Steven Tyler flirted with death for two decades. He overdosed, nearly lost his band, then clawed his way back on stage and made the biggest comeback of his career.

Steven Tyler confessed he nearly lost his life many times because of drugs.

Steven Tyler is primarily recognized as the lead vocalist and frontman of the iconic heavy metal rock band Aerosmith. Alongside guitarist Joe Perry, Tyler played a pivotal role in shaping the band’s identity since its inception in the 1970s.

Steven Tyler smiling Steven Tyler

Aerosmith gained fame for their blues-infused, swaggering rock style, often drawing comparisons to the legendary sound of the Rolling Stones. Notably, Tyler’s charismatic stage presence and vocal prowess often drew parallels to Mick Jagger, the lead singer of the Stones. With that said, Tyler previously admitted that he survived overdosing numerous times over the years.

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler Cheated Death Multiple Times After Numerous Close Calls Thanks to Drugs

Steven Tyler in American Idol American Idol

While speaking in a 1988 interview for the Decline of Metal documentary, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler was asked if he had earned a lot of money in his career at that point. Tyler noted that he earned millions of dollars.

When asked what he did with the money, he joked that he snorted it all on drugs, adding that he snorted all of Peru. Steven Tyler then admitted that he almost died multiple times due to taking drugs.”Went up my nose, I must have snorted up all of Peru. To survive the 60s and 70s, it’s a f***** miracle.

[When asked if he could have died] ‘‘Oh god I was several times.”

Steven Tyler is clearly in a better state right now compared to what he once was, but it was not an easy journey for the rock star, who truly took things too far many times.

Steven Tyler Has A Long History of Drug Use

Steven Tyler's big role in American IdolAnother still of Steven Tyler in American Idol

Tyler’s experimentation with drugs began in the mid-1960s, with marijuana being his initial substance of choice during his teenage years, as he disclosed to GQ in 2019.

Despite maintaining a semblance of control over his life as Aerosmith rose to fame in the 1970s, Tyler’s trajectory took a darker turn towards the end of the decade. Lacking proper channels for seeking assistance, his struggles with substance abuse intensified.

Reflecting on this period, Tyler shared with Haute Living in 2019, “Aerosmith made it from ’72 to ’79 not necessarily stoned, but beautiful… then we all became very f—ed up. There were no such things as rehabs; there were mental institutions.”

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The musician’s drug use was indiscriminate, as he confessed to PEOPLE, admitting to indulging in “heroin, coke, Valium, anything that anyone came near with.“

Expressing the depth of his addiction, Tyler lamented, “I loved to get high so much, I fell into the well. I got so clouded up I didn’t know what this band was all about, didn’t realize how great it was.”

In a later interview with GQ, Steven Tyler reflected on his drug use and admitted that while it feels good for a while, things go wrong, and then it starts influencing one’s greatness.

“It absolutely works for a while. But then things go wrong. You become addicted, it’s something you do all the time, and suddenly it starts influencing your greatness.”

Drugs can truly destroy a person’s life and Steven Tyler is more than aware of how harmful it can be. Nevertheless, fans can only hope Tyler stays clean for the rest of his life.