net worth.
Personal life
Joe Perry was married twice. His first marriage was to Elyssa Jerret, and they had a son named Adrian. Then he married Billie in 1985, and they have two sons together, Tony and Roman. Billie also has a son named Aaron from a previous relationship. Adrian and Tony are in a band called Dead Boots.
Perry has homes in Vermont, Massachusetts, Florida, and Los Angeles. He supported John McCain in the 2008 election and calls himself a lifelong Republican. He loves America but doesn’t like politics, feeling that politicians don’t represent the people well.
He teamed up with Ashley Food Company to make hot sauces called Joe Perry’s Rock Your World Hot Sauces. You can even get a quesadilla with his hot sauce at the Hard Rock Cafe. He’s been on TV cooking with Rachael Ray and talked about his love for knives and cooking on tour.
Perry used to co-own a restaurant in Massachusetts called Mount Blue. Now, he lives in Massachusetts and also has a home in Vermont.
In 2018, after performing at a Billy Joel concert, Perry collapsed backstage. He had a similar incident in 2016. He blamed dehydration and exhaustion for his health problems. Because of this, he had to cancel some of his concerts to rest.
Steven Tyler, the lead singer of Aerosmith, really loves Fleetwood Mac, especially their early days with Peter Green as their guitarist. That’s why sometimes during Aerosmith concerts, you might hear them playing Fleetwood Mac classics like “Stop Messin’ Round” and “Rattlesnake Shake.”
Tyler has even said that hearing Joe Perry, Aerosmith’s guitarist, play “Rattlesnake Shake” was something special that brought them closer together. Perry, in turn, is a big fan of Jeff Beck, another legendary guitarist who he sees as an inspiration. In 1976, Beck even joined Aerosmith on stage as a surprise for Perry’s birthday.
Perry’s music is also influenced by Jimi Hendrix, especially noticeable in songs like “The Mist Is Rising” by his solo project, the Joe Perry Project. He’s covered Hendrix’s classic “Red House” both with his solo project and later with Aerosmith. Another big influence on Perry is Johnny Winter, whose music he’s loved since he was a teenager.
Led Zeppelin is another favorite of Perry’s, especially Jimmy Page’s guitar work. Perry and Tyler introduced Led Zeppelin when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Perry even said that Aerosmith wouldn’t be the same without Led Zeppelin’s influence.
Joe Perry loves guitars, especially Gibson ones like the Les Paul. He has a big collection, around 600 guitars! But there’s one special one, a 1959 Gibson Les Paul, that he had to sell when he got divorced in 1982.
After that, Perry missed his guitar. He asked his friends to help find it. One day, his friend Brad Whitford showed him a magazine with a picture of Slash holding the same guitar! Perry was so excited. He called Slash and kept asking him about the guitar for years. He even offered to pay a lot of money for it because its value had gone up a lot.
But Slash didn’t want to sell it. He and Perry were friends, and Perry didn’t want to make things weird by asking too much. Many years later, at Perry’s 50th birthday party, Slash surprised him by giving him the guitar as a gift! Perry was thrilled.
Besides Les Paul, Perry has other Gibson guitars too, like the ES series and Firebirds. One of his guitars even has a painting of his wife, Billie, on it!
