Journey Lead Singer Replaced Again, 2006-Present
 1998 saw Journey in need of a drummer and a lead vocalist. The drumming position was filled by Deen Castronovo, Schon's and Cain's Bad English bandmate, and the drummer for Hardline. The lead vocalist position was filled by Steve Augeri, former Tyketto and Tall Stories vocalist. Augeri had dropped out of the music business and was working at The Gap in New York City as a store manager. He received a phone call from Schon, who had heard a tape of Augeri's vocals. Schon invited him to audition for the band and, despite having not sung much in recent months, he impressed Journey members enough to land the gig.
The resemblance of Augeri to Perry, visually, vocally, and even in the like-sounding name, caused a major rift among the longtime fans, made all-the-more obvious by the new popularity of the internet with its message boards and forums. Some fans refused to accept Journey without Steve Perry. Others went so far as to become serious Steve Augeri fanatics, blaming Perry for the band's decline in popularity. But most fans reluctantly accepted the change and (after seeing him live or hearing him on subsequent recordings) accepted Steve Augeri. Aside from his talent, this also had much to do with the new singer's personality: he was incredibly gracious to every fan he met.
Journey's new incarnation promptly went to work recording a track for the soundtrack to the movie Armageddon called Remember Me. In 2001, they released their next studio album, Arrival. The album originally was released in Japan in late 2000, but due to its being leaked on the internet and fans' negative reaction to its ballad-heavy sound, the band decided to delay the U.S. release and record two more harder tunes for the American version. All the Way became a minor adult contemporary hit from the album.
In 2003, the band released a four-track CD titled Red 13, with an album cover design chosen through a fan contest. In 2005, the band embarked on their 30th anniversary tour, giving away free promotional copies of their latest studio album, Generations, to numbered ticket holders at most concerts, and eventually released the album commercially that October. The shows, which were three hours long, were divided into two sets: the first set included material from the early years (some of it being played live for the first time in decades), while the second was based on material from Escape and onward.
The 2004 edition of the Rolling Stone Album Guide presented a critical view of the band, calling Journey the perfect karaoke act and giving none of their studio albums more than two-and-a-half stars (out of five). During the 2000s, several Journey tribute bands formed around the country, to varying degrees of success, and singer Kevin Chalfant of The Storm occasionally teamed up with The Gregg Rolie Band to perform a few Journey numbers from the 1978-1980 era.
Although cynically written off by some as a corporate pop act, Journey has retained an affectionate following throughout the years; their music appears often in various TV shows and movies. American radio still spins Journey hits regularly, exposing the band to a new generation of listeners. Journey gained new attention in the 2000s due to Randy Jackson, who since his Journey involvement had become a successful recording-industry figure and then an American Idol judge. Film clips of Jackson with the band on tour were shown, and various contestants on Idol attempted to measure up vocally by singing Journey numbers. The best remembered of these attempts were Clay Aiken's take on Open Arms in a key semifinal round of the show (and later in a duet with fellow Idol Kelly Clarkson on their joint concert tour), and Elliott Yamin's praiseworthy performance of the same song in the 2006 semifinal round.
Judy Torres released a cover of Journey's Faithfully as a single CD in late 2005. And on June 10, 2006 Sirius Satellite Radio named Journey's Faithfully the top prom song of the '80s. The anthem Don't Stop Believin' became a public rallying cry for the 2004 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox after they fell behind 3 to 0 against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series and again for the 2005 World Series champion Chicago White Sox (Perry was invited to the celebration parade in Chicago, where he sang the song with members of the team). On February 6, 2005 Don't Stop Believin' was heard in a FedExKinko's commercial starring Burt Reynolds that aired during Super Bowl XXXIX. In December, 2005, Don't Stop Believin' rose to #13 on the Hot Digital Songs chart, and was nominated for two categories on VH1's Big in '05 awards show. In July, 2007, the song was featured in the final scene of the enormously popular series finale of the HBO show, The Sopranos. Petra Haden released a cover of the song on a compilation album called Guilt By Assocation in September, 2007, and that November, Blender Magazine named it one of the Greatest Songs Ever.
In 2003, Journey was inducted into the San Francisco Music Hall of Fame, with Gregg Rolie, Jonathan Cain, Steve Smith, Ross Valory, Neal Schon, Aynsley Dunbar, Deen Castronovo, and Steve Augeri appearing. Two years later, on January 21, 2005, Journey received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Steve Perry made a surprise appearance at the ceremony. Relations with the rest of the group improved, but Perry said there was no chance of rejoining his former band in the foreseeable future. In all, ten current or former Journey bandmates appeared that day: besides Perry, there were Augeri, Cain, Castronovo, Dunbar, Fleischman, Schon, Smith, George Tickner, and Valory.
|
