Did you catch the Kennedy Center Honors last night? I had to watch because Paul McCartney was being honored and I knew Steven Tyler was one of the artists McCa had asked to perform. It was really a terrific tribute!  Gwen Stefani and No Doubt were fun to watch with their quirky renditions of "Hello Goodbye" and "Penny Lane."  I loved Dave Grohl and Norah Jones' "Maybe I'm Amazed."  It was very cool that Norah was included as she is the amazingly talented daughter of The Beatles' sitar-playing buddy Ravi Shankar.  And I think Dave Grohl should, one day, be deemed a national treasure.  Not only is he the frontman for the wonderful Foo Fighters, he obviously truly appreciates and supports the classic rock artists -- I've seen him perform others' music many times during tributes, and his performances are always worthy of the greats.  He is a super talent! 

Then what can you say about Steven Tyler?  I have a special place in my heart for him.  Many years ago when I worked at 96 Rock, we had Steve appear at an anniversary show of ours.  This was before "Permanent Vacation" came out, so it had to be early 1987.  Aerosmith was going through a rough phase.  Their supposed 1985 "comeback" album, "Done With Mirrors," hadn't done well, and true fans were still scratching their heads over Steve and Joe's previous years' appearance on Run DMC's cover of "Walk This Way." Little did we know that the upcoming "Permanent Vacation" would send Aerosmith into the stratosphere of rock stardom they're still in 25 years later!  Amazing...Crazy! (LOL!)  So here's Steven Tyler backstage at the tiny Center Stage Theater, all by himself, and I struck up a friendly conversation with him as I was getting ready to go onstage to make announcements.  At the time I was dating a young guy who was googly starstruck -- he was a HUGE Aerosmith fan, and as I excused myself to go back to work I heard my boyfriend say, "I just have one question...," and Steve interrupted and said, "I know, I know.  Why did we do the rap with Run DMC?" I cringed, wanting to pull my guy onstage with me just to get him away from the rock star.  Alas, I had to walk away and was gone for about 15 minutes doing stage announcements.  When I came back, I couldn't find my date OR Steven Tyler.  I finally found them in a corner in an intense conversation, obviously very interested in each other.  I couldn't believe it!  I was reminded of a story while I was doing some work in L.A. in the early '80s.  I was spending time with a guy who was very well known in the music business for years, and I asked him of all the rockers he had interviewed, who was his favorite.  I was surprised when he said Steven Tyler. He said Tyler was the most open and honest nusician he had ever spoken to, and that he had shared stories of his terrible struggles with his drug and alcohol dependency.  The guy was obviously very touched by their time together.  I thought back about that as I watched the singer with one of his best fans.  I will never forget it.  So I'm sad when I hear of Aerosmith in turmoil, and am happy when they thrive.  Watching Tyler get a terrific ovation last night before ripping into a wonderful turn on the Abbey Road "Golden Slumbers" medley was a great moment for Steven Tyler fans.  Nobody does with a mic stand what he does.  No one twirls, struts and dramatically gestures, or growls, shrieks, and sings anything like him!  I can only think that his upcoming stint as a judge on American Idol will create a new legion of Tyler fans, and will let us all see his humanity that makes him such a special rock star.