No, former Journey frontman Steve Perry will not be joining the rock band Journey for its planned 2026 farewell tour. On February 19, Perry shared a post on Instagram addressing rumors about his participation in the reunion tour, and said,"I've been hearing these recent rumors, and I wanted to speak to you all directly. While I'm always grateful for the love people still have for Journey, the rumors about me rejoining the band are simply not true, and I want to gently put them to rest."Perry added,"I completely understand why people would hope for that. The music we created together means a great deal to me too. But I'm continuing to explore new creative work and really enjoy working on new music that reflects where I am today."Why did Steve Perry leave the rock band Journey?Rock band Journey was formed in San Francisco in 1973. In 1987, frontman Steve Perry left the band voluntarily following solo success, as well as growing indifference towards the band. Perry was suffering burnout and dealing with the death of his mother. As per Remind Magazine, Perry, while opening up about his first exit, said,"When you finally get that dream you wanted when you were seven years old and you get it, at some point a little bit of a luster starts to wear off if you keep touring and keep turning the same wheel over and over again."At the time, after stepping away from the band, Perry bought a Harley-Davidson near his hometown in California and began riding through the Central Valley. It was during this time that Perry processed the loss of his mother and kept his distance from music.However, in 1995, Steve Perry returned to the rock band to record Trial By Fire album, which was released in 1996.The reunion was short-lived, as Perry suffered a hip injury in 1997, preventing him from joining the band on tour. The band ultimately chose to find a new lead singer, Steve Augeri, and moved forward with the tour, instead of waiting for Perry to heal.1998 marked his last and final departure from the band. In 2017, Journey joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Band member Neal Schon, before the ceremony hoped for Perry to perform with the band again. However, Perry chose to only appear in the acceptance speeches, where he expressed gratitude for the band being inducted.