Journey's Steve Perry - Ugly as Hell, but Packing Major Heat

He looked pretty great when he was young.

Break those chains that bind you.

We had penises on those days and weren’t afraid to show them

#PenisPowerPenisPride

I don't think he's ugly. Maybe 'ugly-cute'?? Adore his voice so don't really care what he looks like

He was gorgeous with that long shiny black hair and angelic choirboy face and still looks pretty good for late 60s. Then again I've always had a thing for Portuguese guys.

he's hideous and there's already a thread about this

Oh, Sherry!

We have a resident Steve Perry troll?

😂😂😂 you bitches are hilarious.

too ugly to fuck. he's old and retired now.

Tight pants are (obviously) back in style but so many men now have womanly hips.

[quote] Tight pants are (obviously) back in style but so many men now have womanly hips.

If by "womanly hips," you mean Nell Carter's.

Why do fat queens try to do stuff like that? It's like we already see you, because you're fat. So, why not try to dress in a way that's flattering, instead of a way that says "everyone, look at me please, so then later I can cry to my fag hag about how everyone was looking at me."

Steve always had a nice basket. I would have dropped to my knees in a second.

That's no fat queen, R14, that's generally-good-human Andy Richter, doing a bit.

I realize what he's packing is far more important, but I just want to throw in there that Steve Perry has one of the all-time most phenomenal voices in rock.

This song is pretty schlocky, but damn if he's not singing the fuck out of it.

He cute and a monster voice

I love him.

He gave his ex-girlfriend Sherrie Swafford all the royalties from the song.

Ugly!?! You bitches are blind. Exhibit A:

Exhibit B from the mid-90s where he's rocking the updated grunge mullet:

And still a fox at 68 last year at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction:

He looks better now than he did in his heyday. Sorry, he was U-G-L-Y ugly back in the 1980s.

R20 He's as gorgeous as a cow pie baking in the hot Alabama sun.

Makes my mouth water.

[quote]Steve Perry has one of the all-time most phenomenal voices in rock

This.

And yes, probably the greatest rock vocalist of all time. If Otis Redding and Sam Cooke had a lovechild together and God smiled on his vocal cords, this is what he'd sound like.

yuk.

He did have an awesome voice. Was he Native American? I always thought he looked so. A bit rat faced but the girls loved him back then.

Huge dick. Small ball sac for those high notes!

ugly. very ugly.

Very appealing.

No body whatsoever. Saw him in San Diego in 1986. Glass Tiger opened for Journey. Great voice, but scrawny as all get out. He even made jokes about his big nose. Great concert though.

You know he's basically openly gay now, right? Howard Stern mentioned it... I can't believe no one in this thread has mentioned it.

R22: He's looking good.

Weird that this thread popped up as the other day I was just watching some Youtube videos about him.

Seems like the other members of the band really fucked him over. I think it's kind of gross that they replaced him with a soundalike.

He was extremely gracious though towards the other band members and his vocal clone (who is nowhere near as good as Perry was) at the RNR Hall of Fame though.

R34: He is NOT gay (or even bi or try). His girlfriend died of cancer a few years back.

Not gay, but seems to be a bit of a hopeless undying romantic. He was still writing songs about Sherrie a decade after their breakup, and apparently his new album is inspired by his late girlfriend who died of cancer 5 years ago.

And he's 100% Azorean Portuguese R29, hence the ageless skin (unlike Neal Schon who's walking proof that facelifts are .......not always a good idea. Especially not more than once. Not sure whether he's had more facelifts or divorces, but either way it's not pleasant to look at.)

Tiny, skinny, big-nosed guy and hot as fuck. Enormous charisma and that voice is pure sex.

Yes, the band fucked him over and replaced him with the first of many soundalikes when he needed time off for a hip replacement, but he’s kept it classy and only ever had good things to say about them (at least in public). His speech at the ROR HOF was a master class in graciousness and discretion. He’s known for being a sweet, low-key, classy guy.

R34 Howard Stern can't stand him because he was the first to come up with the Big Bird moniker. Howard's been grinding that axe for decades. and never misses the chance to get in a shot.

Steve gay?? That is the most ridiculous claim I have ever read on DL in 10 years. All the guys were straight as hell.

And as for who had the big dick, it was Neal, not Steve.

Fun fact: at the time the guys contacted him about joining Journey(which up until then had been a jazz fusion jam band lead by former members of Santana) he was making his living as a house painter in Fresno. He is extremely introverted off stage, and he was never particularly close to anyone in the band. He was scrupulously dedicated to preserving his health and voice, and he ate a macrobiotic diet. No one drank or smoked on the tours in his presence, and drugs were never consumed until the end of the tour, at which time there would always be a huge blow out paid for by Herbie. Sherry was not liked by anyone in the band or the crew, and so they kept themselves isolated most of the time. He found her in a shopping mall in a backwater town during the Departure tour in 1980. To say she was unsophisticated would be a spectacular understatement.

I always enjoyed his voice.

Regardless, R16, there are still too many fat queens stuffing themselves into unflattering garb and taking themselves too seriously.

It was always his VOICE!

R13’s pic proves straight men are fucking clueless when it comes to dressing well and appropriate.

His wife must hate him. No way would I let my husband walk out the door wearing the ensemble. Then again, no way would I be married to man who wears skin tight jeans while overweight.

R27's peeing herself with that ridiculous statement ("greatest rock vocalist of all time"). Shouldn't the greatest rock vocalist of all time have sung at least one decent song at some point in his career? Not to mention that, while I enjoyed Perry's voice enough to sit through the absolute crap he was doing, there are many other better "rock vocalists." Perhaps R27 doesn't know what rock actually is supposed to sound like.

