Back in August, Aerosmith were forced to cancel a California concert, simply blaming “an illness” for the nixed show. However, TMZ reported drummer Joey Kramer was dealing with “heart complications” that required immediate surgery, adding that he “had heart issues in the past.” In a new interview, Kramer reveals that TMZ had the story half right: While the drummer did admit to having an angioplasty, he never had reoccurring heart problems, Ultimate Classic Rock reports.
“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,” Kramer told Eddie Trunk’s podcast. “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.”
Kramer went to see his doctor after dealing with what he believed was just acid reflux. “I kept getting this burning sensation in my chest, and that’s what I thought it was,” he said. “My [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 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.”
At that point, Kramer underwent what the band said in a statement was “a minor medical procedure” – an angioplasty with two stents inserted – to fix the blockage. Kramer only needed one week to recuperate – his son Jesse filled in on drums with Aerosmith – before getting back to work. “It wasn’t my time. It wasn’t time for my ticket to be punched.” Kramer said. “And so I got fixed, and I’m back 150 percent, and everything is as good as it can possibly be.”
