Billie Paulette Montgomery Had Joe Perry Speechless When They Met & Have Been Together since 1985

For Joe Perry, it was "love at first sight" after meeting his future wife for the first time. Billie Paulette Montgomery was a single mom working two jobs when she met the former Aerosmith band member and had a significant influence on his life in many ways.

Perry has made a name for himself in the sphere of Rock n Roll following his legendary career as a co-founding member, songwriter, lead guitarist, and co-producer of Aerosmith— one of America's greatest Rock Bands. For three decades, he served as the musical force behind Aerosmith, helping them achieve critical acclaim and a plethora of accolades.

However, offstage, Perry has also been a doting husband for nearly four decades to a woman who has influenced his life in more ways than one. Montgomery was a single parent working two jobs when she came into Perry's life and helped him combat his alcoholism, and encouraged his participation in Aerosmith's iconic reunion.

Billie Paulette Montgomery Worked 2 Jobs When She Met Joe Perry

Despite unknowingly marrying one of the most famous Rock n Roll artists in history, Montgomery grew up with a love for underground, "new wave" punk as opposed to mainstream rock.

As a result, she was unaware of Perry's band's widespread success when she first met him. She grew up in a small town in southern Indiana, in a household where her "hip" mom played Elvis Presley and Ray Charles downstairs, and her older sister blasted Motown upstairs.

Once Montgomery had developed her own taste in music, Frank Zappa, The Mothers of Invention, and The Beatles were a few of the first artist's records she bought. "For all of her creative gifts, Billie was also practical," Perry wrote of his wife in his memoir.

After completing high school, Montgomery enrolled at The Massachusetts College of Art and Design but dropped out in order to support herself and her child. She welcomed her son, Aaron, during her second marriage to Willie Alexander, who was fifteen years her senior and known as the "Godfather of dada punk."

Although she had left college, Montgomery kept working hard to make something of herself. She took night classes at Emerson College, traveled for modeling and acting gigs, and had a "good job" selling advertising for a radio station.

For Joe Perry, It Was 'Love at First Sight' When He Met Billie Paulette Montgomery

Perry and Montgomery met for the first time after she was cast to appear in the music video for one of his projects, and for the musician, it was love at first sight. He shared:

"The second she walked in, I thought of the old cliché that, until this moment, had never applied to me: love at first sight. She spoke with humility... She had an easy-going, down-to-earth, and caring demeanor. She carried an aura and expressed an energy I had never felt before. I was in a daze. I wanted more."

Following their first encounter, Perry was often out of town promoting new music, and his and Montgomery's dates became fewer and fewer. However, their attraction only increased as time went on. He learned that her father left when she was young, and as a result, responsibility on a man's part was essential for her.

Perry learned that Montgomery was reasonable and caring and encouraged him to completely close the door with his first wife in order to open another with her. Although Perry and his first wife had been separated for over two years when his romance with Montgomery began, he was not divorced.

However, in 1985, soon after Perry's divorce from his first wife was finalized, he and Montgomery tied the knot in Hawaii. They found a minister who officiated the ceremony held in a spiritual location for Hawaiian natives. And without a worry about "fancy preparations," Perry wore jeans, and Montgomery looked "tanned and gorgeous" in pants and a top when the couple said, "I do."

As a successful artist, Perry revealed that he sympathized with other successful men who subconsciously worried about love interests coming into their lives for the wrong reasons. The singer shared that he knew Montgomery was with him for him because she had no idea about his band. Perry said:

"It was a major miracle to me that she came from listening to punk music... and she didn't know about Aerosmith. As far as Aerosmith and how big we had been in the '70s, she didn't know any of that."

Over the years, Perry and Montgomery have welcomed two sons in addition to their children from previous marriages: Tony and Roman. Most of Perry's sons have followed in his musical footsteps, and in 2003, he went into business with Aaron when they launched a food company.

Billie Paulette Montgomery's Influence on Her Husband's Career

Although Montgomery was oblivious to her husband's success in the '70s, she had a significant role to play in his band getting back together later on. Perry revealed that it was her words of encouragement that led to Aerosmith's reunion.

And it was her ultimatum that led to him handling his drinking after Montgomery came home early one day and found her husband had drunk a gallon of wine. Perry appreciated his wife's opinion on many things, sharing:

"She sees me in a different way than I see myself."

Billie Paulette Montgomery and Her Husband's Passion for Animals

As animal lovers, Perry and Montgomery have helped fund the building of new animal shelters in their community, bringing awareness to an endangered breed of horses, and supporting marine life and environmental conservation.

Montgomery also proved she hadn't lost her sense of creativity over the years, as she humorously describes herself as a "photographer lite" and "poet" on her Twitter account. Aside from posting pictures of her husband on her social media, she also uses the platforms to document her love of dogs in different clips and photos.