Steve Perry does not have a wife, as he has never been married. He, however, has a daughter, Shamela, born in his early 20s. Steve Perry’s daughter, Shamela, has largely stayed out of the spotlight, but it is known that she has two sons, which makes the singer a grandfather.
Steve Perry is an American singer and songwriter popular for being the lead vocalist of “Journey”, a rock band that reigned in the 1970s and ’80s. It was Sam Cooke’s hit song, Cupid, that spurred Perry into becoming a musician. Back then, he was just twelve. Well, years have passed, and Steve did become a musician, and a remarkable one, too. But he encountered many twists and turns as the years rolled by – both in his career and personal life. And we believe you’d love to know about them ‘cos that’s probably why you’re here…
Steve Perry’s Early Life
Perry was born Stephen Ray Perry on 22nd January 1949 in Hanford, California. Though an American citizen, his parents, Mary Quaresma and Raymond Perry, were Portuguese, and their original last name was Pereira. He is their only child. As for his musical talents, Steve took after his father, who was also a vocalist and co-owned radio house KNGS.
Unfortunately, Steve Perry’s parents divorced when he was eight. His mum then took him to his grandparent’s place, a farmhouse in rural Northern California. There, she raised Steve, encouraging him in his passion for music. They later moved to Lemoore, California, where Parry attended high school, drumming in the marching and extracurricular bands. On graduating from high school, Perry proceeded to the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California.
Journey To Musical Stardom
In the early 1970s, he moved to the state capital, Sacramento. Perry had three failed attempts with a music band before finally making it with Journey. The first was the band Ice, which he formed with music producer Scott Mathews; the progressive rock band, “Pieces,” which he formed in Thousand Oaks, California, in 1975 with Tim Bogert; and “Alien Project” in Banta, California.
Perry’s struggles at a music career ended when Walter Herbert, the manager of the San Francisco-based “Journey” gave him a call to help with the band that was struggling at the time.
Steve Perry made his debut public appearance with “Journey” in 1977. Following his mother’s death in 1987, Steve took a 7-year hiatus, returning in 1994 with a new album titled For The Love of Strange Medicine.
In his one-decade career (1977-1987) with Journey, Perry provided lead vocals on nine of Journey’s albums. He reunited with the band in 1996, but a hip injury made him unfit to play until 1998, when Journey continued without him, getting several lead vocalists in his place in the subsequent years.
Shortly after this, Steve Perry released his third solo project, a compilation album titled Greatest Hits + Five Unreleased.
For twenty years (1998-2018), Perry kept a low profile in his music career. He only did a few projects here and there, either in collaboration with a fellow musician or a music band. But at some point, he went completely off anything music.
During this period, however, Perry’s voice did not completely go into oblivion as Journey’s music, which had him as the lead singer, continued to sell. Their single, “Don’t Stop Believin” from the album Escape, particularly continued to gather fame. It became the soundtrack in many popular events and movies, including the last lap of the hit TV series The Sopranos.
In the last quarter of 2018, Steve Perry came out from the hide. He bounced back to music with a new album, Traces. The album revolved around the loss of a loved one – Kellie Nash, a woman who was instrumental in his return to the studio.
Perry has such a distinctive voice that scarcely has a match or rival. He has received several monikers such as “The Voice”, “The Golden Voice”, and “A Voice in a Million”, among others, due to his wide vocal range as well as the uniqueness of his tone embellishment.
Is Steve Perry Married? Who Is His Wife?
Steve Perry does not have a wife, as he has never been married. He has, however, had several girlfriends. Steve Perry used to have a girlfriend, Kellie Nash, who was a Doctor of Psychology. Perry saw Nash for the first time in a video clip being put together by a friend, Patty Jenkins, a movie producer and director of Wonder Woman who was then putting up a project on breast cancer.
Kelli Nash happened to be one of the cancer survivors covered in the video. Patty helped Perry to strike contact with Kellie, and after a number of meetings, the duo fell deeply in love with each other. That was sometime in 2013.
At the time, Kellie Nash was having stage four cancer. Despite knowing fully well that Nash would soon die of the disease, Perry went ahead with the relationship, secretly believing in his heart that their love would cure her cancer.
Unfortunately and contrary to his faith, the deadly virus later claimed Kellie’s life in December 2014. Before her death, Perry promised Nash that he would not go back to solitary life after her departure. In fulfillment of this promise, Perry decided to get back to work.
Steve Perry has surely had a series of romantic relationships through the years. But as of now, Kellie remains the only woman that he has gone public with. He also had a girlfriend, Sherrie Swafford, in the ’80s, of whom he sang in his 1984 single “Oh Sherrie“. Meanwhile, Perry has never been married.
What To Know About His Daughter
Steve Perry reportedly has a daughter named Shamela. The former Journey vocalist has, up to date, refused to make revealing comments about having any child. Whenever any question relating to the subject popped up, Steve would flatly dismiss it.
However, rumors are rife on the web that he’s actually got a daughter named Shamela. The sources say she was a product of Perry’s fleeting romance in his early twenties with a woman whose identity remains a mystery. The musician only got to know about his daughter when she was 13 years old.
Shamela presently has two sons, who are Steve’s grandchildren. Steve Perry and his daughter and grandsons have been spotted hanging out at places such as Zoos, etc.
Where Is He Now?
Steve Perry is back to what he loves doing most – music. However, after his return, he is determined to continue his career as a solo artist. He has severally made it clear that he has no intention of rejoining Journey. Even as a soloist, he has a lot on his to-do list which are worth watching out for. And although his voice has dwindled a bit with age, its most distinguishing qualities still remain – its shade of refinement and deep emotion.
