Pulled this out of The Hollywood Reporter. I find it very interesting, i.e. where Steve Perry Talks about walking away from it all - And, he did! This is not the full story. You see, it has has to be about the music. The business part of it all is a rough run that you want to stay away from and keep at arms length and at all times. fs Heres the cut and paste: Public appearances by former Journey frontman Steve Perry are rare, if not virtually nonexistent, and have been that way for some years. Once a face plastered all over T-shirts, concert posters, magazines and music videos, these days its his voice that provides a lingering presence via such timeless, iconic songs as Open Arms, Faithfully and Dont Stop Believin. But as recognizable as that aim-for-the-heavens wail might be, its also what drove the now 64-year-old singer to leave the music business behind and pursue a quiet, non-public life outside of Los Angeles. This love-hate relationship that I have with my voice is a tumultuous thing, Perry told The Hollywood Reporter at the City of Hope Spirit of Life gala honoring CAA managing partner and head of music Rob Light (pictured with former Journey bassist Randy Jackson) on Sept. 19. You love music, but its a tough relationship. As Journey continued on without him -- famously hiring Filipino singer Arnel Pineda in 2007 after seeing him belt their songs on YouTube (the story is chronicled in the 2012 film festival favorite, Dont Stop Believin: Everymans Journey) -- Perry decisively disappeared from 1998 on. I walked away from all of it, he said. I jumped off the Journey merry-go-round when it was still selling large venues. I got burned out and had to leave. The reasons were as much musical as they were personal. Added Perry: We were so good together that I dont think we could recreate it again. I think it was a magical time for music and to be in the music business. But once I stopped, I didnt want to start back up again. I did become a bit of a recluse. The hits, however, only gained in attention, momentum and sales as the years went by -- the song Dont Stop Believin, in particular. Perry, who, along with the bands four other songwriters, has a vote in approving usage in film, TV and other medium, points to a pivotal request that he says helped launch the songs second life: the 2003 movie Monster. As Perry recalls: [Writer/director] Patty Jenkins emailed my attorney Lee Phillips asking, How do I get a hold of Steve Perry? Im with Charlize Theron and Im editing this film ... We need to get the song -- its already cut in the movie. ... Think theres a chance? Such 11th hour placement asks are precisely why directors are discouraged from using real songs as temp music, but being a good sport, Perry asked to see footage of the scene. It was the most beautiful adaptation of the song, he said. And that kind of launched it with sporting events, the Chicago White Sox, The Sopranos... Glee, Rock of Ages -- the synch list only grew longer as did the publics fascination with the rock star who dropped out. To wit: a recent story updating the whereabouts of Sherrie Swafford, Perrys longtime flame and the star of the song and accompanying video for Oh Sherrie, a Top 5 hit for a solo Perry in 1984. Within a day of publication, scores of outlets (including this one) picked up the post -- not that Perry noticed. I dont watch the news. I dont keep up with stuff, he said matter-of-factly. I live my life on a different kind of plane. So its a surprise when anything about me goes viral. Im kind of shocked. Ive been gone for a long time, but its nice to know that people remember you.
Posted on: Thu, 29 May 2014 20:16:51 +0000
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