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Now that we are down from the hoopla of Super Bowl whatever number it was, I thought I would share a moment in that day that shook me to my undies. As many of you undoubtedly know, the pre-game show starts at some ungodly hour of the day and proceeds onward, filled with an enormous amount of unimportant trivia that clog the brain and contribute to overfilling of said brain box.

To say that I don’t watch it, is to well, understand my animosity toward it. However, if you have ever checked, Sunday morning and afternoon TV sucks pretty much anyway, so as I am wont, I had the appropriate channel on while on the computer.

This is my normal practice, to have the TV on to my right as I hammer away at the keys, sending you all these delightful posts. Mostly I don’t watch, but I pick up a thing here or two. I will even admit that I keep track of the story lines quite successfully for both All My Children and One Life to Live.

None of that is of any importance to my story, but I thought I would throw it in. Anyway, some time about an hour or so before the kick off of the greatest ball game of the year (usually a dud to be sure in reality), I sauntered into the living room to take up my place next the Contrarian who was pretending to “listen” as he sat laid back with eyes closed. (The Contrarian swears he does not sleep on the couch, the snoring sounds are merely a novelty of sound he enjoys fooling me with.)

As I was gazing not too intently at the screen, punctuated with looks at the frenzy at the bird feeder (the cat TV we call it actually), I heard this from a frantic broadcaster: “And now, for your entertainment delight (not really, but I’m trying to be dramatic here), JOURNEY!!!!!

That made me turn my head quick enough to engage whip lash. You see, I am a fan of the band and have been for many a year,  more than I would care to admit actually. As the familiar notes and refrains began to vibrate in my ear anatomy, the camera began to pan to the lead singer, Steve Perry. And OH MY GOD, IT WASN”T STEVE PERRY!!!!

Now some of you may guffaw at this, for I have always thought that Journey might be a second or third rate rock band. Actually, in the minuscule research I did for this piece I discovered that in fact it usually appears on most people’s top ten, and Steve Perry is regarded as one of the better lead singers of a rock band. This is also not necessary to this post, but I thought I would defend myself and them anyway.

So I was yelling, where is STEVE???? The Contrarian piped up, “I think he died.” “What??????? NO, how, where, when, who?” The Contrarian knew no more. Just that ugly bottom line. Now Journey is, well, not worth much without Steve Perry as the photo undoubtedly makes clear:

steveperry11

I mean, heck, I am a warm blooded woman with all my sexual err, ummm stuff  intact. I mean what is the point of being a long distance groupie without the point of the group to salivate over?

I was non-plussed, and if that is not strong enough, and I’m not sure it is, (what is non-plussed anyway), I fairly fainted dead away.

Not actually of course, but in my mind I fainted. That left me only Depp to slobber over.

arnel-pinedaSaid band was now being led by a cute little guy, called Arnel Pineda. Arnel is Philippino it turns out. What is more, he sounds amazingly like Steve Perry. So the music remained the same. But as I said, damn the music, it was the sexy Steve that was missing.

Thank God for computers and the internet is all I can say. When I got around to it, I went off in search of the facts. What had my dear sweet boy died of I wondered.

The answer was quick and simple. He wasn’t dead at all. The Contrarian shrugged, “well, I thought I heard something to that effect, someday, somewhere, sorry.” Yeah, sorry my butt! It seems Mr. Perry had a bad hip, and the band waited some time for his return, but he seemed uninterested so they went elsewhere. Not much of a story.

Mr. Pineda’s story is a bit more interesting. Turns out he is in his 40’s, married, father of a two or so, and had to sing his way into America. The customs official asked why he wanted to enter the US, and Pineda replied he has an audition with Journey. The official was a fan and asked for some singing to prove the claim. Obviously Arnel did well.

Anyway, such is the story. Steve is doing whatever Steve is doing. He has done some solo work, has cut his hair and doesn’t look nearly as cute as the above pic any more. He is either 50 or 60 depending on which fan site you go to. More likely the latter. So, I’d just as soon let him live in my memory as the darling with the long flowing hair anyway.  Age seems to do that to me. I don’t like seeing Paul McCartney much any more either. He looks freakin’ old! Me? I’m still a fresh young thing…….inside!

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