Tips From ... Joe Perry

Some teenagers modeled their air guitar technique on Joe Perry. Others had pictures of him clad in black leather posted on their bedroom walls. Regardless of how big a fan you are, it's hard to imagine Aerosmith's 56-year-old lead guitarist as anything other than a Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. Behind the rocker image, though, Perry is a family man with some basic advice for making it all work. We talked to him July 3 after the sound check for the July Fourth Pops performance.

On marriage: Perry and his wife, Billie Paulette, have survived the hurdles of marriage, including the rise and fall of Aerosmith, and have been married for 20 years. ``There was a very strong physical attraction at the beginning, but it has to be more than physical for it to last," said Perry. So what is their secret to making a marriage work? ``Our relationship comes first," he said. ``Our family comes first."

On raising children: ``The kids get a vote," Perry said. ``That's very important when it comes to raising kids. And always keep the bigger picture in mind." Perry's four sons have benefited from their own decisions -- two of them opted to tour with their dad and be home-schooled on the road. His second - oldest son, Anthony, will be attending the School of Visual Arts in New York this fall. Said Perry: ``We always reinforced that home is where the family is."

On life: Perry has been making music for three decades -- through years of drug-induced friction with Aerosmith and four solo albums created in his basement studio a few miles from Boston -- and he has developed a simple outlook. ``Take life on life's terms -- one day at a time," he said. And with a quintessential rock 'n' roll grin, he added, ``And have fun while you're doing it." Melanie Nayer is the editor of LifeTips .com, an online publisher of advice and tips on careers, entertainment, and more. For more from Joe Perry, visit www.lifetips.com.