Steve Perry’s latest release is not just another holiday tune—it’s a deeply personal journey that brings him back together with his late father, Ray Perry. The former Journey frontman, now 75, has released a moving cover of Bobby Darin’s “Call Me Irresponsible” on November 21, featuring his dad’s voice—despite Ray passing away in 1998.
In a heartwarming twist, Perry used modern technology to revive a long-lost cassette tape his father had sent him back in 1993. On this tape, Ray is singing into a karaoke machine—a memory that Perry thought was gone forever. “Though my father is no longer with me, he is with me on this song,” Perry told PEOPLE exclusively. “We are together once again, doing something we always dreamed about doing.”
The song, which holds a special place in Perry’s heart, was a bedtime lullaby from Ray when Steve was a child. Though their relationship was strained after Ray and his mother divorced when Perry was just 7, the process of singing with his father after so many years of separation proved to be an emotional and healing experience for the iconic rocker.
“Once that was done, an unfulfilled dream of singing with my father was now possible,” Perry shared. “To hear him speak again brought tears to my eyes.”
This duet, though born from bittersweet memories, is more than just a song—it’s a way for Perry to reconnect with the father he had lost touch with, both emotionally and physically. Ray Perry’s voice, now restored to its full potential, is the centerpiece of the track, and fans can hear the love and longing that Perry has for his dad through every note.
In the accompanying video, the relationship between father and son is traced through moving animations. The visual narrative begins with young Steve feeling the pangs of abandonment as his father leaves, and tracks his journey to musical success as a teenager. The clip shows Ray watching Perry on TV as his son becomes a global star, before taking viewers through a final, touching hospital visit and a pilgrimage to his father’s grave. Ultimately, Perry discovers the karaoke tape, and with it, the dream of singing alongside his father comes true.
This release is part of Perry’s new holiday album, The Season 3, an extended version of his 2021 holiday album The Season. While Perry has always held a reverence for classic Christmas songs, he admitted that he only felt ready to record these beloved tracks when he was sure he could bring an emotional depth to the music.
Recording the album in his home studio gave Perry the solitude to reflect on his childhood memories, which infused the songs with an authenticity and vulnerability that only he could deliver. “It was really interesting and also emotionally powerful because I was by myself singing these melodies,” he explained. “I would sort of drift into memories of my childhood very easily, with no distractions, and that made this record special to me.”
The heart-wrenching combination of nostalgia, love, and loss is captured beautifully in Perry’s vocals, and his emotional connection to the material is evident throughout the album. For fans of Perry, the holiday season now includes a special, heartfelt reunion—a moment of musical magic that transcends time and loss.
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