Tyler Talks About Aerosmith, Broken Shoulders and South Dakota

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler recently released a statement thanking police and others who came to his aid after he fell off of the stage while doing the “Tyler Shuffle” at the Legendary Buffalo Chip campground during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

It was the tumble that tumbled the tour. Tyler’s injuries resulting from the fall, including 20 stitches to his head and a broken shoulder, caused the band to cancel the rest of its tour. In addition to thanking police, Tyler also thanked the band’s crew and helicopter flight crew “for getting me outta there before I bled to death” as well as the doctors and nurses who treated him at the hospital.

Photo: Jim Hackett

Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.

According to Tyler, on the night of the accident thunderstorms delayed the band from going onstage for an hour. What’s more, fuses blew and the audio system failed shortly after the band’s set began.

Update! After posting this item, Rod Woodruff, owner of the Legendary Buffalo Chip, called Pollstar to clarify what went down the night of the accident, saying Aerosmith was about 10 songs into the set when a fuse blew, interrupting the band’s performance. However, the audio system did not fail.

“Well, I wasn’t gonna hide under the big top and play ‘ROCK STAR’ and wait for everything to be fixed,” Tyler said in the statement. “I wanted to go out to the crowd to continue the show.”

That’s when Tyler began doing a little freeform dance – the “Tyler Shuffle” – which ended when the 61-year-old rock icon fell off the stage.

“I just want to say that I’m plain grateful that I didn’t break my neck,” Tyler said. “In truth, after thousands of live shows, falling off the edge four times ain’t too bad.”