And R13 for some reason looked at R13's man and decided he was straight. Perhaps she didn't know that men can marry men now and many wear wedding rings. That "straight man" screeches "MARY" like few gay men I know. Including some drag queens.

Howard Stern fights with people over the strangest things.

Introverted men don't prance around on state wearing pants so tight you can tell what religion they are.

R43 that picture was taken as part of a skit he was doing. Do you actually think he would walk around like that in public?

A two bagger but one of the best voices that ever made a record.

I'm still the prettiest one in that group. At least the parts of me that are real.

Jonathan Cain is now married to crazy Pentecostal evangelist Paula White. I assume he's a born again right wing Trump lover too considering his crazy wife is the 'chair of the evangelical advisory board' in Donald Trump's administration. Whatever the fuck kinda made up piece of shit job that is.

Here's Cain and his whorish lookin preacher wife.

Cain was by far the best looking of the bunch back in the day.

He always seemed to be an amazingly humble and loyal guy. From what I have heard, he was extremely stubborn but didn’t have Neil’s ego. His voice was amazing live and he was a fantastic entertainer. He was no Freddie Mercury but he was up there. That rare combination made him extremely attractive.

Holy FUCK BALLS. Neil Schon now looks like Mason Verger in HANNIBAL!!

How did that hot guy do that to himself!!!??? Fillers AND multiple face lifts???

The bulge on that guy could knock a wild rhino into a coma.

What a shame.

Schon is a fool. He did that to his face, and he married that idiot Michaela Salahi (the White House party crasher). Their wedding was a "pay per view" on TV. In other words, they're trash.

R39: I've often wondered if the band had ever used drugs. I remember watching their Behind The Music on VH1 and it never was mentioned.

[quote]And he's 100% Azorean Portuguese [R29], hence the ageless skin

Are you talking about the guy at r20, whose skin looks like a few miles of bad road?

I'm half Portuguese and trust me, the Portuguese have no better skin than anyone else.

He was hot for the time he was in (80’s). Plus, lead singer in a band? Pussy for DAYS!!!!!

When the lights go down in the city

And the sun shines on the bay

Do I want to be there in my city?

R56 If any of them did feel like indulging on occasion, they did so in complete privacy of our hotel suite away from the others. And to be honest, even with that there was very little using. There was not much drinking as well(except for promoter parties on days off and trans Pacific or trans Atlantic flights.) There was a very 70s Marin County vibe, and nearly all of us lived in Mill Valley, Sausalito and Novato.) Most were vegetarians, and as I said Steve was on a very strict macro regimen and he travelled with his own chef.

R46 You are an idiot. You think what happens on stage has any connection whatsoever to who that person is IRL? David Letterman was funny and quite a decent interviewer on his show. Off camera, he is dour and cold and barely speaks. I could say that about half the comedians I have met. Steve was painfully shy and a loner supreme. That probably explains the fact that he has had basically two girlfriends despite the fact that he could have gotten almost anyone to drop their panties in the 80s.

The only real drama with the band came with the replacements of members as their star rose starting in the early 80s. First Steve Smith, a virtuoso of the drums who studied at Berklee in Boston, replaced British Aynsley Dunbar in late '79. But that was nothing compared to when Steve insisted that Greg Rolie, the nicest guy you ever met, "retire" and be replaced by Jay Cain in 1980. Greg had founded the band with Neal after they left the original Santana. He sang lead on most of Santana's classic 70s tunes such as "Black Magic Woman." Greg wrote one of my personal favorite Journey song, "Feeling That Way/Anytime that You Want Me. He sang the first half, and Steve sang the second half.

Fun fact: One of Journey's standard sound check songs was a take off Greg wrote on BMW. It was called "Black Magic Marker."

Jay was the keyboard player for The Babys(remember John Waite?) The Babys often opened for Journey on the Departure tour, and Steve was impressed with his songwriting as well as keyboard work. It didn't hurt that he was straight up gorgeous at that time. He was married to Tane' McClure, Doug's daughter, at that time. Tane' was a soft core porn actress(think Cinemax late night stuff) and she was a real hoot and a handful at the same time. So Steve leaned on Herbie to can Greg so that Jay could join the band. It was not a happy time for anyone, and it did nothing to make anyone warm up to Steve. Most of us were very loyal to Greg, and we loved him and Lori. But, no one could deny that Steve had changed the trajectory of the band, so he was now in the driver's seat. But since Jay was such a great guy, eventually the bitterness faded and he was accepted fully.

His music written with Steve was the best stuff they ever produced, and they quickly went from doing 6K seat arenas in cities like Mobile and Louisville to selling out football stadiums everywhere in the world. They were HUGE in Japan, and could sell out 5 straight dates at the largest venue there(at that time.) The Japanese connection birthed an odd collaboration in 1980: Kenzo asked Journey to write an original soundtrack for a French film he was producing called "Reve apres Reve." That was a ball! Trips to Paris on the Concorde and parties at grand salons in Paris.

Despite all their commercial success, they were always eschewed by the musical cognoscenti of the day. They were "cheesy, corny and overly commercial." Yes, but they were also printing money, so they continued to write and play what their fans wanted. It really makes me happy to see that after all these years, they finally received a degree of respect and acceptance. In my opinion that began with the "Sopranos" and culminated with their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

R61. Thanks for the insight! More please!!

I got a major crush on him when I saw Journey on The Midnight Special in 1079. IMO that was his best look ever. He had beautiful long hair at that time.

fucking genius

I adore Steve Perry's voice! Journey was my favorite band in high school. I adored Steve Perry's voice - still do! As for the comparison to Freddie Mercury, while I liked Freddie's voice - his voice did not contain the sexy, soulful quality of Steve Perry's voice. The Journey replacement sound-alike doesn't even compare - for the same reason!

