According to Biography.com, Steve Perry left the band in 1987 after the album tour. In a statement to People magazine, Perry explained:
"I had a job burnout after 10 years in Journey. I had to let my feet hit the ground, and I had to find a passion for singing again."
Perry was also struggling with some personal issues at the time; his mother had become very sick, and he spent much of his time caring for her before her death.
Perry reunited with Journey in 1996, for the reunion album Trial By Fire, which reached as high as the No. 3 on the album charts. But health problems soon sidelined the famous singer—a hip condition, which led to hip replacement surgery—and his band mates decided to continue on without him.
Born in 1949, Steve Perry played in several bands before joining Journey in 1977. The band achieved tremendous pop rock success with its 1981 album Escape, which featured the now-classic "Don't Stop Believin'."
As the group's lead singer, Perry became one of the era's most famous singers. He also had some hits on his own, including "Oh Sherrie." Perry left Journey in 1987, and except for a brief reunion, he remains a solo artist.
Just recently, Journey fans are about to hear more from Steve Perry. The lead singer, who left the band permanently almost 20 years ago, rejoined them (but didn't perform) at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday night. But that won't be the end of his return to the spotlight.
"I have been gone...I kind of went my 'Separate Way,'" he told ABC Radio, a nod to Journey's 1983 single. "And I had all kinds of reasons that were important to me to do so. [And] though I've been gone...the fans have always been in my heart."
Now, he said he'll be back with a new album this year--a "cathartic" collection inspired by the loss of his partner. Read more at Oregonlive.com.