Despite making it clear for decades that he had no intention of ever rejoining Journey, vocalist Steve Perry has definitively shot down speculation that he would do exactly that ahead of the Feb. 28 launch of the band’s Final Frontier farewell tour. Perry’s 1977 arrival helped break Journey into the mainstream and turned it into an FM radio juggernaut, but he left for good in 1998 and has never performed with the band since.
“I’ve been hearing these recent rumors, and I wanted to speak to you all directly,” the 77-year-old rock legend wrote on Instagram. “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,” added Perry, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Journey in 2017 but has remained on somewhat frosty terms with the band’s sole remaining original member, guitarist Neal Schon. “Your loyalty has never gone unnoticed, and I am forever humbly grateful.”
Journey’s current singer, Arnel Pineda, has fronted the band since 2007. Besides Schon, its current lineup includes keyboardist Jonathan Cain, keyboardist Jason Derlatka, drummer Deen Castronovo and bassist Todd Jensen.
Minus his three impromptu performances with indie rock band Eels in 2014 — his first in nearly 18 years — Perry was virtually absent from music for the better part of the 2000s. He re-emerged in 2018 with the solo album Traces, which was followed by two holiday albums. Perry also revisited Journey’s power ballad “Open Arms” with Dolly Parton on her 2023 album Rockstar, and teamed with Willie Nelson on the band’s “Faithfully” for a 2025 Farm Aid benefit single.
Perry’s Instagram post was commented on by vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, who spent a year as Journey’s lead singer before the arrival of Pineda. “We all know where you stand, Steve,” he said. “The rumors and hopes will always surface but we know where your heart is and accept it. Carry on master.”
