Journey singer Arnel Pineda revealed that he liked to tease bandmates Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain about inviting former frontman Steve Perry to return.

They’re currently working on a new album, expected this year, while Perry broke his quarter-century silence with the release of Traces in 2018. At the time, he strongly ruled out any chance of rejoining his old band.

Despite the fact that it would cause problems for his own career, Pineda told Rolling Stone that it would be a “dream” to see Perry back onstage with Journey. “I’m delivering on the legacy that 'the voice' has left behind,” he said. “Especially now that he formally passed the torch to me in 2017 … he made that known and he was very gracious. It was very kind of him. It was so generous of him to say that in public. It was really an honor.”

He called Traces “amazing” and said that, as a result of Perry’s comeback, he’s been “teasing Jonathan and Neal: ‘Why don’t you invite Steve Perry over for a tour?’” He described what it would mean to him: “I never saw them back in the ‘80s. I was just a young kid in Manila, just playing around, with no chance of going to the States and seeing their show, but they were one of my favorite bands.”

When told that Perry had spoken highly of him in recent interviews, Pineda said, “That’s even more pressure I’m getting, hearing this from you. At the same time, I’m truly honored. But I’m not losing [the hope] that one day he’ll join the band for two or three songs. It would be one of the highlights of my life if that happens.”

He insisted it would be “okay to me” if Perry did choose to return and left him without a job. “That’s how much I adore him and I adore Journey and how much I adore Steve Perry,” he said. “I just wish that one show with him … it would change my life forever.”

 

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