Problem Locks?
Dear Steve,
I'm in a rock band here in Boise and sometimes that's a problem for me. Kids and grown-ups
tease me about my long hair and there are nights when I think I'm just going to give it up.
Did people do that to you when you were in school? If they did, how did you handle it? Thanks.
Frank Taylor,
Boise, Idaho
Dear Frank,
I know just what you're going through! When I was a kid, I was scrawny and thin, as hyper as
you can get - I was born in a hurry, my mom says! - I had braces for a couple of years. I was
in a number of rock bands and I had long hair! Boy, I gave them plenty to tease me about - and
they teased me mercilessly! I was greeted with "Hi, cutie!" by strange guys more times than I
care to remember! The thing to do Frank, is not to give up your dreams, but to see the teasing
as other people's insecurities - not yours.
Fun Around The Home Fires
Dear Steve,
I think you're the greatest! Journey was okay before you joined, but it's dynamite now that you're
in it! Can you tell me what you do when you're not working and you're at home? My friends and I are curious!
Phoebe Sills
Salt Lake City, Utah
Dear Phoebe,
I'm sort of what you'd call a private person, Phoebe - always have been! - but I don't mind sharing
that information with you. I look forward to the time I spend at home - I live near
A Cooking Good Time?
Dear Steve,
Is it true you're a vegetarian? I'm one too and occasionally I have trouble ordering
in restaurants. I'm on a diet - what made you become a vegetarian?
Diana Denaut
Kansas City, Ks
Dear Diana,
Yes it's true Diana - I am a vegetarian and I got to be one the hard way! A couple of
years ago I got sick after eating some undercooked pork, but that didn't quite do it! It was after having a
hamburger at somebody's barbecue - and getting sick again! - that I decided all that meat wasn't for me! What
I do now is experiment with my cooking at home - you know, I put a little bit of this in with a little bit of
that! - and in restaurants I generally order salads. Almost any kind of restaurant can prepare a pretty decent
salad if you just tell them what you want in it.
Embarrassing Moment?
Dear Steve,
What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?
Lisa Peevie
Portland, Ore.
Dear Lisa,
I guess we've all had a few embarrassing moments! I know I've had a couple or three!
Let's see . . . well, there was the time I was on a commercial airliner with Journey. See, we were speeding
down the runway when I looked out my window and realized the plane's door was wide open! I hollered to the
stewardess and she radioed the pilot to stop the plane. He did and everything turned out okay, but you should
have seen the looks I got from a lot of the passengers who didn't know what was going on and just heard my
screaming!! Then there was that concert in Toledo, Ohio where I was wearing dancing shoes instead of sneakers
on stage - I won't do that again! Know why? I fell flat on my bottom, that's why!
Before Journey
Dear Steve,
What kind of things did you do before you joined Journey? Were you always part of a
band or did you want to be something else?
George August
Chicago, Ill.
Dear George,
I think I always wanted to sing - my folks were into music - but I most certainly did other things in my life.
I once made a lamp with clusters of 'grapes' on it for my grandparents. Everyone loved it so much, I had to
make extra lamps to sell to people! I also helped my dad with his carpentry - we used to fix things on a turkey
farm (hey, maybe that's why I'm a vegetarian!) and that's the field I would have gone into if I hadn't made the
switch to music. I was a drummer/singer in a number of country and rock bands years ago and I was also an engineer
in a recording studio. I guess once I made the decision to make music my life's work, I was basically involved in
it one way or another.
Pets 'N Things?
Dear Steve Perry,
Can you tell me if you still have your old dog? Also, what kind of car do you drive?
Libby Vane
Dallas, Tx
Dear Libby,
Linda" stays with my folks these days - she's really sort of the family dog - and I have two
cats at my place now. "Linda" is old and needs care - the cats are pretty independent by comparison. As to cars, I
have two. There's a Mercedes I bought not too long ago, my old and trusty VW and I have a Harley Sportster for when
I want to go short distances.
A Serious Problem
Dear Steve,
What's the most serious problem you've ever had to solve? Also, what kind of things do you find funny?
Claire Porter
Philadelphia, Pa.
Dear Claire,
You know, Claire, sometimes there are so many problems I feel like Smokey The Bear
putting out brush fires everywhere! I guess when you grow up and have more and more responsibilities that
happens. Maybe that's why the answer to your next question, Claire, is life makes me laugh! What else can
you do, right?!
On The Road
Dear Steve,
I'm always reading about how most of a rock star's life is spent away from home. Do
you bring special things with you so you'll feel better when you're away?
Daisy Wheller
Miami, Fla.
Advice For Teens?
Dear Steve,
Here's my problem; I'm a girl trying to make it in the rock 'n roll business. I know
I've got a long way to go, but sometimes it gets discouraging. My parents, my friends, my teachers all laugh -
they think I'm joking. What do I do?
Karen Kramer
Phoenix, Ariz.
His Favorite Thing
Dear Steve,
What do you like best about yourself?
Cory Walsh
Vancouver, B.C
