Over the course of his illustrious 45+ year music career, Steven Tyler has been known for a lot of things: frontman for seminal hard rock band Aerosmith and its toxic twins subset; a master of top 40 cross-over hits; a profanity-dropping American Idol judge; and, of course, scarves. But his new partnership is one few if any could have predicted: the voice of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR).
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s new song “Hold On (Won’t Let Go)” has officially been named the new anthem for the Colorado-based bull riding organization’s CBS television broadcasts and live events and will also be featured on Tyler’s debut solo album We’re All Somebody From Somewhere, out today (July 17) on Dot Records/Big Machine Label Group.
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“It’s a stand-out moment for our sport and we couldn’t be more honored,” said Professional Bull Riders CEO Sean Gleason in a statement. “Hold On (Won’t Let Go)” is the quintessential PBR anthem.”
The song’s genesis, however, didn’t initially come through Tyler’s Nashville recording sessions for his new album but rather from his talent agency, WME-IMG, which in April of 2015 purchased the Professional Bull Riders. When Gleason described a new song his organization sought — “a PBR anthem to portray the epic man vs. beast showdown in every PBR ride” — WME agent Amos Newman immediately thought of his clients Steven Tyler, who was recording his rootsy, country-flavored album with producers that included T-Bone Burnett and Dann Huff; and Poo Bear [a.k.a. Jason Boyd] a five-time Grammy-winning songwriter. Gleason later brought in the Jingle Punks’ Jared Gutstadt who has collaborated with Brad Paisley, Lynryd Skynyrd and Dierks Bentley among others.
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Tyler was so enamored with the song he cut it for the new album and then flew out to the Nevada desert to shoot the video for the CBS intro.
In addition to the television broadcasts and live events, PBR will promote “Hold On” in its advertising and marketing campaigns via a robust social media strategy, its website, email blasts, videos, fan contests and a variety of different in-arena activations and fan sweepstakes.
“Steven Tyler,” Gleason said, “captures the essence of PBR like no other artist or song could.”
Tyler, meanwhile, is just kicking off his 19-city solo tour appropriately titled the “Steven Tyler…Out on a Limb” tour.