Throughout the history of rock music, it’s not uncommon for members to leave their respective bands due to various reasons, ranging from personal differences to health issues. One such departure that left fans wondering was that of Steve Perry, the vocalist of Journey, who left the band in 1998.
Perry was a key member of Journey, joining the band in 1977 and serving as its lead vocalist until his departure in 1998. His powerful voice and stage presence helped propel Journey to the top of the charts with numerous hits. Perry’s departure from the band was reportedly due to a hip injury, which prevented him from touring and performing with the band. This, combined with personal differences among band members, led to his decision to leave Journey and focus on his solo career.
Fast forward to 2017, Journey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an honor that brought together the band’s classic lineup, including Steve Perry. Although the singer did not perform with the band during the induction ceremony, he did join his former bandmates onstage for the acceptance speeches, which marked their first public appearance together in nearly two decades.
In a 2018 interview with San Francisco Chronicle, Journey’s guitarist Neal Schon was asked about his genuine happiness standing onstage with Perry during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Schon confirmed that his feelings were completely genuine and hinted at a potential reunion with Perry in the future.
He explained that while he didn’t see Steve Perry returning to Journey, their connection from that night made it clear that they were back where they started, having grown up and moved past any previous disagreements. Neal also expressed gratitude for the time they had spent working together, acknowledging the impact they had on music history.
When asked if his happiness on stage was sincere, Perry said:
“It was completely genuine. I do foresee Steve and I getting together. I don’t see him coming back to Journey, but from that night, I could tell we were sort of exactly where we started because there’s so much time that has passed. We’ve both grown up a lot. You brush off anything you’re pissed off about.
I’m so grateful we got to work together as long as we did. We really made some history. The audience is still there. The love is still there. He was tearing up. I was tearing up. I had an acceptance speech I put together that was on the Teleprompter, and I was so choked up as it was going by, I was going, ‘I’m not going to read that.'”
It seems like there is still a strong musical bond between the two musicians, despite the passage of time and the circumstances of their parting. Whether or not Neal Schon’s prophecy about reuniting with Steve Perry, albeit not in the context of Journey, will come true remains unknown.
