Steven Tyler Mulling Lawsuit to Protect Position in Aerosmith

Things are getting even more tense in the Aerosmith camp. Legendary 'Smith guitarist Joe Perry recently told reporters the band was planning on holding auditions for a new singer to be able to hit the road this summer. Now there are reports that frontman Steven Tyler is considering a lawsuit to protect his place in Aerosmith.

Tyler is currently in rehab for pain management and an addiction to prescription painkillers after sustaining multiple performance-related injuries over a 10-year period. Tyler's attorney, Skip Miller, sent a letter to Aerosmith's management, requesting the Boston band to "immediately cease and desist from engaging in acts and conduct to the harm and detriment of your own client, Aerosmith, and our client who is one of its members."

While the four-page letter asserts Tyler's legal right to sue, the singer's attorney is quick to add that Tyler doesn't want a lawsuit. "The direction we want is Aerosmith, with Steven Tyler, touring in Europe, touring Latin America, releasing a new album."

If that isn't enough, reports are also stating that Miller recalls a meeting between Aerosmith manager Howard Kaufman, Tyler's music attorney John Branca and current manager Allen Kovac, in which Kaufman basically said the band would be better off without Tyler. Beyond this, Miller says the negativity is bad for Tyler and may hurt his recovery. He also says Tyler is writing songs for a new Aerosmith record and will be ready to perform later this year.

So far, there's been no official comment from Aerosmith's management. Tyler's attorney has scheduled a meeting of Aerosmith's shareholders for Feb. 9 to discuss the band's future. Meanwhile, the Joe Perry Project is touring Canada with Mötley Crüe through the end of the week.