Editing Aerosmith (section)

===Formation (1964–1970)===
In 1964, [[Steven Tyler]] formed his own band called the Strangeurs—later Chain Reaction—in [[Yonkers, New York]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rubin|first1=Dave|title=Inside Rock Guitar: Four Decades of the Greatest Electric Rock Guitarists|date=2015|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|isbn=978-1-4950-5639-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZWfECwAAQBAJ&q=Strangeurs+steven+tyler&pg=PT179|language=en}}</ref> Meanwhile, Perry and Hamilton formed the Jam Band (commonly known as "Joe Perry's Jam Band"), which was based on free-form and blues. Hamilton and Perry moved to [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]] in September 1969.<ref>Davis, p. 95</ref> There they met [[Joey Kramer]], a drummer from Yonkers, New York. Kramer knew Tyler and had always hoped to play in a band with him.<ref name="Walk This Way, page 104">Davis, p. 104</ref> Kramer, a [[Berklee College of Music]] student, decided to leave the school, and joined Jam Band.<ref name="Walk This Way, page 104" />

In 1970, Chain Reaction and Jam Band played at the same gig in New Hampshire. Tyler immediately loved Jam Band's sound, and wanted to combine the two bands. In October 1970, the bands met up again and considered the proposition. Tyler, who had been a drummer and backup singer in Chain Reaction, adamantly refused to play drums in this new band, insisting that he would take part only if he could be frontman and lead vocalist. The others agreed, and a new band was formed. The band moved into a home together at 1325 Commonwealth Avenue<ref name="Commonwealth">{{cite web|url=http://archive.boston.com/yourtown/news/allston_brighton/2012/11/aerosmith_plans_concert_outsid.html|title=Aerosmith plans concert outside their former Allston apartment building at 1325 Comm. Ave.|first=Matt|last=Rocheleau|date=November 2, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823101220/http://archive.boston.com/yourtown/news/allston_brighton/2012/11/aerosmith_plans_concert_outsid.html|archive-date=August 23, 2016|access-date=August 23, 2016}}</ref> in Boston, where they wrote and rehearsed music together and relaxed in between shows.<ref name="Walk This Way, page 104" />

The members of the band reportedly spent afternoons getting high and watching ''[[Three Stooges]]'' reruns.<ref name="wildrs">{{cite magazine|last1=Wild|first1=David|title=Aerosmith's Amazing Road Back|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/aerosmiths-amazing-road-back-19900405|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=June 19, 2017|date=April 5, 1990}}</ref> One day, they had a post-Stooges meeting to try to come up with a name. Kramer said that, when he was in school, he would write the word "aerosmith" all over his notebooks.<ref name="Davis, pp. 106–107" /> The name had popped into his head after listening to [[Harry Nilsson]]'s album ''[[Aerial Ballet]]'', which featured jacket art of a circus performer jumping out of a biplane. Initially, Kramer's bandmates were unimpressed; they all thought he was referring to [[Arrowsmith (novel)|the Sinclair Lewis novel]] they were required to read in high school English class. "No, not Arrowsmith," Kramer explained. "A-E-R-O...Aerosmith."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aeronewsdaily.com/blog/2008/03/14/steven-tyler-interview|title=Interview with Steven Tyler|publisher=AeroNewsDaily|date=March 13, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20080514055305/http://aeronewsdaily.com/blog/2008/03/14/steven-tyler-interview|archive-date=May 14, 2008|access-date=August 22, 2016}}</ref> The band settled upon this name after also considering "the Hookers" and "Spike Jones".<ref name="Davis, pp. 106–107">Davis, pp. 106–107</ref><ref name="mtv">{{cite web|title=The Aerosmith History 1969–2002|work=MTV|url=http://www.mtv.com/onair/icon/timeline.jhtml|access-date=March 25, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317194349/http://www.mtv.com/onair/icon/timeline.jhtml|archive-date=March 17, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> At some point prior to the weekend of December 25, 1971, they were known as "Fox Chase".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Blechl|first=Robert |title=A Half-Century Ago, Little-Known Band Called Aerosmith Plays Littleton|url=https://www.caledonianrecord.com/news/local/a-half-century-ago-little-known-band-called-aerosmith-plays-littleton/article_ca8e4e30-22c4-51bb-97fa-4e2304a1b0d9.html|access-date=2021-12-25|website=Caledonian Record|date=December 23, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

Soon, the band hired [[Ray Tabano]], a childhood friend of Tyler, as rhythm guitarist and began playing local shows.<ref>Davis, pp. 105, 111</ref> Aerosmith played their first gig in [[Mendon, Massachusetts]] at [[Nipmuc Regional High School]] (now Miscoe Hill Middle School) on November 6, 1970. In 1971, Tabano was replaced by [[Brad Whitford]], who also attended the Berklee School of Music, and was formerly a member of the band [[Earth Inc.]]<ref>Davis, pp. 128–131</ref> Whitford, from [[Reading, Massachusetts]], had  played at Reading's [[Coolidge Middle School (Reading, Massachusetts)|AW Coolidge Middle School]]. Other than a period from July 1979 to April 1984, the line-up of Tyler, Perry, Hamilton, Kramer, and Whitford has stayed the same.<ref name="allmusic" />