Decades before Aerosmith decided to say farewell to their fans with a farewell tour, the band members had the opportunity to speak with the late Kurt Cobain. According to Joe Perry’s recent Classic Rock interview, Courtney Love divulged something about Kurt Cobain to the band during this meeting. When asked about the day the former Nirvana vocalist came to their dressing room as a fan, the guitarist said: “He was really quiet. He simply desired to socialize. He entered the dressing room with Courtney [Love] and just sat with us. He was a regular man. ‘He likes you guys,’ Courtney added as he headed to the bathroom. He doesn’t like anyone, but he adores you.’ I had nothing but admiration for him. He was a fantastic songwriter and performer, and it was wonderful to hear that.”
During the discussion, Perry also questioned the notion that new musicians dislike older performers. He claimed that record labels, not artists, came up with the notion, and he recalled attending a Foo Fighters show and being welcomed to their warm-up room. His words about the band were as follows: “They’ve got all the instruments set up so they can jam, and they know every Aerosmith song by heart.” I couldn’t believe it and felt humiliated. They were singing music I hadn’t heard in thirty years. They were fans, but being able to play some of those songs and know those riffs off the top of their heads was like, ‘Holy sh-t!'” Cobain’s relationship with Aerosmith, on the other hand, did not end with the backstage rendezvous. When Steven Tyler learned of the late singer’s drug addiction in 1992, he attempted to assist by contacting Nirvana’s management and requesting his phone number. Gold Mountain Entertainment’s Janet Billig recalls this occasion in the book ‘Everybody Loves Our Town’ as follows:
“I remember Steven Tyler calling and wanting to help right when it became known that Kurt was doing drugs.” I told Kurt, “Holy sh*t, Steven Tyler just called my office and wants to help you.” ‘May I give him your phone number?’ And he was like, ‘Steven Tyler got to be an addict for 18 fuckin’ years. I’ve only been on drugs for an hour.” Unfortunately, by the time Tyler and Cobain eventually discussed drugs and how to quit, it was too late. In April 1994, the singer was discovered dead at his house on Lake Washington Boulevard, shortly after leaving the recovery program that he accepted after an intervention.
