He began gaining a broader musical background in a wide variety of styles, which included genres such as rock, pop, jazz, fusion, R&B, classical, world and folk.

In 1992, he released a critically acclaimed instructional video entitled Creative Listening, still widely used in the curriculum of music schools in the US and abroad.

In 1984 Perry joined Grammy Award-winning band Jethro Tull as drummer and percussionist to replace Gerry Conway.

He is the second member of Jethro Tull to have been born in the United States; (the first was fellow drummer Mark Craney).

He continued to record and tour until the band's 2011 hiatus, and was its third longest standing member of 28 years.