Stephen Ray Perry, born January 22, 1949, is an American singer and composer. He was the lead singer of the rock band Journey from 1977 to 1987, and again from 1995 to 1998, when they were at their commercial peak.
He also composed or co-wrote many of Journey’s hit songs. Perry had a successful solo career from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s, with rare appearances in the 2000s and a full-time return to music in 2018.
Stephen Ray Perry was born in Hanford, California, to Portuguese parents from the Azores. He is the family’s only kid.
Perry grew up with a passion for music because his father, Raymond Perry (Pereira), was a vocalist and co-owner of the radio station KNGS. When Perry was eight years old, his parents split. He and his mother then went to his grandparent’s dairy farm.
Perry received a gold eighth note pendant from his mother, Mary Quaresma, on his 12th birthday; Perry wears the pendant for good luck. Perry was 12 when he heard Sam Cooke’s song “Cupid” on his mother’s car radio, which inspired him to pursue a career as a singer.
What is Steve Perry doing nowadays?
Perry revealed on January 4, 2023, that he would sing backup vocals on Dolly Parton’s next rock album, as well as a duet cover of “Open Arms” on the same album.
