Credit to Gigi.
http://chosenmadness.wordpress.com/the-steve-perry-faq/
The Steve Perry FAQ
Like any other big ol’ shiny star, Steve Perry hears the same questions over and over again.
If anyone cared enough to ask me the same questions over and over again (not including the ever-popular “where’s the remote?”) I like to think I would never get aggravated. But I probably would, and I might even have some days when someone asked for my autograph and I said “No thanks.” (Yes, Stevie did that. Not nice. Especially in comparison to some other big ol’ shiny stars, for example Johnny Depp who will apparently dogsit for you if you ask him.)
So as a service to our (two) devoted readers, Chosen Madness has compiled a list of frequently-asked questions and the best answers they’re ever likely to get from the man. They’re usually not great answers, but I promise you will not get MORE information by asking Steve Perry. If you can find him. Which you can’t.
Anyway, read on so that if you ever do find Steve Perry you can skip right past these questions and ask him about some different stuff he doesn’t want to talk about.
What is so fascinating that he’s holding back? I guess you could say that’s the most interesting question of all — why won’t he answer questions? He recently said on a radio interview that he was never much for the limelight. He said he loved performing, but that he did that onstage, and the rest of the time he was doing other things and didn’t feel like having a media circus following him around.
I guess I can see his point — I ran out of the house this morning, late for brunch with my friends, with wet hair and no makeup. It would certainly suck to have people following me around taking pictures of my breathtaking natural beauty. But mostly it would suck for my children, who really just need a stable childhood in a boring little town.
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Q: How old is he?
A: Steve Perry is, as of this writing, 61 years old. Looks pretty damn good, too! But he doesn’t seem too thrilled about the number: he’s got a long tradition of lying about his age in his birthday messages on Fan Asylum. This past year he admitted to 58… which is close enough to 61 that one might wonder why he bothers… pretty sure it’s just a running gag.
Q: Was Sherrie real? Was she his girlfriend? Did their love hold on?
A: Yes… yes… and no. Well, sort of yes… but mostly no.
Q: Why isn’t he with the band anymore?
A: Well… it’s a really long and complicated story with more than enough blame to go around. If you want more details you can go watch Behind the Music… which apparently doesn’t tell everything. Later interviews with Neal Schon and Herbie Herbert suggest that the final cut had the generous assistance of Steve Perry’s lawyers… whatever. This is another “do you really care?” kind of question — I know it’s just vulgar curiosity on my part, the guy doesn’t really want to talk about it, let it go.
Q: Seriously, did he really have hip replacement surgery?
A: Seriously, he says yes, has talked about his recovery time, has referred to himself as a “titanium boy”. Others have said no, it was just a ploy to get out of touring for Trial By Fire. Unless you can convince him to drop trou so you can see if there’s a scar (which you can’t) that’s the best you’re going to get and really, do you care? Really?
Q: Does he have any children?
A: He’s always said that he is married to his career and his songs are like his children. I know, that sounds enough like a diversion that you’re wondering… which is why people keep asking… but that’s all you’re gonna get from him.
Q: Does Steve Perry have a girlfriend?
A: As far as I can tell, he’s always answered this question with a solid yes or no when it’s been asked… nobody’s asked for a long enough time that all past information is useless, so… who knows? But listen, Steve Perry could be breeding Bonobos on the lawn and no one would ever know. They haven’t invented the radar this cat couldn’t stay under. Get used to it.
Q: Will he ever get together with the band again?
A: Depends on the day, but the answer is generally something like “we’ve gone our Separate Ways” which, aside from being eye-rollingly lame, is a pretty clear “Not on your life”.