Steve Perry also has a daughter (and grandson) from before his Journey days.

Neal Schon really wants Steve Perry to perform with the Journey again (probably for the $$$ it would bring to see them together again). However, Steve Perry refuses. He won't even take his calls. He will never forgive Journey for turning on him during his hip injury and surgery. However, until Steve releases new music, he is hurting himself since he truly loves to sing and should sing. I am looking forward to his new album. I miss his voice.

R65 If Steve has a daughter, he never told anyone in the band about her. But maybe that was what he wanted. Where did you read that?

I'd be first in line for a full Journey reunion

When I was coming out in the 1980's I thought Steve Perry was so handsome and sexy!

R68 Me again. I bought this record when it came out and the single came in this sleeve which I still have. Yum.........

"Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" was their Mona Lisa.

R65 You were correct! I cannot believe that he kept that a secret from the rest of the band and Herbie during the entirety of his time in Journey.

Could it possibly be that he was not informed until well after she was born?

I'm still hoping that Steve releases more music. I really like his solo work, especially his 1994 album For The Love of Strange Medicine. He also has a wonderful compilation album with unreleased songs.

R71 - Yep! She looked just like him when she was younger! Here is some more info: -------- "Shamela was born out of a short fling relationship with her mother when Steve was about 21 years old. Her mother moved to North Carolina after getting pregnant and she kept it as a secret from Steve until Shamela turned 13. She is now married and has two sons. Pictures of Steve and her daughter have made the rounds over the Internet, but he still prefers to keep his family affairs out of the public limelight."

R73 Thanks so much for that information.

For some reason it was really bothering me that he would have a daughter and not share that fact with any of us, but particularly with Herbie.

AAs I said in my tl;dr up thread, he was extremely introverted and not at all a "one of the guys" guy, but the idea of him having a secret daughter seemed a bit over the top even for him. I don't know what year that pic of him is from@R73, but I'm guessing about 1981-83??

R74: I don't know. She looks like she is in her early to mid teens, so probably early to mid 80's.

Neil was/is packing waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more!

He was gorgeous back in the days.

Neal had a super handsome, clean-cut thing going on in the 80s -- cute hair and great teeth! Total hunk. Frankly, he looked way older when he was way younger with the giant 'fro and fu manchu moustache (barf).

With a good stylist Steve cleaned up real good

R78 Yes! I remember when we were all in Honolulu staying at the Colony Surf, Neal was way out splashing around in the surf, and my boyfriend commented, "You can also find Neal because the sun reflects off his teeth. They are like a beacon."

He was the most fun to be with of everyone, but Greg was a close second before Steve had him replaced with Jay Cain. Ross was the clown of the group and was always playing practical jokes and "interviewing" everyone with his video cam(in 1980 video cams being operated by non-showbiz people was nearly unheard of.) He made up a character named Val Rotisserie who was like a Entertainment Tonight/E! type reporter documenting everything on the tour.

Here's Steve in 1980:

You can see pictures of Steve with his daughter here:

R81 I was there! And that was towards the end of Greg's time in the band....that was his song.

^^ You were in Osaka, Japan?

“(Steve) found (Sherrie) in a shopping mall in a backwater town during the Departure tour in 1980.” This is funny because it’s like a pre-teen girl’s daydream. “A rock ‘n’ roll star will come to my no-horse town, fall madly in love with me at first sight, and take me away from all of this!”

R84 Yes, as I said up thread I was on the entire tour.

Looking pretty damn good for 68 and still packing heat in those jeans.

Jon Cain on the other hand looks like a troll living under a bridge. Or in other words, a good friend of Trump.

Neal Schon's face is a fucking tragedy. What a waste of cute.

I’m in the biz. Steve is a nice guy. Suffered from back pain for years. He’ll never perform with Journey again because he can’t sing anymore.

Maybe not up to his own exacting standards R88, but he'd sound plenty good enough for the fans and a hell of a lot better than most of his peers. The few things he's done over the years like singing with the Eels show the voice is still there, a bit deeper but still with that soulful, smoky tone and emotional expressiveness. Apparently the new album is finished but with no release date because he won’t commit to touring.

The unreleased stuff on his Greatest Hits plus Five – basically his whole unreleased second album – is fantastic, IMO his best solo work.

Thanks R61, great dirt! Neal Schon did admit to a pretty bad booze and coke habit over the years and I believe similar "lifestyle issues" had a lot to do with Ross Vallory's firing in the 80s.

Gregg Rolie insisted his "retirement" was his dream after 15 years on the road and I remember the former manager saying that he begged him to stay, so it's interesting to read that he may have had a push in that direction! Always preferred Rolie's bluesy keyboards over Cain's, but you can't take away from the songwriting juggernaut that was Perry, Cain and Schon.

Steve seems to have gotten over the shyness and is pretty willing to pose for pictures with fans and ham it up at Giants games.

He does have a daughter and a couple of grandkids and has been spotted with them at baseball games. He seems like a guy who really wasn't into the celebrity life and who guards his privacy pretty intensively.

R65 ITA! Loved Journey, Queen and Boston - how great were the 70s and 80s? As much as I love Freddie, his vocals were rarely better live than in the studio, whereas Perry’s live versions almost always surpass the album, even with their most challenging songs like this one. That soulful tone, control and emotive interpretation is peerless. I can completely believe that Perry wants nothing more to do with the rest of the guys after being unceremoniously replaced, especially with a vocal clone. Neal Schon is a guy who pay-per-viewed his 5th wedding to a reality-show “star” for $14.95. I think that says it all. And I’ll bet there was a cash bar.

