The relationship between Steve Perry and Journey has been a pretty complicated one. Ever since his debut and successful leading of the band, Steve felt at times that the recognition he got with Journey was too much. He also felt betrayed by his bandmates, Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain, so in 1997, he decided to walk away.
However, it wasn’t the only time he wanted to leave. When Journey’s ‘Raised 0n Radio’ was a commercial success, the band toured for a long duration, and after the tour wrapped up, Perry decided he would take some time off. His bandmates, Neal and Jonathan, didn’t want him to take a break, but in the end, they agreed it was for the best.
However, Steve’s burnout wasn’t the only reason he departed Journey and hid from the public for years. His departure had various personal underlying problems beneath it. When the frontman realized his life had become problematic, he decided to take a different path.
When ‘Raised on Radio’ was a commercial success, the band had to promote the new record. So, they hit the road and started performing all around the country for sold-out shows. However, at the end of the tour, their manager Herbie Herbert wanted more. At the time, Perry wasn’t on the best terms with Herbert, so Steve didn’t want to perform when the manager added more shows to the band’s schedule.
However, before the burnout from touring, Steve had personal problems. While recording ‘Raised on Radio,’ Perry had to care for his ill mother and tried to work out a relationship during his busy schedule with the band. So, when he addressed the underlying reasons for his departure from Journey in 1994, things had become complicated for him.
“There were just so many things happening to me at the time,” remarked Steve. “During the last years of Journey, my mother had gotten progressively worse, and she passed away while I was doing vocals for ‘Raised on Radio.’ On top of that, I lost a relationship that didn’t work out.”
He continued by stating that he hadn’t realized how problematic his life had gotten until Journey began touring. “So we went back out on tour to promote ‘Raised on Radio,’ and it was only then that I realized what happened. I had never dealt with any of the personal stuff. It’s so easy to keep busy and not feel what’s going on, especially if you’re in the music business.”
When Steve Perry departed Journey in 1987, he had no problems with his bandmates, but he had issues in his personal life. So, when he decided to choose between the music industry and his personal life, he chose his personal life. Perry took some time off until he decided to reunite with Journey in 1996. His reunion with the band didn’t last too long since he permanently left Journey in 1998.
