20 Things You Didn't Know About Aerosmith
6. Dude (Looks Like A Lady) Was Inspired By A Member Of Mötley Crüe
The single Dude (Looks Like A Lady) revitalised Aerosmith's career in the late 1980s. According to the song's co-writer, Desmond Child, the influence behind it came from another famous musician. As Aerosmith were supposedly instrumental in the early career of Van Halen, so too was another musician unknowingly the cause of a song.
The story goes that Steve Tyler was sat in a bar, admiring the back of an attractive, long-haired lady. When she turned around, Tyler, presumably disappointed, realised he had actually been checking out Vince Neil. Neil was the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, and was also very much not a woman.
Instead of a lifetime of embarrassment, Tyler turned his mistake into a hit - if only all of us could accomplish that feat, rather than spending an evening screaming into a pillow.