I have a friend who is in AA with Steve Perry. Apparently he is a down-to-earth, no-nonsense kinda guy. My friend says that when the younger guys are caught waxing nostalgically over the good ole days of drinking, he simply says "Oh shut the fuck up." How awesome is that?

Totes adorbs

I never knew until Prince died that "Purple Rain" was basically his take on a Journey style song, and that he felt after writing it that he'd taken some notes very literally from "Faithfully."

R94 OMG the chord progression is strikingly similar

Lol R92! Too cool. Wonder if ever runs into his former bandmates at meetings? He did cop to some heavy drinking during Journey’s final tour, when he was really struggling with the death of his mom and the breakup with Sherrie.

How did I never pick up on the similarity between Purple Rain and Faithfully until now!

How cool of Prince to ask Journey's blessing before recording his song.

This mashup of the two is strangely compelling.

Just watched his video for "Oh Sherrie," and I found him attractive in it. There's something about his face that registers as being a good, sweet, decent guy.

What happened ever to Sherrie?

Just found out what happened to Sherrie!

[quote]“MTV, VH1 [contacted me and] I did nothing and hoped they thought it was the wrong number! I am an esthetician, teach yoga, never married, no children. Love my animals, planting flowers and life. Cherish my friends (including Steve) and my privacy. It was so different for us! It was just Love, nothing else!”

I never understood what Sherrie had against bras. Every photo - tank top or tube tops with nipples for days. So tacky.

As I said earlier, back in the 80s Sherrie was extremely unsophisticated(as opposed to cheap and trashy.)

She would show up in a tube top purchased that day at a Lerner's shop in the local mall of whatever town we were in looking like a fan, while Lori and I were killing it in our(now admittedly dreadful in the rearview mirror) best 80s rock flash and glam. But her standoffishness and unpleasant personality did not lend itself to any sympathy for her. I would have GLADLY taken her shopping and bought some appropriate stuff for her in a heartbeat if she had ever so much as smiled or expressed any friendliness. Glum is the kindest word I can think of to describe Sherrie, and if you think I am being biased or unfair, I liked her more than anyone else(except Steve) from the band members to the caterers to the crew to the truck drivers to the lighting guys and on and on.

^Who said this?

He used to look and dress like a girl. I had to look him up on google to find his gender out.

R102 Umm, me?

Well hello Sir.

It was the '70s and '80s R100! Nipples, dicks and balls were in and people weren't ashamed of their bodies. And I think Gregg Rolie's definitely a contender for the Journey sausage award.

Sherrie and Steve did make a cute couple, too bad it didn't work out for them.

Thanks for the dish R101! Those '80s styles were truly something to behold LOL. Not to mention the spandex pants, open shirts, Fros and shags of the 70s.

Maybe Sherrie was shy and overwhelmed? It must have been one hell of a circus in those days, especially for a young girl from a small town.

And R98, I agree, and I think that likeable quality comes down to sincerity.

R98: I've wondered if Steve was unwell in the early 1980's. He seemed to have gained some weight (especially in his face) by 1983-1984. I've heard that he started to have vocal issues and decided to sing in a lower register. I wonder if he had to take Prednisone. He looked healthier in 1994 when his second album was released than in 1984.

Here is another picture of Steve Perry NOT looking ugly!

There's not enough money in the world to make Steve perform with Journey again. It wasn't him that burned the bridges it was disloyal band members who mistakenly thought were friends.

Thank God that we all are not the same, and have different tastes in men. For all of you that says he's ugly, there are plenty of us who think he's handsome. I thought he was HOT back in the day. Skinny was "in" back then. Most of the rock stars (men & women) were super-thin, thanks to cocaine. Especially the glam rockers, they had to fit into those skin-tight outfits.

Steve had an awesome voice, and back then Journey definitely was one of the best concerts to attend.

Even Miles Davis listened to them. He admitted that to Ebony Magazine in the 1980s.

R108 Here's a copy of Journey's touring schedule. Sometimes 6 shows a week over 10 months. Can you imagine singing THAT songbook up to 200 times a year? The words insane and suicidal come to mind. Unfortunately some people couldn't see past the $$$ and pushed Steve to the point of complete burnout. That's why he left back in 87.

Unfortunately the band and their managers don't seem to have learned from this and they're now burning through their second post-Steve Perry replacement.

I have read speculation from a professional singer that he might have been on a high dose of prednisone to get him through the gruelling Frontiers tour. Apparently it was frequently prescribed to singers in the 80s. Side effects include weight gain, especially in the face, vocal changes and arthritis, so it's a plausible theory.

The guy with the curly hair was right behind Perry in bulge. Remember buying the CD after the Sopranos ending and when looking throw through the booklet was mesmerized more by this them white pants than Wheel lol

And Lionel Ritchie's a big fan too R113, which is why Steve was invited to join the soloists on We Are The World. This is a fun little behind the scenes video from the recording session.

LOL R115! That picture just sums up the 70s for me. Can you imagine the pandemonium that would erupt if that album cover was released today?

Watching that Behind the Music is interesting. It's clear that the original band members resented Steve and wanted him out. They thought of themselves as amazing musicians who deserved the world, never wanted a front man and when they were forced to take one, the front man brings them the success they couldn't get for themselves.

And let it be clear... they owe every ounce of success they had to Perry. They further resented him because all the choices he made, which they disagreed with, gave them even bigger success.

Steve was the true talent with the gut instinct that took them where they got.

They hated that and so they paid him back by replacing him... and not just replacing him... to add insult to injury they replace him twice with copycat voices.

