Meet the New Steve Perry

I missed Journey's episode of "Behind the Music" so I don't know the exact story of why Steve Perry and Journey went their separate ways.  What I could glean from a quick scan of this Wikipedia article is that the band has endured despite a revolving cast of characters, and Perry was ousted ten years ago when he refused to get some necessary hip surgery, which made him unable tour, or perhaps because he spent too much time with his ill mother?  Wikipedia, you are not much help today.

Whatever caused his exit from the band, no one can deny the impact Steve Perry's voice has had on rock and pop music.  His vocals are instantly recognizable, his range is remarkable, and most Americans probably know the words to at least one Journey song.  Sure, Perry took some lessons from Sam Cooke, but he developed a style that was all his own.  (Here's Sam Cooke singing "A Change Is Gonna Come", for sake of comparison.)

If imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, Perry must have been really flattered when he heard about his replacement as the lead singer of Journey, Steve Augeri, who was reminiscent of Perry in name, stature and most of all, voice. 

Augeri's turn lasted about eight years, but he was canned when he experienced some throat problems (these Journey guys are harsh, no?)  Jeff Scott Soto was brought in, but failed to stick.  So last year Journey found themselves once again in need of a lead singer.

So where did they look?  YouTube!

In a modernday rock n' roll fairytale, singer and Journey fanatic Arnel Pineda was minding his own business, singing Journey covers with his band The Zoo in his hometown of Quezon City in the Philippines and uploading performance videos to YouTube.  And then one day, his dreams came true when he was contacted by Neal Schon himself and asked to be the new lead singer of Journey.

Says Pineda about his new dream gig:
“It’s so exciting to sing with one of the best bands in the world. It’ll be a lot of hard work on my part and I’m actually looking forward to the scrutiny I’ll get from the hardcore JOURNEY fans. I know they’ll expect me to sound exactly like ‘the voice’ (Steve Perry), but that will never happen. I know there’s only one Steve Perry in this world.”

Congratulations, Arnel Pineda, and you're right -- there is only one Steve Perry in this world.  And I salute him.

• Buy Sam Cooke's Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964 or Journey's  Greatest Hits from Amazon.

Comments

[Rain]

Hi Krissy!

I used to work for a company run by Neil Schon and their manager, Herbie, and I can tell you the reason Journey and Steve Perry went their separate ways, as it were, is because Steve Perry was a big drag. I really think it was just a matter of he was moody, and didn't always want to do things their way, so he left/they kicked him out.

But you didn't hear that from me.

I also saw them during their Steve Augeri days, and he was pretty good, but even uglier than Steve Perry, which was...unfortunate. I just always thought it was kind of naive of the band to think that their talent, as a band, was so strong that it could survive without Steve Perry. But they keep touring, so I guess they proved me wrong!

As long as this new guy does everything the way they want things to be done, he should work out fine.

[Krissy]

Hi Rain!! I never knew this secret about your past! Thanks for sharing your insight and info, and of course, mum's the word. I'd imagine plucking a fan from relative obscurity might guarantee some level of compliance...

[wake up]

wow rain, you're a liar. i know for a fact that journey toured without steve because he blew his hip out and could not tour - they're alcoholic, controlling money grubbers and only care about getting paid. they worked steve perry and then did the same to a string of others...

neil schon is a burn out. john cain is a scientologist. and herbie is a nut job.

get your facts straight before you open your mouth. journey is the drag. steve perry is a class act.

[Carmen]

I happened to be looking up Steve Perry and Journey on line lately and came across this site. I have no idea about Journey/Steve Perry's trials and tribulations, but I can state that I was a fan of theirs during the 70's and 80's and I do believe Steve Perry is a bit of a legend...his voice is golden to me, healing in a sense. Now, my opinion about why they broke up, well, a marriage of equals takes on many forms, religious marriage; business marriage; etc. When people stay together tried and true for a long time, long past their emotional due date, crap happens. Doesn't matter what breaks people apart, it happens. As far as I am concerned I got a few good years out of the original group. I will check into youtube, listen to old albums and enjoy the ride until I die.

