Steve Perry is one of the most iconic voices in rock history and he has long been associated with Journey, the band that he fronted during their most successful and enduring years. Fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting his return to live performance, and rumors abound about whether or not Steve Perry is on tour with Journey.
Before we answer that question, let’s take a brief look at Steve Perry’s history with Journey. The singer joined the group in 1977 after they had released three albums without significant commercial success. From there, they embarked on a remarkable run of chart-topping hits including “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Open Arms,” “Separate Ways,” and many others.
However, by 1987 tensions within the band had reached a boiling point and Steve Perry departed from Journey after recording their album “Raised on Radio.” Despite numerous attempts over the years to reunite with his former bandmates for live shows or studio recordings, those efforts never quite came to fruition until 2017.
That year saw a surprise announcement that Steve Perry was releasing new solo material in the form of an album titled “Traces.” Following its release, fans were treated to seeing him perform some of these songs on television shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! A few months later it was announced that Steve would be appearing onstage again – but this time it wouldn’t be with Journey.
Instead, Steve launched a solo tour dubbed “The Traces Tour” which comprised around twenty dates across North America. While fans were thrilled to see him back in action performing again (including several classic tunes from his days with Journey), there were inevitably questions about why he wasn’t touring with his old band instead.
Journey themselves have gone through multiple lineup changes over the decades since Steve Perry left; at present they are fronted by Filipino lead vocalist Arnel Pineda while guitarist Neal Schon remains as one of two founding members in the current lineup. There have been moments when Steve Perry has reconnected with his former bandmates over the years, such as when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 or more recently when he sang on a cover version of “Don’t Stop Believin” produced by DJ Steve Aoki.
However, none of these occasions have led to any full-blown reunion tours, although Neal Schon has stated publicly that he would welcome one if it was possible.
So here’s where we stand – is Steve Perry currently touring with Journey? Sadly, no – at least not at this time. Although there has been some speculation about whether he might make an appearance onstage with them again someday (especially after recent interviews where he spoke positively about his past connections with Journey), for now his focus seems to be firmly on promoting his own music and performing live as a solo artist once more.
Nevertheless, it’s clear that both Steve Perry and Journey still hold a special place in each other’s hearts – even though it may not lead to joint live performances anytime soon. For fans who are eager to see both sides of this fascinating rock story come together again someday… well, as the song goes: don’t stop believin’.
Steve Perry is one of the most iconic voices in rock history. The singer’s soulful vocals became synonymous with Journey, the band he fronted during their most successful and enduring years. Fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting his return to live performance, and rumors abound about whether or not Steve Perry is on tour with Journey.
Before we answer that question, let’s take a brief look at Steve Perry’s history with Journey. The singer joined the group in 1977 after they had released three albums without significant commercial success. From there, they embarked on a remarkable run of chart-topping hits including “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Open Arms,” “Separate Ways,” and many others.
Perry quickly became known as one of rock’s great vocal powerhouses, able to hit high notes and sustain long phrases with incredible skill and technique. He brought an emotional depth to lyrics that resonated strongly with fans around the world.
Journey continued their rise throughout the 80s but by 1987 tensions within the band had reached a boiling point and Steve Perry departed from Journey after recording their album Raised on Radio. Despite numerous attempts over the years to reunite with his former bandmates for live shows or studio recordings, those efforts never quite came to fruition until 2017 when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
That year saw a surprise announcement that Steve Perry was releasing new solo material in the form of an album titled Traces. Following its release, fans were treated to seeing him perform some of these songs on television shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! A few months later it was announced that he would be appearing onstage again – but this time it wouldn’t be with Journey.
Instead, Steve launched a solo tour dubbed “The Traces Tour” which comprised around twenty dates across North America starting October 2018 through April/Mayish until cancelled due COVID-19. While fans were thrilled to see him back in action performing again (including several classic tunes from his days with Journey), there were inevitably questions about why he wasn’t touring with his old band instead.
Journey themselves have gone through multiple lineup changes over the decades since Steve Perry left; at present they are fronted by Filipino lead vocalist Arnel Pineda while guitarist Neal Schon remains as one of two founding members in the current lineup. There have been moments when Steve Perry has reconnected with his former bandmates over the years, such as when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 or more recently when he sang on a cover version of “Don’t Stop Believin” produced by DJ Steve Aoki.
However, none of these occasions have led to any full-blown reunion tours, although Neal Schon has stated publicly that he would welcome one if it was possible. In an interview with ABC News Radio earlier this year, Perry himself seemed optimistic but also cautious about any chance for a full reunion tour: “I’m open,” he said, “but it’s going to take a meeting.”
So here’s where we stand – is Steve Perry currently touring with Journey? For now no – although there has been some speculation about whether he might make an appearance onstage with them again someday (especially after recent interviews where he spoke positively about his past connections with Journey), for now his focus seems to be firmly on promoting his own music and performing live as a solo artist once more.
Nevertheless, it’s clear that both Steve Perry and Journey still hold a special place in each other’s hearts – even though it may not lead to joint live performances anytime soon. For fans who are eager to see both sides of this fascinating rock story come together again someday… well, as the song goes: don’t stop believin’.