Journey's Steve Perry On the Spot!

Problem Locks?

Dear Steve,
I'm in a rock band here in Boise and sometimes that's a problem for me. Kids and grown-ups tease me about my long hair and there are nights when I think I'm just going to give it up. Did people do that to you when you were in school? If they did, how did you handle it? Thanks.

~ Frank Taylor,
  Boise, Idaho

Dear Frank,
I know just what you're going through! When I was a kid, I was scrawny and thin, as hyper as you can get...I was born in a hurry, my mom says!  I had braces for a couple of years. I was in a number of rock bands and I had long hair! Boy, I gave them plenty to tease me about...and they teased me mercilessly! I was greeted with "Hi, cutie!" by strange guys more times than I care to remember! The thing to do Frank, is not to give up your dreams, but to see the teasing as other people's insecurities...not yours.

Fun Around The Home Fires

Dear Steve,
I think you're the greatest! Journey was okay before you joined, but it's dynamite now that you're in it! Can you tell me what you do when you're not working and you're at home? My friends and I are curious!

~Phoebe Sills
  Salt Lake City, Utah

Dear Phoebe,
I'm sort of what you'd call a private person, Phoebe...always have been!  but I don't mind sharing that information with you. I look forward to the time I spend at home  I
live near San Francisco in California...and what I do is work around the house, make little repairs, help out with the landscaping, things like that. I also collect hurricane lamps and other antiques, so I go shopping every once in a while too. My most favorite activity, though, is just sitting down in the middle of my living room and listening to the stereo! If I feel like getting out, however, I'll just grab my new fishing pole and drive towards water!

A Cooking Good Time?

Dear Steve,
  Is it true you're a vegetarian? I'm one too and occasionally I have trouble ordering in restaurants. I'm on a diet...what made you become a vegetarian?

~Diana Denaut
  Kansas City, Ks

Dear Diana,
Yes, it's true Diana  I am a vegetarian and I got to be one the hard way! A couple of years ago I got sick after eating some undercooked port, but that didn't quite do it! It was after having a hamburger at somebody's barbecue  and getting sick again!  that I decided all that meat wasn't for me! What I do now is experiment with my cooking at home  you know, I put a little bit of this in with a little bit of that!...and in restaurants I generally order salads. Almost any kind of restaurant can prepare a pretty descent salad if you just tell them what you want in it.

Embarrassing Moment?

Dear Steve,
What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?

~Lisa Peevie
  Portland, Ore.

Dear Lisa,
I guess we've all had a few embarrassing moments! I know I've had a couple or three! Let's see.. well, there was the time I was on a commercial airliner with Journey. See, we were speeding down the runway when I looked out my window and realized the plane's door was wide open! I hollered to the stewardess and she radioed the pilot to stop the plane. He did and everything turned out okay, but you should have seen the looks I got from a lot of the passengers who didn't know what was going on and just heard my screaming!! Then there was that concert in Toledo, Ohio where I was wearing dancing shoes instead of sneakers on stage  I won't do that again! Know why? I fell flat on my bottom, that's why!

Before Journey

Dear Steve,
What kind of things did you do before you joined Journey? Were you always part of a band or did you want to be something else?

~George August
  Chicago, Ill.

Dear George,
I think I always wanted to sing...my folks were into music...but I most certainly did other things in my life. I once made a lamp with clusters of 'grapes' on it for my grandparents. Everyone loved it so much, I had to make extra lamps to sell to people! I also helped my dad with his carpentry  we used to fix things on a turkey farm (hey, maybe that's why I'm a vegetarian!) and that's the field I would have gone into if I hadn't made the switch to music. I was a drummer/singer in a number of country and rock bands years ago and I was also an engineer in a recording studio. I guess once I made the decision to make music my life's work, I was basically involved in it one way or another.

Pets 'N Things?

Dear Steve Perry,
Can you tell me if you still have your old dog? Also, what kind of car do you drive?

~Libby Vane
  Dallas, Tx

Dear Libby,
"Linda" stays with my folks these days  she's really sort of the family dog  and I have two cats at my place now. "Linda" is old and needs care  the cats are pretty independent by comparison. As to cars, I have two. There's a Mercedes I bought not too long ago, my old and trusty VW and I have a Harley Sportster for when I want to go short distances.

A Serious Problem

Dear Steve,
What's the most serious problem you've ever had to solve? Also, what kind of things do you find funny?

~Claire Porter
  Philadelphia, Pa.

Dear Claire,
You know, Claire, sometimes there are so many problems I feel like Smokey The Bear putting out brush fires everywhere! I guess when you grow up and have more and more responsibilities that happens. Maybe that's why the answer to your next question, Claire, is life makes me laugh! What else can you do, right?!

On The Road

Dear Steve,
I'm always reading about how most of a rock star's life is spent away from home. Do you bring special things with you so you'll feel better when you're away?

~Daisy Wheller
  Miami, Fla.

Dear Daisy,
Being a homebody, Daisy, I do try to make my time on the road seem as much like home as possible. I usually bring my cassette player so I can listen to music, but that's the only special thing I actually take from home. Other than that I just enjoy locking myself up in my quiet room with a TV set and some good popcorn...to me, that's heaven!

Advice For Teens?

Dear Steve,
Here's my problem; I'm a girl trying to make it in the rock 'n roll business. I know I've got a long way to go, but sometimes it gets discouraging. My parents, my friends, my teachers all laugh...they think I'm joking. What do I do?

~Karen Kramer
  Phoenix, Ariz.

Dear Karen,
Don't be disappointed, that's the first thing. You aren't the first rock musician to be laughed at by the people around you. The thing to do, if you feel you really have something, is to go for it! I think it would be better to have tried and lost than not to have tried at all. Check your progress as you go along, be realistic and don't give up. Good Luck!

His Favorite Thing

Dear Steve,
What do you like best about yourself?

~Cory Walsh
  Vancouver, B.C

Dear Cory,
You're not going to believe this! After all the ribbing I've taken on the subject, I'd have to say my nose! I think it gives me character...well, maybe putting up with all the teasing about it gave me the character!  and a unique look! Besides...girls love it!


© 16 Magazine Inc., June 1982