UPDATE: Steve Perry Will Not Sing With Journey Tonight at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony
UPDATE: TMZ has issued the following statement: "We have just been contacted by reps for Journey, who say the band knows nothing about Perry performing and Perry's own reps know nothing about it as well. Several sources who work with Friday night's production say they have been told Perry will perform, but top officials at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame say they have no knowledge of it. The 3 songs have already been blocked for the show.
"Journey's rep Larry Solters tells TMZ, 'Steve Perry will NOT be performing tonight.'
"One source says, 'The wild card is if Perry just decides to sing when he gets onstage.'"
According to a report from TMZ, Steve Perry will reunite and perform with Journey at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony tonight in New York City.
But the last anyone heard from guitarist Neal Schon, he remained unsure. "I don't know if he's going to sit, or if he's going to come up and make an acceptance speech then bolt out the door," he explained. "I don't know if he's staying. I don't know what he's doing."
Even with so much still up in the air, Schon is certain of one thing: The current lineup of Journey – featuring fellow inductees Jonathan Cain, Ross Valory and Steve Smith, along with singer Arnel Pineda – will be taking the stage for three songs. He earlier revealed that they'll play "Lights," "Separate Ways" and "Don't Stop Believin'" tonight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. This year's induction ceremony will debut on HBO at 8PM ET on April 29.
Perry hasn't sung with Journey since 1991, and hasn't toured with the band since a series of dates in support of 1986's Raised on Radio.
Whether that lengthy hiatus ends tonight, Schon said, is something that will work itself out later. "I've heard he's showing up, and I've heard he's not singing," he said. "But Arnel will definitely be singing – and we will be kicking some ass."
Pineda joined Journey in 2007. Honorees tonight also include early band members Gregg Rolie and Aynsley Dunbar. Train frontman Pat Monahan was chosen to induct the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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