Journey ‘Totally Down’ With Steve Perry Joining Band on Stage

Steve Perry is welcome back on stage with Journey any time, guitarist Neal Schon said in a recent interview. In fact, current lead singer and Perry soundalike Arnel Pineda would be "overjoyed" if Perry were to show up for one of the band's tour stops.

"Honestly! He's not just saying that and then like, walking in the other room and (saying something different)," Schon tells Artisan News. "I've always let the door open. I made it a point, the last time I saw and even spoke to Perry, when we received (a star on) the Hollywood Walk Of Fame ... I wanted to make sure that people saw me asking him right there, 'If you ever feel like you would like to, and you'd like to come on stage, it's always an open door. Just come and jam. There's no pressure.'"

The rest of the band seems to share Schon's sentiment, although keyboardist Jonathan Cain cast doubts on anything more than a one-off taking place. "No, because he really sealed the deal back in '98 and said, 'Don't expect anything from me, y'know, we're done. You and I are done.' So I know that he keeps his word and I would not make that call because I know that he's quite happy with the life he has. And it's pretty rigorous out here. What we do is very rigorous, and he doesn't need it."

Fans itching to hear Steve Perry will have to settle for Journey's 'Greatest Hits Volume 2,' in stores on Nov. 1. This collection of hits was chosen by Perry, although Cain, Schon and the others registered no objections.