(hennemusic) Drummer Joey Kramer was on hand as Aerosmith were honored with the MusiCares Person Of The Year award at a benefit show in Los Angeles on January 24.
The event followed a week of controversy over the status of Kramer, who filed - and lost - a lawsuit against his bandmates when they denied him from participating in the group's performance at the Los Angeles Convention Center and this weekend's Grammy Awards after a six-month absence from the live lineup.
As Billboard notes, the tribute opened with live performances of Aerosmith classics by more than a dozen acts, including Cheap Trick, Kesha, Gary Clark Jr, Melissa Etheridge, Nuno Bettencourt, Sammy Hagar and the Foo Fighters, among others.
Kramer then joined the Boston band as they took the stage to accept the award, with he and frontman Steven Tyler delivering speeches marking their 50th anniversary.
"A shout out to love and gratitude to MusiCares," said Kramer, "to all our fans, to my partners, to my ever supportive wife, Linda, and to you guys out there and to the music industry."
With drum tech John Douglas behind the kit, Aerosmith then delivered a four-song set that included their 1975 cover of "Big 10 Inch Record", "Dream On" and "Sweet Emotion" before being joined by Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp, Joe Perry's bandmates in The Hollywood Vampires, for the finale of "Train Kept A-Rollin'".
Tyler, who has been sober for years, took the mic again to thank the audience and MusiCares for being there for musicians in need, including himself.
"Thank y'all for doing what you do," said the rocker. "You raise this money because we're musicians, we're f--king artists and we're out of our minds. Most of the time it goes to music and we get lost in it and we love it and it's what keeps us around and alive and good. I just want to thank you very much because should I -- which I won't -- fall again, y'all might help me back up again. I love you so much for that." Watch video from the show here.
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