Gifted with a sonorous tenor, vocalist Steve Perry turned Journey from a fledgling San Francisco jazz-rock outfit into one of the greatest pop-rock bands of all time. Perry's emotional high register and stadium-sized showmanship was an instant smash, racking up hits like “Any Way You Want It”, “Separate Ways” and the crown jewel “Don't Stop Believin'”. Perry made FM rock accessible to pop audiences on Journey's power ballads “Open Arms” and “Faithfully”, where the singer showed that it was OK to be vulnerable. He embarked on a solo career in 1984, and charted with dentist-office staples “Foolish Heart” and “Oh Sherrie” before a decade of seclusion set in. The allure of Journey was too much, as he joined the band for the 1996 reunion album, Trial by Fire. And just when a full Journey reunion tour felt imminent, Perry pulled out due to health reasons. His Journey mates forged on without him, enlisting vocal backup Steve Augeri (and later, Jeff Scott Soto and then Arnel Pineda). Though his influence is widely felt across the contemporary pop-rock spectrum—from Bon Jovi to Foo Fighters to Maroon 5—Perry's led a mysterious existence in the 2000s and has made few public appearances, save Journey's 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction and American Idol's 2018 season finale. In October 2018, Perry will release Traces, his first solo album in 25 years. But will the speculation of another Journey reunion never end? As he famously sings; don't stop believin'.