I love my pals at Page Six, but someone fed them a load of bull today about rocker Steven Tyler and his management situation. Tyler was not “fired” by Simon Fuller, former owner of “American Idol” and manager of many music stars over the years. Fuller was part-time managing Tyler with Tyler’s lawyer, Dina LaPlot, for the last year. This arrangement was arrived at as a compromise after Tyler had a roller coaster ride with another manager and that guy’s successor–a man who went over the fence, shall we say, never to be seen again. Fuller was chosen by Tyler, but it turns out that this Simon doesn’t actually do hands on day to day management. So he teamed with LaPolt, who helped get Tyler’s anti-paparazzi law passed in Hawaii this winter.
For a moment last month, Tyler was almost managed by Larry Rudolph, who also manages Britney Spears. But that deal didn’t get signed thanks to internal politics that are too boring to describe here. Instead, Tyler has gone to Red Light Management with Fuller and LaPolt’s blessing. LaPolt continues to represent Tyler as his attorney only. Tyler. Howard Kaufman and Trudy Green managed Aerosmith. And everyone’s making money.
The Page Six story is “hogwash,” say my sources.
I sort of knew this anyway because as I prepared to interview Tyler earlier this month for ASCAP, I got to know all of his team. There’s no doubt that Tyler is high maintenance, but which rock star isn’t? Aerosmith is on tour in Australia and New Zealand right now, playing to sold out audiences and rocking arenas with Van Halen. Tyler and Joe Perry will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 13th in New York at a star studded dinner and show at the Marriott Marquis.
