Born Stephen Tallarico in Yonkers, New York and the youngest of two kids (older sister is Lynda), Tyler went to Roosevelt High School, where trouble started early: he was expelled for drug use and completed his education elsewhere.
Music is in the blood: Steven's father was a classical musician who led the Vic Tallarico Orchestra and taught music at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx for many years.
An NYC resident, Tyler’s family spent summers at New Hampshire’s Lake Sunapee, where Tyler formed his first ‘serious’ band, The Strangeurs, in 1964 (they were originally The Strangers, but another band was using that name, so they changed the spelling slightly). With Tyler on drums and shared vocals, the band eventually became Chain Reaction and, by the time Steven was 18, they went into the studio in 1966 and recorded four songs – the equivalent of 2 singles and 2 b-sides. Here’s one of them…
Chain Reaction – When I Needed You (1966)
In March of ’68, Chain Reaction opened four shows for The Yardbirds, and later opened for The Beach Boys and others.
Tyler crossed paths with future Aerosmith bandmates Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton at a gig in Sunapee in 1969, when their group, “The Jam Band,” played at the same club. Tyler was immediately impressed with Perry and the band, and made a move to hook up with them.
Aerosmith began as a power trio with Perry, Hamilton, and Tyler on drums; they added Ray Tabano on guitar (eventually replaced by Brad Whitford) and Joey Kramer on drums…the rest is some pretty wild rock ‘n roll history...
Aerosmith – Toys In The Attic
You Gotta Move (2004)
