Stephen Ray Perry was born on January 22,1949 and is an American singer and songwriter.
52 Facts About Steve Perry
2.
Steve Perry was the lead singer of the rock band Journey during their most commercially successful periods from 1977 to 1987, and again from 1995 to 1998.
3.
Steve Perry had a successful solo career between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s, made sporadic appearances in the 2000s, and returned to music full-time in 2018.
4.
Steve Perry's singing voice has garnered acclaim from prominent musical peers and publications; he has been dubbed The Voice, a moniker originally coined by Jon Bon Jovi.
5.
Stephen Ray Steve Perry was born in Hanford, California, to Portuguese parents from the Azores.
6.
Steve Perry grew up interested in music, as his father, Raymond Steve Perry, was a vocalist and co-owner of radio station KNGS.
7.
At age 12, Steve Perry heard Sam Cooke's song "Cupid" on his mother's car radio, and it inspired him to become a singer.
8.
In 1975, Steve Perry moved to Thousand Oaks, California, where he formed a progressive rock band called Pieces with Tim Bogert, Denver Cross, and Eddie Tuduri.
9.
Steve Perry unsuccessfully auditioned to replace Rod Evans in Captain Beyond.
10.
Steve Perry then ended up in Banta, California, outside of Tracy, California, where he fronted the band Alien Project in his mid-20s.
11.
Steve Perry nearly gave up music when the bassist of that band, Richard Michaels, was killed in an automobile accident.
12.
Steve Perry returned to Lemoore and decided not to continue his singing career, but at the urging of his mother, he answered a call from Walter "Herbie" Herbert, manager of struggling San Francisco-based band Journey.
13.
Steve Perry was brought on tour and to avoid alarming Fleischman was referred to as a roadie's Portuguese cousin.
14.
Steve Perry brought a radically new, more pop-influenced style sense to the band's music, despite some grumblings from the band's existing members and fans of Journey's progressive rock sound.
15.
Steve Perry made his public debut on October 28,1977, in San Francisco to a mixed reception.
16.
Steve Perry provided lead vocals on nine of Journey's albums: Infinity, Evolution, Departure, Dream, After Dream, Captured, Escape, Frontiers, Raised on Radio, and Trial By Fire.
17.
In 1984, following the release of Frontiers and the tour supporting this effort, Steve Perry released his first solo album, Street Talk.
18.
In 1985, Steve Perry was one of 21 singers on the USA for Africa all-star benefit song "We Are the World".
19.
Steve Perry recorded a song, "If Only For the Moment, Girl" for the We Are the World album.
20.
Also during this period, Steve Perry worked with the Irish folk-rock group Clannad on their 1987 album Sirius.
21.
The recording of Raised on Radio, which Steve Perry was producing, was stop-and-go as he frequently returned to the San Joaquin Valley to visit his mother, who died during the production of the album.
22.
In 1988, Steve Perry began to work on another solo album, Against the Wall, which he ultimately left unfinished.
23.
In 1994, Steve Perry released For the Love of Strange Medicine, his second solo effort.
24.
Steve Perry was diagnosed with a degenerative bone condition and a hip replacement was required, and as he was reluctant to rush into the surgery, Steve Perry wanted to postpone the tour.
25.
Still hesitant to undergo surgery, and now upset at his bandmates, Steve Perry announced that he was permanently leaving Journey.
26.
Steve Perry released his Greatest Hits + Five Unreleased compilation album on December 15,1998; the unreleased tracks included an original Alien Project demo as well as selections from the abandoned Against the Wall album.
27.
Also in 1998, Steve Perry recorded two songs for the Warner Bros.
28.
Steve Perry appeared on two tracks by Kauai, Hawaii, artist Tommy Tokioka's album Happy To Be Living, singing backup vocals on songs "I Wish You Were Mine" and "An Angel Above Me" in 2000.
29.
Steve Perry collaborated with musician Jeff Golub on a song entitled "Can't Let You Go" for Golub's Soul Sessions album, which was released in 2003.
30.
Steve Perry appeared with other Journey members at a ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 21,2005, after previously stating it was unlikely that he would ever stand with the band again.
31.
Steve Perry indicated that, though it was a good experience, it was unlikely that he would rejoin the band.
32.
Steve Perry co-produced "A Brand New Start", a track on a solo album for former Ambrosia lead vocalist David Pack, in 2005.
33.
Steve Perry provided co-vocals and background vocals for the track, among the many songs he and Pack co-wrote shortly after the September 11,2001 attacks.
34.
At three concerts in 2014, Steve Perry joined the indie rock band Eels during the encore and sang several songs.
35.
Steve Perry gave an acceptance speech, but chose not to perform with the band in deference to current Journey lead singer Arnel Pineda.
36.
Steve Perry released a 10-track studio album, Traces, on October 5,2018.
37.
Steve Perry has described the album as a "cathartic" and "emotional expression" about the loss of a loved one.
38.
In March 2019, Steve Perry released a deluxe version of the Traces album, featuring five bonus tracks along with his first official music video in 25 years for "We're Still Here".
39.
On November 1,2019, Steve Perry released a three-song holiday EP, Silver Bells.
40.
On November 5,2021, Steve Perry released his first-ever Christmas album, The Season, via Fantasy Records.
41.
On January 4,2023, Steve Perry confirmed that he would sing backing vocals on Dolly Parton's upcoming rock album, Rock Star, in addition to singing a duet cover of "Open Arms" on the same album.
42.
Steve Perry is renowned for his countertenor vocal range, which spans from F2 to A5.
43.
Steve Perry was voted among the ten greatest rock singers of all time in a 2009 Classic Rock reader poll.
44.
Sam Cooke, to whom Steve Perry has been compared, was Steve Perry's primary influence.
45.
Steve Perry has cited the vocal approach of The Beach Boys, Jackie Wilson, Frankie Valli, Lou Christie, Marvin Gaye, Joe Tex, and Jack Bruce of Cream, along with female singers such as Diana Ross, Dee Dee Sharp and Aretha Franklin.
46.
Musically, Steve Perry drew influence from Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry.
47.
Steve Perry spoke of his fondness for Motown recordings and English bands of the late 1960s.
48.
Steve Perry was a principal songwriter for most of Journey's songs throughout his tenure with the band, as well as his solo efforts.
49.
In 2011, Steve Perry began a relationship with psychologist and breast cancer survivor Kellie Nash.
50.
Steve Perry was by Nash's side as she battled a cancer recurrence, and she died in December 2012.
51.
In May 2013, Steve Perry had a mole removed that turned out to be melanoma.
52.
Steve Perry had two surgeries to remove the cancer cells and was told the surgeries were successful, requiring no further treatment.