'80s Rock Star Named One of the Best Singers of All Time, Went Radio Silent for Almost 20 Years After Leaving Journey

 

The "Don't Stop Believin" singer and former golden-voiced frontman of Journey, stunned fans and critics alike when he walked away from music at the peak of his power.

Decades later, Steve Perry was named one of the greatest singers of all time by Rolling Stone. Now, his long road through heartbreak, loss, and healing has finally come into focus.

From Arena Icon to Vanishing Act

Though he stayed out of the spotlight for years, his influence never faded. Placing him at No. 70 and born on January 22, 1949, Perry became a rock legend with his soaring vocals on timeless anthems like "Oh Sherrie," "Don't Stop Believin'," and "Open Arms." His soulful voice influenced generations of rock musicians, including Chris Daughtry, Chad Kroeger, and Rob Thomas.

Randy Jackson, Perry's former bandmate and "American Idol" judge, praised him as one of rock's most distinctive voices. Jackson said, "Other than Robert Plant, there's no singer in rock that even came close to Steve Perry. The power, the range, the tone — he created his own style. He mixed a little Motown, a little Everly Brothers, a little Zeppelin."

The Voice That Changed Everything

Perry's passion for singing began at age 10 when he heard Sam Cooke's "Cupid" on his mother's car radio. After college, he joined Journey at the age of 28 and quickly helped reshape the group's sound with his operatic alto and emotionally charged delivery.

In 1977, Journey — then a modestly successful jazz-rock band — recruited Perry, whose collaboration with guitarist Neal Schon transformed their sound into stadium-ready rock.

Their partnership produced eight multiplatinum albums and relentless tours, until Perry, worn down by the grind, stepped away in 1987.

A Ghost in the Music World

After a brief solo venture in 1994 and a 1996 reunion album, "Trial by Fire," Perry vanished from the spotlight again, entering a two-decade silence. Reflecting on that period, he told the BBC:

"I was wrung out like a sponge. There was just no juice in my heart for music and it really scared the hell out of me. But I knew intuitively that if I kept doing what I was doing, I'd have a hole in my soul that would get bigger and bigger."

He retreated to his hometown in California's San Joaquin Valley, finding solace in motorcycle rides and quiet visits to his grandparents' graves.

In a 2018 radio interview, Perry explained further, "We'd worked so hard and we were fortunate to have such great success. But with that success came a serious schedule […] I just hit the wall, and I started to lose my passion for singing."

Love, Loss, and a Promise That Changed Everything

In a 2025 AXS TV interview, he added that as he tried to cope, he turned to unhealthy distractions that only worsened the situation. His voice began to deteriorate, and his overall well-being declined.

Eventually, he realized that the only way to save himself was to step away completely. What followed was not just a retreat from fame but a long period of reflection that would eventually lead him to an unexpected second act — and to the woman who changed everything.

During his absence from music, Perry found unexpected love with Kellie Nash, a psychology PhD candidate and breast cancer patient he met through director Patty Jenkins while shadowing her on a film set.

Perry recalled seeing Nash on screen and being immediately struck, "Her smile killed me. I felt like I knew her somehow, and I [had] never met her before."

The two grew close despite her terminal illness. "She made me the luckiest man in the world," Perry said. Nash died on December 14, 2012, but before her passing, she made him promise not to retreat from life. "I made a commitment to Kellie and then a commitment to myself to complete it," he stated.

A Return Fueled by Grief and Grace

Their connection inspired Perry to return to music after a 20-year hiatus with his 2018 album, "Traces." In 2018, he also told "Good Morning America" that love and loss had reignited his passion, "It was a dream come true to be in Journey and to be in front of all these fans that loved our music […] so to walk away, I had to turn my heart down," adding that meeting Nash turned his heart back up.

The years that followed brought their share of trials. In 2013, Perry also faced a health scare when he reportedly revealed he had struggled with melanoma. "I've had two surgeries in two weeks to remove all the cancer cells and I've been told they think they got it all and no other treatments are required [sic]," he wrote in a now-deleted blog post.

Through "Traces" and every note since, he continues to honor the woman who reignited his spirit and the music that made him immortal.

Today, as his songs continue to echo across generations, Perry's voice remains not just a sound of an era, but a testament to resilience and the healing power of love.