And now Neal wants to complain that he's offended that Perry said he never felt like he was ever really accepted into the band.

From everything you've been interviewed saying... it was clear Steve was right on the money.

Who would pay to go see a fake Steve Perry?

Interesting fact...

Don't Stop Believin' is apparently the best-selling digital track from the 20th century.

Perry might have the most perfect hair in rock here.

Greg Rolie had a great singing voice, as well.

Funny, I was just trying to figure out if he was a boy or girl (not knowing his name, previously.)

R17, will you marry me? I ❤️❤️❤️ that song, & I’m smart, gorgeous, and make people laugh til they piss their pants!

Beautiful song.

In high school (circa 2001-2002), I drew a picture of this album cover in my art class. In between my studies, I used to listen to Raised On Radio and also Trial By Fire (my favourite Journey album) on a portable Sony compact disc player.

Lol, my friends kid sister and I were watching VH1 classic "we are the 80s", "don't stop believin'" came on. She see's him (Steve Perry) and turns to me and asks "does that man have downs syndrome"?

Journey, Foreigner, and Loverboy......those were the days.

(92) Number one rule of AA is: whatever is said or seen in this room, stays in this room. It’s no reflection on you, but your friend is despicable for telling anyone that Steve Perry attends the same AA meetings. Your friends needs to shut the eff up and stop trying to impress people.

Journey can try to replace Steve with all the soundalikes that they want.. they'll never capture what Steve had because one thing that comes across in his singing is the way he emotes. They can't replicate that.

Oh and that new guy, Arnel whatever... he might mimic the sound of Steve's voice but he enunciates weird and I find it distracting.

It just insults me as a fan.

Ooooh, R92, r128 has schooled your ass!

But it is true. That’s why it is called Alcoholics Anonymous. The people who go there, assume that there is an understood Tradition (found in the AA Big Book, known as the “12th Tradition”), that offers anonymity to ALL attendees.

Absolutely true R118 and R110 and R129. Steve was fanatical about maintaining the quality of their recordings and live performances, and certainly achieved his goal of making timeless music. He was the creative golden thread throughout all of their success and the one who stood up for the integrity of the music against the record label and manager. He may have been the leader of the pack, but I don't think he ever felt accepted as a part of it, not on a human level.

Arnel is a competent tribute singer, doing a passable version of the toughest act in rock/pop music. He seems to be a good guy and I'm glad he found his way out of the slums of Manila, but no way would I pay to see (I Can't Believe It's Not) Journey now. I would OTOH drop some major coin to hear Steve Perry recite the fucking phone book.

Maybe R121, but I think he really rocked the long ponytail in 94/95, especially when he did the tuxedo “striptease” during his shows. Sounding amazing here on the For The Love of Strange Medicine Tour (even if it's a crap-quality bootleg). I will admit to harboring a secret fantasy of braiding his hair.

The sky would be the limit for me to go see a real Journey reunion. I'd pay big dollars to see that.

[quote] He may have been the leader of the pack, but I don't think he ever felt accepted as a part of it, not on a human level.

What's funny is that the other members are so mentally stunted that they can't seem to wrap their brains around the idea that someone can be the leader of the band and not be a part of the brotherhood. And he was probably never part of it and made to feel like an outsider because again, the others resented him for being the one that made them a success.

[quote]Arnel is a competent tribute singer, doing a passable version of the toughest act in rock/pop music. He seems to be a good guy and I'm glad he found his way out of the slums of Manila, but no way would I pay to see (I Can't Believe It's Not) Journey now. I would OTOH drop some major coin to hear Steve Perry recite the fucking phone book.

This guy has also spent a lot of time not only trying to mimic Steve's voice.. but he's tried to mimic Steve's moves and his look. Just look at how he's grown his hair in the classic Perry look. It's sad.

The funniest thing about the BTM in R112 is how Neal bitches that Steve did a solo album and that it wasn't fair because Street Talk's sound was basically Journey's sound.

Newsflash, idiot. Journey's sound was Perry's sound. He steered you to the sound that gave you guys the popularity you ended up with and he had to do it while you all kicked and screamed and resented his ass for 40 years.

ITA R135, but bear in mind most some of those guys have been on the road since their teens and likely never matured emotionally never mind intellectually. Mentally stunted is right on the nose. Steve Perry on the other hand had years of struggling and starving before he made it and always seemed more grounded and sceptical about the rock 'n' roll circus.

Pineda's aping is kind of creepy, but then what do you expect from a guy who's spent his entire career mimicking other singers? I'm sure he's under strict instructions to try to out-Perry Perry. Unfortunately the effect is paint-by-numbers.

I would have much more respect for Journey if they'd had the guts to move forward with Jeff Scott Soto instead of nurturing a clone and wringing every last dollar out of doing the Dirty Dozen on the nostalgia act circuit. But I guess those alimony checks ain't gonna write themselves.

I just wish Steve Perry would release his new stuff, do a couple of shows and understand that the fans don't expect or need him to sound like 1981 again. Hell, I love Trial By Fire more than anything he's ever done, I don't need him to break glass, just want to hear some of that soul.

I know, right R136? I mean, duh, just look at who's name is first on the credits for just about every song......

I guess Journey don't have to worry about Perry's dominance over their sound anymore. Just as they no longer have to worry about having hit records, getting radio airplay or staying musically relevant outside of their back catalogue.

I've no doubt that the current members of Journey have made Arnel amp up the Perry cloning. The thing is that I really don't think he's capable of doing anything else and he'll only ever be the equivalent of a vengeance fuck. I wonder how much they're screwing him over financially. It's also obvious they'd drop him the minute a new clone comes along or if Steve ever agreed to come back.