[Krissy]

Hi Carmen - I like the way you look at it! Thanks for stopping by.

[Patti]

Hi Carmen,
Well put!
It's a welcome change to see someone eliminating all the B.S. I normally read on this topic. I salute you!
Oh, by the way, I have found "The Voice" to be healing as well. It brought me out of a funk, I hope I never endure again. The song "Be Good To Yourself" I made it my theme song. I drive my husband crazy listening to greatest hits 78 to 97, I just tell him to shut up. Ha Ha, Just kidding! Even my husband admits, Steve Perry has an awesome voice and that Journey was an exceptional band. I am not so sure just how famous they would have been as a band, without Steve Perry's presence. We may never know. History has been made, and I don't believe those guys are young enough to top what they've already done. One thing is certain, they won't find out unless they try. Strange things do happen.
I wish only the best, for them all!

[Krissy]

Hi Patti - thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. :)

[Shane]

Steve p vs Arnel p, No contest,,Steve P, But the new Guy has great vocals too, I Only question: Can he hit Vocals As High as steve P , Because the new Journy Cd is LAcking in that.My Opinion. No Kidding Just when You think hes going to Do That High Pitch..........Boom, He goes LALALALA, My wife Agrees (SHes Filipino too). So , I am not saying this to be Racist, and Actually I watched the Vagas Concer..HE is funny on Stage, and I do hear his accent Innocence/ Inocunse.lol...My wife picked up anthat too.we both Laughed. Point being made I'll wait for STEVE P's new cd to get that HIgh pitch sound. BUT, right noe I promised my wife we would go to the concert.YAy.....

[Carmen]

Thanks for being kind. Here is something I might add. I live in the Bay Area and I contacted Fan Asylum, the only place I could find for contact info. on SP. A nice woman assured me Steve Perry is alive and well and writing. Well, I am sure most of his fans already know this, but I did not. I suspect Steve is reluctant and perhaps a bit depressed at the prospect of his voice is not being up to par, that he is not the old Steve. Well, of course he isn't! We none of us are what we were back in the day! I strongly hope Steve will “get over it” and find a comfortable venue with which to re-introduce himself back into the musical fold. Hell, he could tap dance naked on stage for all I care! This is me being selfish, but I would personally love for Steve to write his memoirs. Two years ago I wrote a book about my mother who is dying, I am devastated, but writing is most healing. Perhaps if we can all put some collective thoughts together maybe Steve will write his memoirs! Until then, here is hoping Steve's music writing continues to buffer the pain of his reality and allows him to bring himself back out amongst his fans whom he must know love and care for him very deeply. What do you think?

[Krissy]

Carmen: I would definitely read Steve Perry's memoirs if he wrote them. I love reading musicians' autobiographies. Two of my favorites are Charles Mingus' "Beneath the Underdog" and Nina Simone's "I Put A Spell On You". I only read memoirs written by the musician - I don't read biographies written by someone else.

[Carmen]

Yes, but I meant if Perry had a ghost writer write them as he dictates. I wrote a friends' autobiography in 2004 - not yet published - and he had an amazing memory. Well, it was over 400 pages! My fingers are still stiff! So, I figure SP might dictate to someone rather then pen his memoirs himself is what I meant. I will add his memoirs to my wish list for this and other great things SP may have in store for the future. Enjoy your weekend. C

[jali Putit]

There is just no equivalence of Journey without Steve Perry. I was a die hard fan then, back when I was a student in Virginia.I guess life has to move on, and the evergreen Journey songs are with me forever. I will fly to whereever just to watch Journey(with Steve Perry)agan. I am in Kuala Lumpur

[patti]

