Steve Perryhas kept a low profile since he left Journey for good in 1998, but now the reclusive singer is back with a high-profile project. Perry hascovered his 1983 Journey hit "Faithfully"with music legendWillie Nelsonfor a good cause. The proceeds from the single will benefit Farm Aid, the charity that's celebrating its 40th anniversary that was started by Nelson,Neil YoungandJohn Mellencamp. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 In a new interview in theLos Angeles Times, Perry, 76, spoke about the project and what it was like working with the 92-year-old music legend. "I think that the lyrics are so sound that they're timeless. But I must tell you that Willie Nelson set a tone when he sang it. That launched me in his direction, of how to interpret those lyrics and sing with him. It sets the tone and the watermark. Willie is the Sinatra of country music. When you sing laid back like that, like Tony Bennett does, he just says it like he feels it, and he puts it where he feels it. It takes a minute to really fall into that relaxed emotional expression. It was a new experience for me to sing with such a legend like this guy," Perry told theL.A. Times. Perry's last solo album was the 2021 Christmas releaseThe Season, but he has guested on other recordings, includingDolly Parton's 2023 all-starRockstaralbum, in which he and the country legend covered another Journey classic, 1981's "Open Arms." Related: Kenny Chesney Joins '80s Hard Rock Legend on Stage in Vegas for 'Amazing Moment' "At this point in my life, I'm really enjoying doing anything that feels just emotionally expressive to me. It's a new freedom for me. You know, Willie used to come to the shows in Texas when we were touring in the early '80s, that's where I first met him. When we were doing the song "Faithfully," I swear to you, back then, I always wanted to hear his voice on it. This is the 40th anniversary of Farm Aid, so it was the perfect time to just for us to be together, and it's a bucket list thing to sing with Willie Nelson," Perry told the outlet. Aside from working with Nelson, Perry told theL.A. Timesthat "Farm Aid is close to my heart, because I know how difficult it is to be a farmer. You've really got to love it." He also revealed he has personal ties to farming. "I was raised in the San Joaquin Valley," he toldthe Times. "My grandfather had two dairy farms. I remember getting ice cream made from that fresh cream at the top of that vat. I saw the commitment that farmers have to what they do."
