Andy Avery: Former Lead Singer?

[The_Noble_Cause]

Thanks to Yoda for initially bringing this to light and to Andrew for engaging in the increasingly rare act of online shoe-leather journalism and laying the Tasmanian smackdown of truth on "Pastor" Avery!

With this article, both the band and fans now have an official refutation to Mr. Avery's lies. I would encourage people to post a link to this MR article, should they encounter anymore self-promotion from this modern day Elmer Gantry.
A few quick points...

Mr. Avery sounds fairly illiterate, and what exactly does he mean that "Journey has had 7 diff sonnets that were hired and never toured and one made a cd that never got released" If by sonnets, he means singers, the band has had six official singers (Rolie, Fleischman, Perry, Augeri, JSS, and Pineda). But all of those guys toured. Just what the hell is he talking about? Jeremey and Chalfant never toured.

I would not be surprised if the band ends up serving this guy with a legal injunction. In one article, it is claimed that he has tour dates lined up in Italy (!!!). So what is to stop this guy from pulling this stunt and touring South America? Even in Mr. Avery's clarification that there was “No [Journey] gig", he seems adamant that he was on his way to audition for the group. I expect this is not the last we have heard from this fraudster.

Fly by night scam artists like Avery make me respect JSS a ton. If anybody has a legitimate claim to riding the coattails of the Journey name it would be him. Instead, JSS like a real artist, has forged ahead on new projects, new material, and never looked back.

I would still be interested in hearing Gene Simmon's opinion on all of this.

And lastly, I think Neal sums it up best in typical Neal fashion, "this is bullshit!"

[annie89509]

Yeah, by throwing that “7 different …. ..hired and never toured …” (mis)statement out there, I think he’s still trying to convince people he’s among the group of guys like Bolton, Chalfant, et al. Wonder which person did that cd recorded but never released does he mean? Andrew should have pressed him for the answer to that.

None of what he says relating to Journey has any truth to it. Either all the drugs he did warped his mind, or he’s a compulsive liar trying to talk out of a jam.

[Jeremey]

Doing so many shows on the road from 2008-2012, I would occasionally run into people who had stories about people who "knew" someone with the band, or played with someone from the band, or had music produced by someone with the band. Sometimes they were just so ridiculous, I would try to be nice and say, "Huh, are you sure THE Steve Perry played guitar in your cousin's band?" and they would be completely serious and swear up and down that the stories were true.

That being said, I may have even met this guy at some point – I swear he really does look familiar, and there was one horribly insane run we did from Virginia all the way to Minneapolis MN, down to the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake IA, and then over to a sports bar in Burlington IA called The Mill – we actually left directly after that gig and drove all the way back to Virginia that night/day for some reason. I don't know if he was in Burlington IA in 2009/2010 but it would have been around that time.

Anyway, he just looks familiar, and it sounds like one of those stories you would hear on the road.

My .02 is that it's just a cringe-worthy situation all the way around. Maybe he was so drug-addled he had no idea what was going on at the time. Maybe someone told him he was going to audition for Journey and he went on a coke binge and had to piece the memories back together 25 years later. Who knows. I think it's a shame it seems like maybe he or his promoter thought the story could fly under the radar because being in an evangelical "bubble" no one would press the issue or really know enough to even question his story.

[perryfan61]

I would be interested in hearing what the professional singers here have to say about him having his vocal chord ripped out. Can a person have any kind of singing voice left after something like that happening?

He seems to have a pretty good voice for having only one vocal chord!!

[The_Noble_Cause]

Gene Simmons has spoken.
https://mobile.twitter.com/genesimmons/ ... 3948187651

[JohnH]

It's interesting these jokers pic years the bands weren't active. Allen claims he toured the world with Foreigner in 1990 when the reality is they did nothing that year. Years of not doing anything can be documented just as easily. Allen's lie has been going on for years and is even bigger than saying it was one night. BS. Oh and of course , there's not a single photo, video or group photo as proof.

[Final Frontiers]

This story is a thousand, million times better than someone claiming that Chalfant won a Grammy with Journey . The real question should be "Has anybody heard this guy sing?". He claims to sound like Steve Perry, but does he? I bet he can't even sing. Was he ever even in a real band? How did he con his way into the Voices Of Rock tour?

[tater1977]

This story is a thousand, million times better than someone claiming that Chalfant won a Grammy with Journey . The real question should be "Has anybody heard this guy sing?". He claims to sound like Steve Perry, but does he? I bet he can't even sing. Was he ever even in a real band? How did he con his way into the Voices Of Rock tour?

