Bradford Ernest Whitford, born February 23, 1952 is the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock band Aerosmith. Whitford graduated from Reading Memorial High School in 1970. After attending the Berklee College of Music, Whitford played in local bands Cymbals of Resistance, Teapot Dome, Earth, Inc., and finally a band called Justin Thyme before joining Aerosmith in 1971, replacing original guitarist Ray Tabano. Aerosmith would go on to be one of the most successful bands of the 1970s. However, following a string of less successful albums in the late 1970s, Whitford left the band in 1981 to work on his own project with singer Derek St. Holmes, simply called Whitford/St. Holmes.The project was dissolved after a sole self-titled album was released in 1981.Whitford briefly toured with The Joe Perry Project, featuring former Aerosmith band mate Joe Perry, before both Perry and Whitford rejoined Aerosmith in 1984.In the mid-late 1980s, all band members completed drug rehabilitation, including Whitford, who completed programs to combat his alcohol abuse. Whitford remains sober to this day and continues to be an active force in Aerosmith.
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