Toxic Twins
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The Toxic Twins is a nickname given to lead singer Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry of American hard rock band Aerosmith. They were given that name in the 1970s, due to their rampant use of drugs & alcohol both on and off stage, which was a "toxic" combination that almost ended their lives and their careers.
To this day, they are still commonly referred to by this nickname, despite coming clean and maintaining sobriety for the past 20 years. Both musicians look very similar (and are of Italian ancestry). They have a chemistry both in the studio and onstage that is nearly unmatched in rock and roll. Despite Steven Tyler being a workaholic and more expressive and Joe Perry being more relaxed and more dedicated to his family life, their differences have proven to be vital to the success of the band. This can be reflected very well in the band's video The Making of Pump.
The two are longtime friends and in the early 1980s Steven Tyler came close to crying in a television interview when discussing the pain he felt since Joe Perry left the band. Both Tyler and Perry team up for the majority of Aerosmith's songwriting and leadership responsibilities, and are the most recognized members of the band. Because of this, the three remaining members of Aerosmith, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton, and Joey Kramer are known jokingly within the band as the "LI3" or "Less interesting three".
This name may have been inspired by the "Glimmer Twins", the nickname for Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, who they have often been compared to musically. Additionally, it may have inspired other musical nicknames, like the "Terror Twins" of Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe.
