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Aerosmith Retires from Touring, Citing Permanent Damage to Steven Tyler’s Voice Last Year

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith performs during night one of their "Peace Out: The Farewell Tour" on Sept. 2, 2023, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. (AP)
Steven Tyler of Aerosmith performs during night one of their "Peace Out: The Farewell Tour" on Sept. 2, 2023, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. (AP)
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Aerosmith Retires from Touring, Citing Permanent Damage to Steven Tyler’s Voice Last Year

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith performs during night one of their "Peace Out: The Farewell Tour" on Sept. 2, 2023, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. (AP)
Steven Tyler of Aerosmith performs during night one of their "Peace Out: The Farewell Tour" on Sept. 2, 2023, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. (AP)

Aerosmith says Steven Tyler’s voice has been permanently damaged by a vocal cord injury last year and the band will no longer tour.

The iconic band behind hits like “Love in an Elevator” and “Livin’ on the Edge” posted a statement Friday announcing the cancellation of remaining dates on its tour and provided an update on Tyler’s voice.

“He has spent months tirelessly working on getting his voice to where it was before his injury. We’ve seen him struggling despite having the best medical team by his side. Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible,” the statement said. “We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision — as a band of brothers — to retire from the touring stage.”

Tyler announced he injured his vocal cords in September during a show on its Peace Out: The Farewell Tour. Tyler said in an Instagram statement at the time that the injury caused bleeding but that he hoped the band would be back after postponing a few shows.

Tyler’s soaring vocals have powered Aerosmith’s massive catalog of hits since its formation in 1970, including “Dream On,” “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion.” They were near the start of a 40-date farewell tour when Tyler was injured.

“We’ve always wanted to blow your mind when performing. As you know, Steven’s voice is an instrument like no other,” the band said in Friday’s statement to fans.

“It has been the honor of our lives to have our music become part of yours,” the band said. “In every club, on every massive tour and at moments grand and private you have given us a place in the soundtrack of your lives.”

Aerosmith is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a four-time Grammy winning band. In addition to Tyler, its members are Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer.

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Hit Japanese Video Game Is Now a Streaming Series Aiming for Global Appeal 

Japanese actors Ryoma Takeuchi (R) and Kento Kaku (L) speak during an interview for Amazon Prime Video’s “Like a Dragon: Yakuza” on the sideline of Comic Con International in San Diego, California, July 27, 2024. (AFP)
Japanese actors Ryoma Takeuchi (R) and Kento Kaku (L) speak during an interview for Amazon Prime Video’s “Like a Dragon: Yakuza” on the sideline of Comic Con International in San Diego, California, July 27, 2024. (AFP)
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Hit Japanese Video Game Is Now a Streaming Series Aiming for Global Appeal 

Japanese actors Ryoma Takeuchi (R) and Kento Kaku (L) speak during an interview for Amazon Prime Video’s “Like a Dragon: Yakuza” on the sideline of Comic Con International in San Diego, California, July 27, 2024. (AFP)
Japanese actors Ryoma Takeuchi (R) and Kento Kaku (L) speak during an interview for Amazon Prime Video’s “Like a Dragon: Yakuza” on the sideline of Comic Con International in San Diego, California, July 27, 2024. (AFP)

Amazon Prime Video’s “Like a Dragon: Yakuza,” which premieres in October, has all the glorious fare of a classic mobster story — bloody fistfights, beautiful women, expensive cars, muscle and flashy suits.

Based on a popular Sega video game that debuted in 2005, the story centers around Kazuma Kiryu, a gangster with a heart of gold. But the latest version has evolved to appeal to global audiences today, according to its stars and production team.

“We weren’t going for another copy of the original but wanted to create it anew, while paying respect to it, but exploring it at a deeper human level,” said Ryoma Takeuchi, who plays Kiryu.

“We’re taking the concept that’s the foundation of the hit game and making a modern human drama people can more easily identify with,” he said.

The role turned out to be the most challenging and time-consuming of his career, including losing weight, preparing for the fight scenes and developing the character, as well as the arduous filming itself.

Masayoshi Yokoyama, executive producer at Sega studios and the game’s screenwriter, hopes longtime fans will be pleasantly surprised at the new twists and turns of the series, while newcomers may gain an interest in his game.

“To look back, the original is like an old samurai movie, while this dramatizes a new kind of sensibility,” he said.

“Like a Dragon,” is the universal coming-of-age saga, except set in a fairytale world of a fictitious Japan. The narration spans two decades, skipping back and forth between 1995 and 2005.

The characters, including Kiryu’s buddy from their orphanage days, Akira Nishikiyama, are filled with a steadfast belief in honor, justice and loyalty, as well as courage in the face of danger.

It’s not designed for the faint-hearted. Each of the six episodes goes from one superbly choreographed violent scene to another, with hardly a moment to take a gasp.

But the innocent love that the heroes, and the heroines, show to each other is the driving force of “Like a Dragon,” despite the yelling, kicks and gunshots.

“The story of ‘Like A Dragon’ contains eternal themes, like love, human relationships and betrayal that everyone can relate to. So rather than its being old or new, it’s really mainstream,” said Kento Kaku who plays Nishikiyama, known as Nishiki.

Retelling the story in an age where streaming entertainment connects audiences worldwide simply translates to perfect timing, said Kaku.

Erik Barmack, the executive producer, stressed the franchise offers something that’s made it enormously successful not only in Japan but elsewhere.

“Our belief is that it’s because the characters themselves have a lot of heart. It’s not some cold existential crime story,” he said.

“It’s about why relationships can go astray, even among people who love each other.”