Aerosmith's Joey Kramer Clarifies Reports About His Heart Scare
Celebrity

The drummer of the rock band says he's 'better than ever' two months after heart scare, admitting that he underwent an angioplasty but he never had heart problems in the past.

AceShowbiz - Joey Kramer, the drummer of rock band Aerosmith, opened up about his heart scare in an interview with The Eddie Trunk Podcast. During the interview, Joey also clarified previous reports which said he was dealing with "heart complications" and "had heart issues in the past."

He tells Eddie Trunk, "The likes of TMZ and some other [media outlets] out there said that I had previous problems, that I had existing heart problems from the past and it was something that I always had, which was just completely not true. I've never had any problems in the past. It's just strictly a hereditary thing. There's a family history, and I was the victim. But no more."

Joey, who was forced to pull out of two Aerosmith's "Let Rock Rule" concerts in August after he fell ill and had to undergo what he called a "minor medical procedure," said he went to see a doctor after dealing with what he believed was acid reflux. "I kept getting this burning sensation in my chest, and that's what I thought it was," he shared.

"So I kept taking antacids," he continued, "And, finally, my GP [general practitioner] said to me, 'Just to make sure and rule out that it's anything cardiac related, go and take a stress test.' So I went and took the stress test. I got through the echogram [echocardiogram] with flying colors. He said that my cardiovascular system looked like that of a 48- or a 50-year-old, and I'm 64. And then I got on the treadmill, and when I got on the treadmill, it started to bother me a little bit."

Joey then underwent an angioplasty and had two stents inserted. He took seven days to recover, "and now it's better than ever. I feel great and the playing is great. And that's the story." Joey's son Jesse replaced his father's position as a drummer for Aerosmith when he was taking day-off. "It wasn't my time," Joey said, "It wasn't time for my ticket to be punched. And so I got fixed, and I'm back 150 percent, and everything is as good as it can possibly be.

In other news, Aerosmith's founding member and lead singer Steven Tyler delivered a speech to Maui Drug Court graduates on Thursday afternoon, October 16 in 2nd Circuit Court. He told the graduates, "I'm nervous here because I'm telling you all my truth. I am also a drug addict and alcoholic and fighting it every day."

He continued, "If you stop going to AA meetings, you're going to wind up using again. They're all over the island and they're all over the world. I express my joy all because of AA."

During his speech, Steven revealed he began "getting high" in 1964. He said when he first went into a rehab in 1984, he "was 126 pounds, shooting cocaine." He added, "They weren't rehabs. They were mental institutions where people that sat next to me had dribble bibs."

Steven later relapsed. "I had it all. I didn't care," he said, "And I hurt my family and my children and my friends. If it wasn't for the program of AA, I would have nothing. I'm a better drug addict and alcoholic than I am a musician. I got to keep it in check."

He continued to attend AA meetings wherever he was. "On tour wherever I am - Instanbul or Beirut or New York City - I just look it up, find out where the closest meeting to the hotel is. I walk in and say, 'I'm home.' "

Steven said he chose to share his personal story because he couldn't "keep it unless I give it away. It keeps me honest because I know how to lie to myself easily. But I'm getting better."

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