About the Author

Lead guitarist Joe Perry and singer Steven Tyler wrote the majority of the songs that form the backbone of Aerosmith's catalogue. In 2013, they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

David Ritz is a songwriter who has collaborated with stars like Janet Jackson and Marvin Gaye, as well as a renowned ghostwriter who has authored more than fifty books for some of the biggest stars in music: Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Lenny Kravitz, Joe Perry, Smokey Robinson, Don Rickles, and Willie Nelson, to name a few. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Essence, People, Art Connoisseur, and elsewhere. He lives in Los Angeles with Roberta, his wife of nearly fifty years.

Reviews

"A mini-masterpiece . . . Just as the preeminent Stones book was an autobiography from its guitarist, Aerosmith ax man Joe Perry has now given us the best book on [Aerosmith]. . . . The meat of the book proves to be the relationship between Perry and frontman Steven Tyler, a rock 'n' roll partnership with all of the carnage, love, backbiting, separations, and reunions you'd expect. Perry's anecdotes could have been flown in from some acerock 'n' roll-centric novel, and do more than amuse; the best enlighten, notjust about this band and the partnership at the core of it, but the very natureof creativity itself." --The Boston Globe

"A story of friendship and love. Since the Aerosmith chronicles have already been brought to vivid life in the band's Walk This Way, it left Perry room to contemplate things from a deeper core inside of himself. . . . What Rocks gives to his fans is a rare look into thepsyche of a man who always heard the music and let the music do the talking." --Glide magazine

"An excellent read . . . There are times when Perry's descriptions of Tyler's interactions with himself and others are laced with near-hatred and disgust . . . but there are also the moments when you realize that if Shakespeare had ever written a play about rock 'n' roll blood brothers, the two male leads would've been Joe Perry and Steven Tyler." --Guitar World

"An insightful and harrowing roller coaster ride through the career of one of rock and roll's greatest guitarists. Strap yourself in." --Slash

"Evocative . . . Perry's book will strike gold with every Aerosmith fan." --Publishers Weekly

"Joe Perry describes with amazing detail and passion the virtual odyssey of his life as the quintessential rock star in America's most famous rock band of all time. Like his riffs, his story is inspired, crisp, and packs a punch. Joe Perry has done for rock and roll what the human genome project and stem cell technology have done for medicine--broken it wide open to inspire and shape our music for many decades to come. I could not stop reading this book!" --Rudolph Tanzi, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and New York Times bestselling coauthor (with Deepak Chopra) of Super Brain

"Joe Perry has been the AxeMeister longer than some of you have been alive. He's been there, and done that. He has been the consummate six-string gunslinger for a band that has always done things their own way. Joe never went Hollywood. Joe never looked over his shoulder to see who was running behind him. Ever the gentleman rocker, Joe sits high atop of rock royalty. Admit it. You're jealous. When I grow up, I want to be Joe Perry." --Gene Simmons

"One might guess that I, Perry Farrell, would admire Joe Perry because he is a legendary guitar ripper, and you'd easily be right on the button--however, what you wouldn't have guessed is that I admire, respect, and have looked up to Joe Perry for years because he is a mad passionate, devoted husband and loving daddy who rocks. Viva familia Joe!" --Perry Farrell

"Riveting . . . Eye-opening . . . An engaging read." --The Patriot Ledger

"Rocking Joe Perry 'rocks' again!" --Jimmy Page

"Thrilling . . . An intimate narrative . . . This is the raw Aerosmith . . . Perry discusses every detail of the creative process . . .[and] takes you through every developmental stage of his journey in becoming the guitar legend he is today." --Rebeat magazine