-

Andy Avery singing "don't stop believing"

https://youtu.be/0Rgfoj3TnWs

Uploaded on Apr 20, 2010
He's been asked to sing for journey twice! But he denied because it would get in the way of him being a minister


No need to know the lyrics...eh

[tater1977]

Andy Avery Singing "Don't Stop Believing"

https://youtu.be/cY-UnjnjPSQ

Published on May 8, 2015
Andy Avery who once toured with and fronted the band Journey on a few tours sings "Don't Stop Believing" live in Mill Shoals, Illinois.


Andy Avery singing faithfully

https://youtu.be/pxgFAm6R_Eo


Andy Avery best Journey singer Separate Ways

https://youtu.be/dm2I4KC_wRk


Andy Avery-Journey-Don't Stop Believing

https://youtu.be/mMFkMjJ0vpg


Andy Avery-Faithfully

https://youtu.be/0oyDNPraUJI

[Journey/Survivor]

Oh, the story gets even better folks

Sounds like someone is batshit crazy. Please tell us more, Drew! lol

Hey, I was only joking!

Oh, wait, you meant..... Never mind.

[Journey/Survivor]

It's interesting these jokers pic years the bands weren't active. Allen claims he toured the world with Foreigner in 1990 when the reality is they did nothing that year. Years of not doing anything can be documented just as easily. Allen's lie has been going on for years and is even bigger than saying it was one night. BS. Oh and of course , there's not a single photo, video or group photo as proof.

I remember also hearing about a guy who had been falsely telling people that he had been the lead singer of 38 Special.

[tater1977]

Found this posted on his wife's FB...

https://www.facebook.com/dawn.jerrelavery

-- video reminds me of seeing something similar, somewhere ---

Nick Knedler
Making music with my friends Andy, Josh, John & Aaron.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.knedler/v ... nref=story

[The_Noble_Cause]

I think it's a shame it seems like maybe he or his promoter thought the story could fly under the radar because being in an evangelical "bubble" no one would press the issue or really know enough to even question his story.

Good point. Y'know, compared to Bernie Madoff's 65 billion dollar ponzi scheme, this ruse is small potatoes. However, just how Madoff, who was Jewish, gained the the trust of investors who were Jewish, Avery is similarly bilking members of his religious denomination. There's a tendency to be trusting of fellow church members and Avery is exploiting that.

[Majestic]

The dude can really sing, though.

Hey....there is a certain megachurch pastor married to a certain Journey member...maybe Andy could do a gig at the mega church??

[Yoda]

I don't want to condemn the guy, wasn't my point in posting this. I just really, sincerely, wondered where did this guy come from? He actually does have a good voice - not so much on making the lyrics he sings clear though.

[The_Noble_Cause]

I don't want to condemn the guy, wasn't my point in posting this. I just really, sincerely, wondered where did this guy come from?

Not only should he be condemned, he should be prosecuted. Jesus may be willing to turn the other cheek, Nomota probably won't.

[tater1977]

Steve Perry concert: my first real rock experience

https://youtu.be/3zwCaOjhgds

Published on May 24, 2015

I had the priviledge to see the former leader singer of "Journey" play last night. So I thought I'd share the experience with you all... it was a dream come true.

[perryfan61]

:shock:

Steve Perry concert: my first real rock experience

https://youtu.be/3zwCaOjhgds

Published on May 24, 2015

I had the priviledge to see the former leader singer of "Journey" play last night. So I thought I'd share the experience with you all... it was a dream come true.

More like a nightmare!!

[WalrusOct9]

Elefante singing Kansas songs he had nothing to do with?

[JourneyHard]

Maybe Steve Perry can do a new album under the name Andy Avery. That way if it isn't up to par, it doesn't stain his good name. Just kidding!

[Yoda]

I don't want to condemn the guy, wasn't my point in posting this. I just really, sincerely, wondered where did this guy come from?

Not only should he be condemned, he should be prosecuted. Jesus may be willing to turn the other cheek, Nomota probably won't.

Honestly, it wouldn't be worth it. It would cost the band more to prosecute than it would any loss of revenue that they may have experienced from this guy. A simple cease and desist would be all that's needed.

[Yoda]

Elefante singing Kansas songs he had nothing to do with?

Being that Elefante was a part of Kansas for a number of years in the early 80's, toured with them, wrote songs with them, and released two albums with them, I'd say he'd have as much right singing those songs as what Pineda would have singing Journey songs if and when the time comes that he's no longer with Journey. Or better example would be Augeri.

[The_Noble_Cause]

As of May 18th (a few days before Andrew went Woodward and Bernstein on his unrepentant sinning ass), Andy was still playing the con. The gullible sheep who posted the video describes the clip as "Andy Avery is the ex-lead singer of journey best known for don't stop believing." Learn something new every day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keWGSeEqm7E