Hi Shane,
I read a report last month online that stated Steve Perry played some of his unreleased material and that his voice sound as great as always. If I can find that article again I will drop in and let you know. They did say he had no immediate plans to release anything new at this time but hasn't dismissed the idea completely. I was so happy to read that. I spend a lot of time surfing and stumble across some interesting interviews on u-tube, they were older interviews but helpful as well. As I said I will drop in from time to time with any news that may interest you and let you know how to find it. There is way too much false info flying around on some of the blogs, it is hard to know what's true unless you hear from a reliable source. I have found several but they were hard to find without weeding through all of the garbage.
It is great to see a sight around that is not overrun people speaking falsely about something they know nothing about. Searching for the truth online can be a time consuming affair. I figured I owe it to him to spend that time after all he gave to so many of us.

[You may already know this, but on YOUTUBE...]

...VH1 Behind the Music from 2001 about Journey and Steve Perry. It is listed in a strange way under Steve Perry Part 1 of 5.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=r-Kj0lCByO0
ENJOY

[Steve Calzaretta]

Well, I've been a Steve Perry fan my whole life. He inspired me to be in music and I still marvel at his voice. Steve Perry will always be my idol. I did read an article about Journey and Steve Perry that kind of told it how it is through the mouth of Herbie Herbert(long time Journey manager). If you google Herbie you will find a no holds bared interview. Very interesteing.

[JourneyFan]

To the guy who says he is not racist, just comment on the music and nothing else. If you don't like Journey's music without Steve, so be it. Jeeze, you laughed at his accent - that's racist. Just enjoy the music, man. And didn't you know Steve Perry is Portuguese? That his real name is Stephen Ray Pereira?

Just so you know:
Julio Iglesias has an accent.
Pavarotti has an accent.
Andrea Vocelli has an accent.

Different strokes for different folks:
**********************

So Dashing Son-in-Law (DSIL) and Gorgeous Daughter (GD) came over for their regular Saturday afternoon/evening. This usually includes dinner and some movies, either rented through NetFlix, or from either of our extensive collections. This week, DSIL, who’s a rabid Journey fan, brought over the DVD from their latest release, Revelation. (Link takes you to the WalMart site, it’s exclusively available there.) His take on their latest singer, “You’re not going to believe the voice on this guy.”

Now I need to fill you in on my take on Journey. Back in the 70s when I went to every concert event I could go to, Journey showed up at just about every multi-artist event in Chicago. A Day in the Park? Journey was there. Summerfest at Navy Pier? Journey was there. WLUP presents…Journey was there too. You get the picture. By the end of 1978, I was so tired of Journey that I would literally start to cringe when the beginning of “Wheel in the Sky” would come on the radio. And watching Steve Perry sing during his solo career? I’m sorry, a singer shouldn’t look like they’re in pain when they’re performing (and it was a couple years later we all found out that he was). So I’ve been sort of avoiding Journey over the past 30 years or so. Okay, not avoiding, I don’t lurch to turn them off when they come on the radio, but they’re just sort of background, not band I turn up and sing loudly off-kee with. I was cynically amused when “Don’t Stop Believin’” started selling big again a couple years ago. But DSIL wanted us to see and hear the latest Steve Perry sound-alike and so we popped it into the Bose and gave it a look and listen.

Oh. My. God. First of all, I completely forgot how freaking good Neil Schon is on guitar. DSIL reminded me that he played with Santana when he was just 16. And it’s been 30 years since I’d seen them live…so I was happily reminded of his guitar riffs and bridges. It’s like Joe Perry from Aerosmith. Good on an album, much better live. I don’t know enough about the rest of the band to fill in their backgrounds, but I seem to remember that drummer Deen Castronovo had been with The Babies and keyboardist Jonathon Cain had been with Schon with Bad English and I think bassist Ross Valory has been with them all along…no, wait, Randy Jackson was the bassist at some point…but no, Valory was there at the beginning…anyway, not important. To say the band was professional and tight? Understatement. Did some of those old songs sound old and tired? Not. One. Bit. The songs sounded fresh as the day they came out.

