Imagine that you’re walking along Moscow’s Arbat promenade during the city’s 868th birthday celebration when you hear a busker playing a song you made famous seventeen years ago. Now, for most of us, this scenario is a daydream, but for Steven Tyler, it became a reality in September 2015.
This wasn’t the first time Tyler encountered a busker playing an Aerosmith song in a foreign city. This time, the busker was performing “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing,” a power ballad written by Diane Warren and the theme song for the movie Armageddon (1998).
Initially a radio-only single, the song became a commercial success, debuting at #1 on the Billboard charts (the band’s first US #1). Now, let’s watch Tyler join the busker in this unexpected musical moment.
Steven Tyler stumbled upon a street artist performing “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” and was completely captivated. After standing and listening for a while, Tyler decided to join in on the performance. He whispered something into the young man’s ear and then began to move towards the mic to sing. The excitement among the onlookers grew as the two shared the microphone and finished the song together.
It’s wonderful that someone captured this moment and shared it on social media.It quickly went viral, especially on YouTube, in which it has amassed over 13 million views and received 129K likes.
One YouTube viewer praised the collaboration, saying, “This is a great compliment for both the street performer and Stephen Tyler, knowing your music lives on and continues to move through people even when you’re not the one performing it. For the street performer of course it’s an honor to have the actual creator of the song come up and sign with you not take over but actually sing with you! Stephen Tyler Thank you for being you!”
Another added, “It’s crazy hearing the difference between the voices of a street performer and a legendary singer such as Steven Tyler. Immediately blown away.”