Happy birthday to former-Journey frontman, the great Steve Perry. 2019 finds Perry riding high on the success of his fall 2018 comeback album, Traces, which is his first Top 10 solo debut. The album entered the Billboard 200 Albums Chart at Number Six and the magazine’s Current Rock Album Chart at Number Two.
Traces marked a long awaited return from Perry, who is best remembered for his tenure in Journey in which he wrote or co-wrote such standards as “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Any Way You Want It,” “Who’s Crying Now?” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” “When You Love A Woman,” “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin,’” “Open Arms,” “Be Good To Yourself,” “Stone In Love,” “Still They Ride,” “Feeling That Way,” and “Lights.” Perry scored a solo Top 10 hit with 1984’s “Oh, Sherrie,” which peaked at Number Two.
Journey’s last album with Steve Perry was 1996’s Trial By Fire, which reunited the classic Escape/Frontiers lineup of Neal Schon on guitar, Ross Valory on bass, Jonathan Cain on keyboards, and Steve Smith on drums. The album peaked at Number Three on the Billboard 200 charts — with its single, “When You Love A Woman” hitting Number One on the magazine’s Adult Contemporary chart. Perry left Journey in 1998 rather than be forced into hip-surgery so that the band could tour behind Trial By Fire. He briefly reunited with the band onstage in 2017 to make an acceptance speech during their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
Steve Perry made headlines back in 2014 by performing encore cameos at concerts by alternative band Eels in Los Angeles, California; Washington, D.C.; and St. Paul, Minnesota. The rock world began buzzing over a Perry comeback — or a possible return to fronting Journey — after his show stealing renditions of such favorites as “Open Arms” and “Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’.”
This past week has seen current Journey frontman Arnel Pineda wish Perry a happy birthday via Instagram and former-Journey bandmate Neal Schon offer an invitation for Perry to join his side band Journey Through Time onstage during their Northern California gigs next month. Back in October, during a chat with Rolling Stone, Perry made it clear that despite Schon’s frequent offers, he’s choosing to pass on working with him, explaining, “I’m not sure that’s possible without stirring up hopes of a (band) reunion. Please listen to me. I left the band 31 f***ing years ago, my friend. You can still love someone, but not want to work with them. And if they only love you because they want to work with you, that doesn’t feel good to me.”