Exactly, R138. Must hurt for the remaining members of Journey to know that the minute Steve left the band their place in the music market went with it. Must especially sting since they fancied themselves "real musicians," and couldn't get anywhere with their talent without Steve.

I just hope Pineda's saving his money before he inevitably blows out his chords like the departed Mr Augeri. Which will be the end of Journey as the optics of sacking yet another singer, especially one with such a heartstring-tugging backstory, would not be good, and they really can't afford to alienate the Filipino/Asian market. I kind of think this tour is the last big money grab before calling it a day. So sad, look at where Bon Jovi is today, and Journey were way more talented with Perry at the helm.

Vengeance fuck is right on the money. Journey vs Steve Perry is like an ugly divorce where the husband regrets ditching the first wife for the young bimbo, first wife takes the dough and tells ex-hubby to get fucked, and the kids (fans) are left bewildered and fighting amongst themselves over whose fault it was that we're not a family anymore.

But of course we all know Journey is NEAL SCHON'S band as he never lets us forget. That's great Mr Schon, and how many copies did your last album sell? Did it finally crack 100,000?

Steve's last single seems an apt reflection of his relationship with the band.

So apparently Steve Perry is returning to the Band and Arnel is going to be kicked to the curb.

Also, who knew that Perry was still cashing in on a sizable sum on Journey's touring revenue for the past 20 plus years? Good for him.

I think a Steve Perry reunion with Journey tour would sell hugely, but they don’t have to be creative with the sound mix or something because he won’t be able to wail his vocals like in “Seperate Ways” like he used to. What fans will get is something like what Stevie Nicks fans get: some talk/sing and lots of heavy lifting from backup vocalists.

Does anyone know the story behind this song? Why did KL duet with Steve? Were they friends? Did the label shove them together? They both sound great, a fun song.’

Remember the days when 2 male pop stars would record a duet? Nowadays at least one would need to be a rapper and it would be referred to as a “collaboration” LOL

R142 - Steve Perry has NOT returned to Journey. I looked everywhere and all they say is Neal Schon wants him back in the band, but Perry says "No". If you have a link, please share.

R143 - I would pay top $$$ to get a chance to see Perry with Journey again. I am still upset I missed the Frontiers tour when I was a thirteen!

[quote] I just wish Steve Perry would release his new stuff, do a couple of shows and understand that the fans don't expect or need him to sound like 1981 again. Hell, I love Trial By Fire more than anything he's ever done, I don't need him to break glass, just want to hear some of that soul.

ITA!!

Latest Steve Perry look and sound from 2 weeks ago. He lost weight and I recognize that soulful voice anywhere!

I heard about Perry returning too. But what I heard was something about him agreeing to come back for a televised concert special in the fall. There were videos of people on Youtube melting down about this and what it meant for the new guy (meaning it was apparent the new guy was going to be kicked out).

R148: Link PLEASE!! Thanks!

It’s the pants OP. Everyone looked hung at the time.

Here's Steve lending his voice to some harmonies with Toad the Wet Sprocket from a couple of weeks ago. Looks and sounds great IMO.

I doubt he would ever want to return to Journey with all their drama and relentless touring, but he has definitely finished an album, is currently rehearsing for some form of live performances and will be giving a very in depth interview for CBS Sunday morning on Oct 7.

Album and single release dates still TBA. R148 what did you hear about the TV special? Is he going to sing?

R144 those were the days! Perry has done some very interesting duets: Sheena Easton, Clannad, America, a great song with David Pack.

I know he and Kenny are both represented by Lee Phillips so maybe that's how they met. Of course they would later sing together on We Are the World, along with Daryl Hall.

Yes, I would guess that it was the management connection that brought Kenny and Steve together. That type of arrangement used to be pretty common back in the day.

I’m surprised that the renewed interest in DSBeleiving didn’t renew interest in other, more popular Journey songs from the 80s. I remember when Open Arms was played every five minutes on the radio for months. Perhaps the kids got their fill with DSB.

Nothing, anywhere about Perry singing with Journey on a show or anywhere else. Just a unsubstantiated rumor.

Check out the two guys in the front row of the audience. One has his arms crossed and looks bored to death. The guy next to him has enthusiasm for two. He looks like a trained seal.

I like the drummer in this video. Notice that he grimaces when he hits some of his notes, like they hurt.

Thank God Afros are out of fashion.

Stripey shirt dude at the front is clearly deeply conflicted about his lustful feelings for Steve Perry, who has the most perfect hair ever to grace the world of rock music.

A San Diego radio station just confirmed today that new music from Steve will be out in the next few weeks!

I think Journey is still known for a lot more than DSB. Any Way You Want It gets quite a bit of exposure on TV and movies. Everyone knows Faithfully and Open Arms, and Lights is played quite often at baseball games. Most people know Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin', Wheel In the Sky, Separate Ways and Oh Sherrie (I know, not a Journey song). The catalogue is actually so deep that none of those are among my top 20 Journey tracks.

I thought Perry quit Journey to save his voice.

[quote] Erna

Cunt

Thats like someone offering you a BLT with moldy bread.

Wasn't Neil Schon the one crying those crocodile tears over the kid fan with cancer on the Behind the Music special from years ago? I'm not much of a Journey fan and never really followed them, but that was a real eye-roller and came across fake as hell. And yeah, sorry Neil, but Steve Perry put you on the map and made you what you were. Deal with it because when people think of Journey, they're not thinking of you.

Crocodile Tears was Jon Cain, the born again keyboard player who's married to Trump's "spiritual advisor". Neal Schon has his own issues but he's not that phony.

