Longtime Journey guitarist Neal Schon stated he wants to work with the band’s original lead singer Steve Perry again. “I still feel like there’s only one Steve Perry, even though I haven’t heard him sing in years,” says Schon, according to Ultimate Classic Rock .
In the latest episode of the talk show Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon , Schon goes on to say,
“I’m dying for him to put out his own record, and I’d love to correlate with him on something that’s different than Journey; something more R&B, because I love playing soul and R&B and blues and that’s something that a lot of people don’t really know, because I’ve been doing all these rock records.”
It’s no secret that Journey is one of the most influential rock bands in music. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 and fans had hoped to see Perry sing with his original group. Unfortunately, those hopes were not met. The band did perform three songs that night with current singer Arnel Pineda.
Journey has experienced a slew of hits throughout the ’70s and ’80s such as “Any Way You Want It,” “Faithfully,” “Lights,” and the classic rock radio anthem “Don’t Stop Believing.” Steve Perry left the band in 1997 after suffering a hip injury in Hawaii.
The band has since continued on with original and longtime members Neal Schon (guitar), Ross Valory (bass), Jonathan Cain (keyboards), and Steve Smith (drums). Perry was replaced by several lead singers throughout the band’s career from 1997 to 2007. The band’s current singer, Arnel Pineda, was discovered by a friend of Schon’s.
Steve Perry would go on to make only two solo albums before leaving the music industry altogether after his injury. He has not released any music since 1996. The singer stated in 2017 that he had plans to release an “emotional” and “cathartic” new solo album. The third and untitled solo album has had no further updates from the singer.
Journey is currently in the middle of a tour across the U.S. with fellow 80’s rock icons Def Leppard. The tour is split with Def Leppard closing the night one half and Journey closing out the night for the second half. See if the band is hitting your town below!
Journey & Def Leppard Tour Dates:
July 6 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum July 7 – North Little Rock, AR – Verizon Arena July 9 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center July 11 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center July 13 – Detroit, MI – Comerica Park July 14 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field July 16 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena July 18 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center July 19 – Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena July 21 – Denver, CO – Coors Field July 23 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena July 25 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center July 27 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Field July 28 – Fargo, ND – Fargodome Aug. 11 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park Aug. 13 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater Aug. 15 – Columbia, SC – Colonial Life Arena Aug. 17 – Ft Lauderdale, FL – BB&T Center Aug. 18 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena Aug. 20 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena @ The BJCC Aug. 22 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center Aug. 24 – St. Louis, MO – Busch Stadium Aug. 25 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena Aug. 27 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center Aug. 29 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center Aug. 31 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center Sept. 1 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center Sept. 5 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater Sept. 7 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Arena Sept. 8 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena Sept. 21 – San Francisco, CA – AT&T Park Sept. 23 – San Diego, CA – Petco Park Sept. 25 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena Sept. 26 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Arena Sept. 28 – Portland, OR – Moda Center Sept. 29 – Seattle, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre Oct. 1 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena Oct. 4 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center Oct. 6 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum