Journey are set to kick off their farewell North American tour in just over a week, and despite the rumour mill swirling, original singer Steve Perry will not be taking part.
Speculation that the voice behind mega hits like "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Open Arms" would be returning grew after Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain spoke with Ultimate Classic Rock. In the interview, Cain mentioned that his bandmate Neal Schon had spoken to Perry about rejoining the band for their tour.
“Neal already asked [Perry] and he says he's thinking about it," Cain told the publication. "I hope he comes out. It’s never too late. We’ve got 100 shows, so he’s welcome at any one of them… He didn’t say no — leave it at that.”
While that sure sounded promising, Perry quickly put a kibosh on the chances of this happening.
On his socials Perry wrote, “To all my friends — I’ve been hearing these recent rumors, and I wanted to speak to you all directly. 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," he continued. "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. Your loyalty has never gone unnoticed, and I am forever humbly grateful.”
Of course, Arnel Pineda has served as the frontman for Journey since 2007, however, he has experienced a few setbacks in his tenureship. Most notable was in 2024, when he faced criticism for his singing abilities following a performance at Rock In Rio in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He responded by asking fans on Facebook to vote on whether he should stay in the band or not.
Journey have five Canadian dates coming up on their tour: Ottawa, Hamilton, Montreal, Quebec City and Vancouver.
See Perry's response below.
To all my friends. Sincerely, Steve Perry pic.twitter.com/tKpKwa5ltt
— Steve Perry (@StevePerryMusic) February 20, 2026