R158: Watch Journey - Behind the Music: Steve Perry took too long (for the band) to decide to have back surgery and he wasn't touring with the band (due to the back pain). The band was fed-up waiting to tour and replaced him. Steve felt betrayed and said he would never sing with them again (and so far, has stood by that vow).

Correction: back = hip

I think he was and still is good-looking. I agree that he looks Native American. I also like his voice a lot. "Lights" is one of my favorite songs. The Journey episode of VH1's "Behind the Music" is probably my favorite episode.

He just launched an official website and social media profiles for the first time ever. So something is definitely happening.

My favorite part of the BTM episode is how the announcer explains in detail how Journey is the very definition of “corporate rock” immediately followed by Neil telling us that Journey in no way can be considered “corporate rock.”

R166: Thanks! Following him now!

Cool R168! I am so curious about the direction he's taken with the new music. Rock? Soul? R&B? John 5 played on it which could point to a harder sound, but it could really be anything.

Probably a combination? Steve has a very soulful voice even when he sings Rock tunes. I am so glad he is coming back! About to listen to The Essential Journey now.

Steve will be on Eddie Trunk's SiriusXM show this Wednesday giving his first interview in a few years. Should be interesting!

New album "Traces" to be released on Oct 5. Looks like it's just a digital release so far. It's up on Amazon's digital store.

He had a touch of Sam Cooke in his voice.

Ah so I bet what's going on is that asshole Neal heard about Steve's album coming out and is trying to ride any success he might have and see if he can use him to re-join Journey. I can see him thinking, "He got his voice back.. Awesome, let's act like he's not a moron, cozy up to him and hope he forgets the shitty way I've treated him and we'll kick Pineda to the curb."

I really do not see that happening at all. I think Journey is winding down because everyone is moving in different directions. Cain wants to do his Christian stuff. Arnel has a solo career. Steve Smith has his jazz thing.

Maybe Steve will do a one-off reunion concert with Journey, which would be awesome. Maybe he and Neal will create some new music together, but Neal seems to be completely addicted to drama and more than a little paranoid, judging by his Twitter posts. He flits from one feud to another. Right now it's a conspiracy by LiveNation against his wife. So why would Steve Perry want back in that circus?

I think he's much more likely to do a small-scale solo tour or maybe a Vegas residency.

Btw the album has been announced for release on Oct 5 by some pretty credible sources and was up on Amazon earlier, but now has disappeared? Not sure what that's about.

The break up was so acrimonious that I can’t imagine that a Steve and Neal reunion would be about anything more than the money. That’s fine, I guess. But any talk about friendship or brotherhood or fans would be bullshit.

Steve was devastated by Neal’s callousness and cruelty. That’s how Steve sees it. Really crushed. Heartbroken.

If Steve wants to sing, I hope he sings. And if he wants to do other things, that’s cool too.

I would really doubt that Steve would create new music with Neal. Neal has nothing to offer him and I have a feeling that Steve doesn't forget.

Good, hold on to that grudge.

Does anybody know the details of Neal Schon marrying the blonde idiot from Real Housewives of DC ? She used to be Micheala Salahi, and lied on the show about being a Redskins cheerleader, also she and her husband Taraq were the ones who crashed the White House dinner. Apparently she went missing and her husband freaked, but it turns out she left him to go on tour and marry Neal!! How in the fuck does that happen?

^^^platinum pussy has been making men do crazy things since the beginning of time

Yes!!! Traces is up on Amazon with a 30 seconds of "No Erasin". I am not crazy about the song (uptempo -I I prefer his ballads), but his voice sounds GREAT!! I am buying the album on Oct 5th to hear his story and voice again.

You can order everything here at his online store. Bonus tracks, CD and vinyl! Sweet!

Love No Erasin' - it has a very For The Love Of Strange Medicine vibe which I'm loving as that's one of favourite albums.

You can now watch the video for No Erasin' on Steve's YouTube channel!

The Salahi story is long and filled with drama as you would imagine. I think she and Schon actually met back in the 90s when Journey started touring with Steve Augeri. She then went and married Tareq Salahi but got together with Neal again. They are celebrating their 13th anniversary so.......... the timeline's a little off there!

They seem well suited but total drama queens. Apparently she has never missed any of his shows in 9 years which is a little weird.

The artwork for Traces contains some very strong clues about Steve's thoughts about the people in his life now and in the past. Note the guitar with the dove holding an olive branch in its beak which surely has to represent Neal. Of course that doesn't necessarily mean that he actually wants to work with him again.

R176 and R177 I agree that the breakup was a devastating betrayal for Steve. It sent him into a decade long hibernation. I think he felt he gave the band everything he had to the point of it nearly killing him, and they discarded him (who gave them their success!) when he was down. Because friendship was secondary to their immediate need for $$$

I don't know if it's about holding onto grudges as much as not wanting to resurrect unhealthy relationship dynamics. Schon does not seem like the most balanced guy and he has an insatiable ego.

And I don't think Steve would do it for the money. As long as he's back singing I'm happy, whether it's solo, with Neal or with Journey.

Sorry, but the new song is dreadful. Other than the 50something Journey die-hard fans, is there an audience for this music in 2018? Songs like this haven’t been played on the radio since 1986.

Thanks R182! Bet she never misses a show for fear of groupies. (It takes one to know one.)

I think it's fantastic R184, a very well-crafted rock song and he still sounds unmistakably like Steve Perry. If music like this isn't made anymore then it should be. No Erasin' is about his relationship with music and rediscovering his passion for it after so long away from it.

Btw you might be surprised by how many younger fans he has. I'm not 50 and didn't grow up listening to him. But there is something in his voice that just drew me in the first time I listened to it.

