Joe Perry

The journey to becoming a famous musician is long and winding, but reaching that point also has its perks and pitfalls, say these five guitarists.

This interview was first published in 2004. He wanted to be a marine biologist, like his hero Jacques Cousteau, but got sidetracked playing guitar. That was good for us, and it didn’t turn out too bad for Joe Perry either. At this point, it’s been 40-plus years of kick-ass music with “America’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band,” as Aerosmith has...