Former Journey frontman Steve Perry opened up about his return to music in a new interview with CBS.

>> Watch the full interview here

In a piece that aired this weekend on "CBS Sunday Morning," Perry, now 69, told host Tracy Smith why he left his band, his heartbreak over girlfriend Kellie Nash's death, and what moved him to release "Traces," his first album in two decades.

Although an injured hip was part of the reason he split from Journey in the '90s, Perry said the decision had more to do with how he felt in his heart.

"It became a group decision, major surgery, and I wasn't very happy about that," Perry said. "So I chose to put it off and decided when to do it, and they checked out some other singers, and we went our separate ways."

And he didn't just leave the band; he left music entirely, not even singing.

His life changed for the better when he met his girlfriend, Kellie Nash, who had stage 4 cancer. They were together for a year and a half before she died in 2012.

>> Read more trending news

"One night she said that, 'If something was to ever happen to me, promise that you won't go back into isolation, for I think that would make this all for naught,'" he said. "I had to make the promise, and I said, 'I promise.'"

Read more here.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Tiny Doors ATL has installed mini-entryways all over Atlanta, including this one on the Grant Park Trail (suggestion: park nearby in the Gateway garage). (Courtesy of Tiny Doors ATL)

Credit: Photo courtesy of Tiny Doors ATL

Featured

About 4,300 graduating Emory students wait for the commencement ceremony to begin on May 8, 2023. The school is expecting to see a multimillion-dollar increase on its endowment tax liability after recent legislation. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: TNS