Aerosmith singer not a fan of reality talent shows

It's probably a good bet that Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler didn't watch the American Idol finale on Wednesday, May 23rd. Tyler was interviewed by the Indian newspaper The Bangalore Times, and when he was asked if he could "endorse such methods" as American Idol for discovering and exposing new talent, he said, "A band that came out of one of those reality shows in Britain recently covered 'Walk This Way' -- I'm not going to criticize it, because it was for charity. I'm not sure how I feel about those kinds of shows, to be honest."

Tyler added that he was inspired to perform by two men -- his father, and Mick Jagger. Tyler said, "One of my personal biggest influences was my father, Victor Tallarico. He practiced every day on a Steinway grand (piano) in our small apartment, and I listened to him play the classics. I started singing when I was three, in front of family and friends -- later from watching bands like the Kinks, the Beatles, and the Hullabaloos, I realized I could really sing. A big mention needs to go to the Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger is my hero to this day."

Tyler also gave props to some younger artists, telling the paper, "I'm really into bands with that bluesy feel to them, like Kings Of Leon. There's an Australian band called Wolfmother who have this Led Zep thing going on, and I was always a fan of Zeppelin."

In other Aerosmith news, drummer Joey Kramer is a half-owner of a new skateboarding shop that will open in Boston on June 30th. The Technical store will feature boards as well as focus on clothing, which Kramer told The Patriot Ledger newspaper that he actually wears. Kramer added that he plans to make regular appearances at the shop when he's in town.