After 12 years, Steve Perry joined his former Journey band members on stage to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to drummer Steve Smith, when Perry decided not to sing, he “passed the torch” to the band’s current vocalist Arnel Pineda.

Smith spoke to Las Vegas Weekly and discussed the level of interaction he had with Perry during the HOF induction. “Whatever you saw onstage was it! I think some of the guys saw him backstage for a little bit, but I just saw him onstage. It was great to see him. He was very gracious. I thought he gave a beautiful speech, thanking the band, the management and the fans. And also he acknowledged Arnel, which was really a beautiful moment. It really makes it clear that he’s passing the torch to Arnel. He’s the lead singer in Journey and he’s doing an amazing job. He’s a tremendous singer and a really compelling frontman.”
On the subject of speculation that Perry had considered singing at the induction, Smith said: “There’s really not much of a story there. We asked him if he wanted to sing, and he declined – he said no, but that he would be there.”