Legendary singer Steve Perry has long been out of Journey, but fans have held hope that he might return to the band in some capacity, even more so following the group’s announcement of their “Final Frontier” farewell tour.
Further speculation of Perry’s return was fueled by keyboardist Jonathan Cain who said he and guitarist Neil Schon had been talking with Perry about a possible guest appearance. “Neal already asked,” Cain explained to Ultimate Classic Rock, “and he says Steve’s thinking about it. I hope he comes out. It’s never too late. We’ve got 100 shows, so he’s welcome at any one of them. … He didn’t say no — leave it at that.”
Perry took to his own social media, however, to quell rumors of his return before they got even more out of control. “To all my friends – I’ve been hearing these recent rumors, and I wanted to speak to you all directly,” Perry wrote. “While I’m always grateful for the love people still have for Journey, the rumors about me rejoining the band are simply not true, and I want to gently put them to rest. I completely understand why people would hope for that. The music we created together means a great deal to me too. But I’m continuing to explore new creative work and really enjoy working on new music that reflects where I am today.”
“Thank you for your continued support throughout the years. Your loyalty has never gone unnoticed, and I am forever humbly grateful. Sincerely, Steve Perry”.
Perry last appeared with Journey when the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. He has not played with the band since 1991.