And then, there’s that voice. Arnel Pineda looks like he might be a tenor rock star in some lounge in Vegas. He’s about five foot nuthin’ and he’s got long black hair, and he’s Philipino. Played with a band in the Philipines called “The Zoo.” Spent most of his life there, doing cover songs and some originals. His bio says he’s 40 but he’s got one of those faces that you just can’t tell how old he is. To call him a Steve Perry sound-alike is insulting. While Arnel Pineda does sound like Steve Perry, Steve Perry never had the tonal clarity that comes out of this man’s mouth. Okay, maybe not never, but none-the-less, great pipes. He’s freakishly good and sounds like Perry before he trashed his vocal chords.
The new songs they’ve recorded with Pineda at the mike? Of course there are ballads, and they’re sweet. And there are some harder rock songs that make me think that they’re going to have some hits on the rock stations this summer as soon as the DJs get past the idea that it’s not Journey without Steve Perry.

Quite honestly, if I have a lil extra money, I’ll be buying the two CD set with the DVD this summer. If you ever liked Journey, but thought, “No Steve Perry, no way.” please think again. With Arnel Pineda handling vocals, they sound better than ever. I even made it through “Wheel in the Sky” with nary a shiver.

http://www.ncobrief.com/index.php/archives/journey-revelation/

[susan]

What can I say, Steve Perry has a great voice. I never knew 25 years after buying the Escape album back in Soth Africa,that the same album released on DVD, would end up giving me my life back. Really heavy thing to type out. I lived in South Africa and due to the high crime rate I ended up almost being murderd twice. I literally gave up living and all hope, until I accidentally came across the DVD of live in Huston. I sat there not only listening to familiar songs, it down loaded a part of my life where I remembered what it was like to have hope and after two years of battling to move on...the music gave me the strength emotionally to move on. I was able to leave SA and move to a beautiful island in the Carribean, where I wake up each day thankful to be alive and will be forever indebted to Steve Perry and Journey. I only wish there was someway to let them know. In my eyes SP is not just a vocalist/songwriter. He touches peoples lives. This is not easy to put into words. I hope somehow he manages to see this and realise just how much he has given to peoples lives. To spend a little bit of money on a tape and years later have it be so pricless. How do you say thank you to someone like Steve Perry who clearly sacrificed a lot of himself to share his musical talent.

[Krissy]

Susan - thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your story. I'm glad that you found such hope and strength in that DVD. Music has changed my life in countless positive ways, so your words make perfect sense to me.

[susan]

Thank you Krissy, I must be honest seeing what I wrote in writing does not do justice to what a difference their music has made to my life.If I could have one wish it would be that Steve Perry could look into my eyes and see just how alive I am. Every minute of every day is a gift. I would love to be able to stand in front of him and say two words " thank you"

[Marisa S Volante]

you guys...please don't be mean...just admit it..Arnel Pineda is so talented ( most of the Filipino artists too) we admire him a lot...so be it...If you don't like him...then just be fair!!! Don't be so mean!!!

[Tammi Huff]

Well I can't add much more to all the wonderful stories! I think I'm a delayed reaction fan. I was a teen in the 80's, loved Journey, watched them on MTV, etc. But recently I bought the greatest hits and started listening on my way to work and it was just POW! It hit me, I was hooked on Steve Perry and have been listening constantly to all the CDs and DVDs I purchased since. I always thought he was attractive when with Journey but I saw him recently on Youtube from the WOF and World Series intereviews and WOWSA! He's like a great wine, he only gets better! I kick myself for not going to a concert when they were touring! I certainly was "Raised on the Radio" and their concert renditions of songs are almost better than the albumn. La Raza del Sol and Liberty are awesome as well. Thanks for letting me bare my soul and add my LOVE of Steve Perry as a wonderful vocalist and man - wish I could meet him and and oh well! Love ya Steve!!