I think the song sounds terrible. I mean, the song itself, to me, sounds bad even for an 80s throwback.

But to what R186 said, Perry DOES have a lot of young fans. I was reading through the comments of one of the Journey videos (with Pineda) and several people were talking about how they were in their early 20's, recently discovered Perry and were obsessed with him.

Recently, I introduced my 9 year old daughtr to Escape. She LOVES Don't Stop Believing and Open Arms. I had her listen to Pineda and she said his voice does not have as much emotion as Perry's (I call that *soul*). Children aren't deaf - although the terrible popular music these days would have you believe they are.

Exactly R188! Arnel is a great singer, but no-one brings the soul like Perry. And good on you for showing your daughter some real music.

For you Steve fans.

Thanks R190! Great interview. What a lovely, humble, sincere, funny guy and holy shit he can still hit the high notes! Looking damn good for 69 too.

Yikes. “No Erasin” is at #72 on the iTunes “Rock” sales chart. Don’t Stop Promotin.

Btw, the current #9 song on the Rock chart? Don’t Stop Believin.

I guess that's the dismal state of the charts right now. The album pre-order has sold out at Target and lots of stuff has sold out from his website, even the $250 signed posters! Btw if you buy it make sure you get the deluxe edition with 5 bonus tracks

Hilarious that Don't Stop Believin' is still in the top 10! No Erasin' is doing better on Billboard - came in at 29 on Adult Contemporary and 39 on the Rock chart.

Plus it's just about to hit 2 million views on YouTube.

I think the problem is the reluctance of classic rock stations to play anything new.

Shit! I was away from this thread on vacation and missed out on the signed poster! I would've bought one!

If you email his online store and ask nicely, they may sell you an autographed poster

I want the mug, t-shirt and signed CD, but can't find that combo on his website. The other bundles have socks and pendants instead.

Sooo glad he still has that voice!! When he did the performance with the Eels, I was so worried that he lost it, but he was just out of practice - Thank God! He sounds great now!

As for charts - different era. However, old schoolers like me will always appreciate and support talent we grew up with and miss. Steve Perry did not do this for the money. He has more money than he will ever spend (unlike Schon who spent all his and is desperate for money). This album seems very personal, spiritual and something he desperately missed doing and needed to do again (write, record, produce, sing, perform). Long overdue!

R196> I am going for the autographed CD now. I will not open it. Pack it away as a keepsake and listen to the digital download.

Well in addition to the CD, I shelled out for the signed green double LP, which I'll frame with the cover, t-shirt, socks, pins etc bundle.

If you buy from his store you get the next single No More Cryin on 5 Sept.

$250 for a poster is just a little rich for my blood, even signed by Steve Perry!

He sounds fantastic. I've always loved the soulful rasp and grit in his voice. Listen to R190's video from 21:30 to hear just how much range he still has!

Aaaaannnndd...I just listened to his latest interview where he says he's working on his NEXT album and doing some things which are "vocally demanding" - could this mean a tour?!

He is pretty much richer than God at this point, being a very very smart businessman with a great lawyer, unlike so many others who have no choice but to get out there and tour long after they should have hung up their mikes or guitars and either sound atrocious or mime to a backing track. I absolutely believe he is doing this because his heart and soul is back into it.

He's not doing too badly on the charts, climbing on Billboard - top 20 on digital rock downloads and in the rock top 40. That's not too bad for a 70yo AOR guy who's been gone for 20 years.

And yeah, wasn't it Neal Schon's accountant who said he works 50 minutes out of every hour to pay his alimony? LOL I love Neal but he has made some very questionable life choices. Would still love to hear him and Steve make music together again.

Funny, I always got the impression that Steve didn't partake in drugs while on tour with Journey, but now he is letting it be known that he did drugs, a lot (after performances - never before). At least he is open about it! Shows he is human.

He’s not in it for the money yet he’s selling $250 posters? Do proceeds go to charity?

The drugs and booze were only at the end during the Raised On Radio tour, after he'd lost his mom and broken up with Sherrie. Imagine having to write, record and produce the album and then give 100% on stage while going through that kind of emotional turmoil. Respect to him for acknowledging and dealing with his problem and being open about it now.

If he were in it for the cash, he'd have been churning them out year after year. Acoustic albums, Christmas albums, standards....Or hell, just touring. He could easily charge several hundred bucks for tickets.

I have no problem with him charging big bucks for high quality merch. He'll be making well over $150 from me plus whatever he wants to charge for concert tickets. This is a once-in-a-generation musical event. Steve Freaking Perry back after nearly a quarter of a century!!! Hell yeah, take my money dude!

R194 Classic Rock stations won’t play anything new because their Classic Rock.

I get that R205, but to refuse to play new music by Steve Perry ,or Journey, or Styx or other CLASSIC ROCK bands is pathetic. Their audience knows who they are. It's not like they're being asked to play the new Imagine Dragons.

[quote] because their Classic Rock.

Does Sirius have a dinosaur rock channel that plays new songs from classic acts?

Has anyone listened to the entire album yet?

I remember Boston and Peter Frampton getting some radio play when their new albums came out. Boston had a really good comeback single but it's too bad the rest of that album was utter shit.

R206 it would depend on the radio market. I’m a radio program director. I’ve programmed classic rock, album rock, alternative, adult alternative.

I pre-ordered my deluxe cd yesterday. The least I could do for one of the best voices of the 80’s. We need to enjoy the voice while he is still with us. We have lost quite a few great ones over the past few years.

R211 what's that like nowadays? How much freedom do the individual stations have with their music and other choices? And will your station be playing new Perry music? Or new Journey music if that ever happens?

New single No More Cryin'. Love the Motowny vibe.