[4] In August 2023, Perry made the Billboard top 50 list of best rock singer band lead vocalists of all time, coming in number 30.

At age 12, Perry heard Sam Cooke's song "Cupid" on his mother's car radio, and it inspired him to become a singer.

[9] In his early 20s, Perry moved to Sacramento to start a band, later named Ice, with 16-year-old future music producer Scott Mathews, who co-wrote, played drums and guitar and sang.

In 1975, Perry moved to Thousand Oaks, California, where he formed a progressive rock band called Pieces with Tim Bogert (who had previously worked with Jeff Beck), Denver Cross, and Eddie Tuduri.

[14] Perry returned to Lemoore and decided not to continue his singing career, but at the urging of his mother, he answered a call from Walter "Herbie" Herbert, manager of struggling San Francisco-based band Journey.

[15] Original Journey organizer/manager Herbert had been given a demo of an Alien Project song, "If You Need Me, Call Me", and was told by producer Scott Mathews that the young singer would be a great replacement for then-current frontman Robert Fleischman.

Fleischman had never signed with Herbert's company (preferring his previous manager) and had not fully coalesced with the band's then progressive rock style.

Perry eventually won over new fans on his first album with the group, Infinity, which included a song he wrote called "Lights".

The band's style had changed dramatically, but as Journey began to garner airplay and media buzz over Infinity, Perry's arrival was fully accepted.

The recording of Raised on Radio, which Perry was producing, was stop-and-go as he frequently returned to the San Joaquin Valley to visit his mother, who died during the production of the album.

A year later, on April 30, 1989, at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, in Mountain View, California, Perry joined Bon Jovi to perform Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home to Me" and the Four Tops' "Reach Out".

He would also reunite with Journey at the Bill Graham tribute concert, "Laughter, Love and Music" on November 3, 1991, at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, performing "Faithfully" and "Lights".

Before the Trial By Fire tour could begin, Perry suffered a hip injury while hiking in Hawaii and was unable to perform.

[citation needed] The remaining members waited until 1998, nearly 17 months after Perry's injury, before making a decision on Journey's future.

Growing impatient and realizing the window of opportunity was closing to follow up the success of the Trial By Fire LP with a world tour, Journey members Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon met with Perry.

"[25] Perry appeared on two tracks by Kauai, Hawaii, artist Tommy Tokioka's album Happy To Be Living, singing backup vocals on songs "I Wish You Were Mine" and "An Angel Above Me" in 2000.

[27] Perry appeared with other Journey members at a ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 21, 2005, after previously stating it was unlikely that he would ever perform with the band again.

[28][29] Perry co-produced "A Brand New Start", a track on a solo album for former Ambrosia lead vocalist David Pack, in 2005.

Perry also provided co-vocals and background vocals for the track, among the many songs he and Pack co-wrote shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

[30] On October 3, 2006, Perry's two solo projects, Street Talk and For the Love of Strange Medicine (both featuring previously unreleased material), and his Greatest Hits CD were remastered and re-released.

[32][33][34][35] On April 7, 2017, Perry appeared alongside his Journey ex-bandmates for the first time since 2005 at the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

[36] Perry gave an acceptance speech, but chose not to perform with the band in deference to current Journey lead singer Arnel Pineda.

[42] In March 2019, Perry released a deluxe version of the Traces album, featuring five bonus tracks along with his first official music video in 25 years for "We're Still Here".

[46][47] On October 18, 2024, Perry announced that he would release a new holiday album, titled The Season 3, on November 8, 2024, through Dark Horse Records.

[54] Greg Prato of AllMusic wrote: "If only one singer could be selected as the most identifiable with '80s arena rock, it would have to be Journey's Steve Perry.

[65] During the 2005 baseball season, the Chicago White Sox adopted Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" as their unofficial team anthem.