Neal Schon recently shared a photo with Steve Perry on X, accompanied by a winking face emoji, sparking excitement among fans about a possible reunion. The comments section quickly filled with speculation about the post’s meaning.
One user tweeted, ‘‘Don’t you dare be teasing!!’’ while another wrote, ‘‘Omg! What??? Could something really be happening here? That would be phenomenal! (and maybe a future NS/SP collab of some kind as a bonus for all of us ‘Patient’ fans! How cool would that be?)’’
A comment read, ‘‘Throw him a bone, Neal. Do SOMETHING before you’re both dead. Anything. You guys created some of the best music of the 20th century.’’
Steve Perry left Journey in 1998 after a degenerative bone condition disrupted the band’s ‘Trial by Fire’ tour plans. Rumors later suggested Neal Schon played a role in Perry’s departure, but Schon denied this in past interviews.
‘‘Steve Perry was an amazing singer, and I hope to hear from him again,’’ he said during a 2003 chat. ‘I hope that he puts out a solo record because I know a lot of people miss his vocals, and everybody blames me for him not being in this band, but I just got to laugh at it because it really wasn’t my decision for him not to be in this band.’’
Perry briefly reunited with Journey during their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2017, although he didn’t perform. His last full concert with the band was in 1987. He also appeared with Journey in 1991 for a tribute to concert promoter Bill Graham and in 2005 for their Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.
