Steve Perry Says Journey Reunion Rumors Are 'Simply Not True'
Steve Perry Says Journey Reunion Rumors Are 'Simply Not True'
Daniela AvilaFri, February 20, 2026 at 8:29 PM UTC
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Steve Perry in New York City in April 2017
Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
In a statement shared on social media, Steve Perry confirmed he is not returning to Journey for the farewell tour
"The rumors about me rejoining the band are simply not true, and I want to gently put them to rest," Perry wrote
Journey will embark on a farewell tour on Feb. 28
Steve Perry will not be returning to Journey.
On Thursday, Feb. 19, the former Journey frontman shared a statement with followers on X addressing the recent rumors that he could be returning to the rock band ahead of the 2026 farewell tour.
"To all my friends, I've been hearing these recent rumors, and I wanted to speak to you all directly," Perry, 77, began. "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."
He continued, "I completely understand why people would hope for that. 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."
To conclude his message, Perry thanked fans for their "continued support throughout the years."
"Your loyalty has never gone unnoticed, and I am forever humbly grateful," he wrote.
His statement came after an interview was published with Ultimate Classic Rock, where keyboardist Jonathan Cain confirmed that the band reached out to Perry to join them at their upcoming shows.
In the interview, Cain, 75, revealed that co-founder Neal Schon, 71, reached out to Perry and said that he was "thinking about" it.
"I hope he comes out. It’s never too late,” he told the outlet. "We’ve got 100 shows, so he’s welcome at any one of them."
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When asked how likely his appearance may be, Cain responded, "He didn’t say no — leave it at that."
Perry left Journey for the second and final time in 1998.
The "Don't Stop Believin'" band — which is currently led by Arnel Pineda — will kick off their Final Frontier Tour on Feb. 28 in Hersey, Penn. and will wrap in Laredo, Texas on July 2.
In October, a spokesperson for the band confirmed that Cain wasn't leaving the band after Schon claimed that he "announced his farewell" in a social media post.
Journey
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"Jonathan Cain remains an active member of Journey, and any reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate," the spokesperson said in a statement. "He is fully dedicated to touring with the band over the next couple of years and has only expressed plans to retire at a later time."
In an interview with with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation, Schon said that the band is also planning to do shows in 2027.
"It's going to be a very different show, and it's going to entail many of our albums," he said. "I won't go all of the way back to the very, very beginning. But I'd say from '78 on, we're going to dig deep — and the sets are going to be much longer."
Perry's last music release was a holiday album titled The Season 3, which is an extended version of his 2021 album The Season.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
