by SherriBerry » Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:30 pm
I find it interesting that so many speak of Steve Perry's responsibilities to everyone else, as if for some reason everyone else's wellbeing should take greater precedence to him than his own. He had already made what I consider to be a major sacrifice once for the sake of the band when he came back for ROR - he didn't want to make that album because his mother was dying and he wanted to stay with her, but he came through for Journey and made it anyway. I can well assure you that as much as I like my boss I don't owe him my life, and if one of my parents were close to dying, I would spend every waking moment I could with them, not spend more time at work.
Ari gave an insightful and knowledgeable argument for SP hesitating over surgery and the fact that people can read of the risks and what he faced and still insist he was selfish to wait is incredible. How many of you live your life for your company and coworkers and would risk permanent pain and confinement to a wheelchair for the rest of your days by rushing into surgery before you try every alternative? Or demand that of a coworker? Unbelievable. Even once you decide to have surgery, you still need time to research your options, make an informed decision, and find a surgeon that you trust with your life. That doesn't happen overnight and a person has to do what they need to do to get through it. To say that it was just a routine procedure is unreasonable and untrue. It was not routine at the time and even now there are major risks. Even a minor surgery carries the risk of complications or death. I had a minor surgery where the risk of a particular complication was less than 1% - and I got it. Seven surgeries later, I'm hoping technology will advance within the next few years to fix the problem so I can see properly. I take nothing as routine and nothing for granted.
As far as obligations go, the other members of Journey are millionaires many times over. If Gregg Rolie could quit because he had more money than he would ever need in 1980, the rest of the band should never have had to work another day in their lives after Frontiers. If they are in financial straits due to poor personal or financial decisions, that is their responsibility and their problem. It isn't up to Steve Perry to manage their money or bail them out. They took a $4.5M advance on TBF, which was delivered, but only $1M was against a tour according to HH. I'm curious to know which individual in management or the band suggested he could suffer through a tour and sit on a stool while performing - that certainly highlights for me the degree of concern for his wellbeing.
SP did finally concede that he needed surgery and assured the band he was going to have it - he just couldn't give a timeline because he needed to research every option, and as Ari noted, there were many and constantly changing. What kind of friends would give you an ultimatum when it is literally your life at stake? I understand that the band was frustrated and doubtful that SP would tour, but they had a friend who was ill and suffering and instead of standing by him, they auditioned replacements behind his back. Not one of their finer moments.