- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Flipboard
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Tumblr
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
Don’t stop believin’, Journey fans.
The band’s former lead singer Steve Perry was welcomed with open arms at an Eels concert at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota, Saturday night.
Introduced by Eels front man Mark Everett, the 65-year-old singer, who hadn’t performed in front of an audience in nearly 20 years, took to the stage to sing the indie rock band’s song, “It’s a Motherf—er.”
“I’ve told [Everett] over and over again, ‘I love that song.’ When I first met him, I couldn’t believe it. [I said], ‘Someday, I want to sing that song.'”
Everett told the 1,000-strong crowd that Perry walked away from rock ‘n’ roll “because it didn’t feel right,” but added, “and for some reason only known to him, he feels like tonight in St. Paul, Minnesota, it feels right.”
PHOTOS: Meet the Legendary Tour Managers of The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Alice Cooper and More
Perry then resurrected two classic Journey songs, “Open Arms” and “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin,'” before leaving the stage.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter last year, Perry revealed that he was writing “for the first time in three years.”
He was prominently featured in THR‘s Power Lawyers issue posing with his long-time attorney L. Lee Phillips.
Reflecting back on being in Journey, he said it was “a magical time for music and to be in the music business,” but he “got burned and had to leave.”
STORY: Journey’s Steve Perry: ‘I Became a Bit of a Recluse … It’s Nice That People Remember’
“This love-hate relationship that I have with my voice is a tumultuous thing,” he said. “You love music, but it’s a tough relationship.”
After releasing two solo albums and Journey’s 1996 album, Trial by Fire, Perry stepped away, partly due to medical issues, including a bad hip that’s since been replaced, arthritis and having two melanoma removal surgeries. He was also mourning the passing of his girlfriend Kellie Nash, who died of breast cancer in 2012.
Last year, AWOLNATION front man Aaron Bruno told Rolling Stone that he and Perry were working on a new record together.
Watch Perry perform below:
Twitter: @MicheleAmabile
Related Stories
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day