Feuding Rockers Aerosmith Looking for New Singer

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Who wants to become the new singer for Aerosmith?

The lead guitarist with one of America's most successful rock groups said on Monday that he and his bandmates were "positively looking for a new singer to work with," following a rift with energetic frontman Steven Tyler.

Joe Perry, 59, made the announcement on his Twitter page, ratcheting up an unusually public feud with his songwriting partner of 40 years.

The duo, dubbed the "Toxic Twins" for their hard-living days of yore, wrote such classic-rock staples as "Walk this Way" and "Love in an Elevator." Their musical relationship has been likened to that of their role models, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.

But Tyler, 61, recently said he wants to concentrate on solo endeavors, a claim he has made in the past but never followed through on. He also stopped communicating with the rest of the band several months ago, and hired his own manager.

Perry told Reuters last month that Tyler has refused to write a song with him for a decade. More recently, Perry said that the last time he phoned Tyler, the singer hung up on him.

Incredibly, the band has still managed to perform concerts, but a summer trek through North America was cut short in August when Tyler fell off the stage and broke his shoulder. None of his bandmates accompanied him to the hospital.

"BRAND TYLER"

In recent weeks, Aerosmith reunited for a pair of shows in Hawaii, and then performed at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 1, temporarily papering over the cracks to recoup some of the revenue lost by the canceled American tour.

But Tyler surprised his bandmates by telling Britain's Classic Rock magazine, in an article published last Wednesday, that he would focus on his own projects, "Brand Tyler," as he dubbed it.

His bandmates were less than enthusiastic about being sidelined. In the same article, guitarist Brad Whitford raised the possibility of bringing in a new vocalist.