Why did Steve Perry leave 'Journey'? What we know as legendary vocalist spotted with rumoured girlfriend in a rare public appearance

Steve Perry, the 76-year-old lead singer of the rock band Journey, has been making headlines recently, and he is under the spotlight for something extremely personal: a speculation regarding his love life.

He was photographed on the roads walking beside his rumored girlfriend, Suzette Vaughn, in Los Angeles. His unexpected public appearance surprised his fans and admirers.

Decades ago, he was in the news for leaving Journey not once but twice. For the first time, Steve Perry departed from the rock band in 1987. Later in 1996, he reunited with the team and worked on the Trial by Fire album. However, he decided to officially mark his final exit after two years. In 1998, he left Journey due to health concerns.

Steve Perry and his rumoured girlfriend were spotted

According to a recent article published by The Daily Mail, Perry and Vaughn were seen at the upscale Erewhon market while they headed out for grocery shopping. The Journey frontman was seen in public, walking around and shopping, after quite some time.

Steve Perry kept his grocery run outfit simple as he was spotted wearing a Stanford t-shirt with black shorts. Comparing his appearance and look to his younger years, while working with Journey, he looked very different in his recent sighting on the streets of Los Angeles.

On the other hand, his rumoured partner, Suzette, kept her look simple and comfortable with a full-sleeved sweatshirt and a pair of brown trousers.

According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) made by @Faithfully1979, Steve Perry and (rumoured partner) Suzette Vaughn were also photographed by the public in one of their rare appearances last year. These photos were taken on April 21, 2024.

Here's what we know about Steve Perry leaving Journey

In 1987, world-renowned singer Steve Perry finalized his decision to part ways with Journey, although no official announcement was made at the time. Despite the band's immense success, with their songs and tours receiving widespread acclaim, Perry was grappling with burnout.

Years later, he admitted in interviews that the relentless cycle of recording, performing, and promoting had left him exhausted. Creative differences were another reason for Steve Perry's unexpected departure. According to an Ultimate Classic Rock report, the lead singer had significant control over the recording of the Raised on Radio album.

This major step changed the band's creations to something unique, and it did not sit well with other members. Additionally, he found it difficult to commit enough time to new projects and tours. Multiple reasons led to Perry quitting the team and continuing his music legacy in other ways.

After reuniting with the band in 1996, Steve Perry announced his second and final exit from the band in 1998. During this short tenure, he and the team recorded the Trial by Fire album. Unfortunately, the frontman was met with an accident while hiking in Hawaii and suffered a hip injury. He was advised to get a hip replacement surgery. Though he was unsure whether to undergo the medical procedure, other bandmates of the band were quite certain to maintain their pace with recording and touring.

Perry was adamant to depart from Journey when the band provided him with a strict ultimatum to undergo the surgery quickly for the tour, or other members would continue swiftly, without his presence in the team. They informed Steve about their decision to audition singers as his substitute during his absence.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, he recalled this unpleasant incident and shared,

"They wanted me to make a decision on the surgery. But I didn’t feel it was a group decision. Then I was told on the phone that they needed to know when I was gonna do it 'cause they had checked out some new singers."

He later said to the outlet,

"I said to them, ‘Do what you need to do, but don’t call it Journey.' If you fracture the stone, I don’t know how I could come back to it."

Following this internal clash, Steve never re-joined Journey again. Later, Steve Augeri replaced him in the band. Arnel Pineda has been the vocalist for the band since 2007.

The phase after leaving Journey hit Perry differently. He shifted to San Diego from the Bay Area. He also added,

"I didn’t sing in those years. I didn’t write music. I must have gained 50 or 60 pounds. I got a butch haircut. I just said, 'I’m going to just become a plump kid in my hometown again.' I’d already lived the dream of dreams and didn’t know how I could come close to being anything like what I was before."

Years later, in 2017, he met his bandmates at Journey's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Though he gave an acceptance speech, he did not sing any song.

Remembering that day, he further shared,

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"What they do is none of my business. When I walked away from it, I did not go to any of the shows, nor did I listen to any of it."

Presently, Steve prefers living a private life, far away from paparazzi and the spotlight.

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