Ex-JOURNEY Bassist ROSS VALORY Finally Has Time And Freedom To Engage With Friends And Family

In a new interview Terrie Carr of WDHA-FM 105.5 FM, the rock music station licensed to Dover and Morristown, New Jersey, former JOURNEY bassist Ross Valory was asked if there is anything in his experience in music that he would like to go back and change, if he could. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Um, possibly for me or for everyone to have a little more time off in those pressing years, but I think that was pretty much unavoidable. I mean, no matter how convenient it can be for you to travel, which is those best airplane seats and the cars and a good hotel and a very clean and clear schedule, soundcheck, performance, transportation, no matter how simple and easy that can be made for you, how comfortable you can be, it's still something that wears on you. So excessive touring, no matter how well it flows, still can be tiring."

He continued: "I guess in balance to that answer, I spent a lot of time away from home and from friends and family, and In some cases friendships or relationships dwindled, some went away. I had friends or close relatives that passed away in my absence. So, I'm just getting to know my grand nieces and grand nephews for the first time, and some of them are already married and in college. So, now's the time, not necessarily to make up for it, but to engage all my friends and family and have the freedom and the time to do that. You can't beat that. That's quality time."

Valory was part of JOURNEY from its inception in 1973 through 1985, then from 1994 to 2020, when he and drummer Steve Smith departed after being embroiled in a legal dispute with guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain. Valory played on 13 of the band's 15 studio albums. In April 2021, Schon and Cain "reached an amicable settlement agreement" with Valory and Smith.

JOURNEY now consists of Schon and Cain, longtime singer Arnel Pineda, drummer Deen Castronovo, keyboardist/backing singer Jason Derlatka and bassist Todd Jensen.

Valory released his debut solo album, "All Of The Above", in April.

This past September, Valory was asked by Neil Jones of TotalRock about his current relationship with his former bandmates. He responded: "Well, I haven't been in touch with anybody except for maybe Steve Smith once in a while. Everybody's moved on with their lives.

"So many people are curious about what went wrong," he continued. "My point is we should talk about what went right. All those fabulous musicians that have come under that roof over the decades, the musicians that remain, the band that remains, with Arnel singing and Jonathan and Neal. They continue to this day. I wish them the best."

Valory also talked about JOURNEY's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as part of its 2017 class. Asked if he ever imagined, as a kid, one day entering the Rock Hall, Ross said: "Well, as a child, I'd always been very, very musical. I had other potential paths to take, whether it was in science or medicine, something, but music was always there. And as rock and roll came into my life, that became the focus of my attention and the direction in which I went.

"As a child, I did not imagine being in rock and roll," he explained. "I imagined being a musician of sorts, possibly symphony, symphonic music for the better part of 10 years, and sang in choirs and choruses and acapella and all that in a very competitive way. But I hadn't imagined, as a child, being in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It is quite a gift. It is quite a blessing. One would have thought that by what the requirements are to be in to be nominated that JOURNEY had met those requirements long before we received the award. So I can't say it was anticlimactic, but I was certainly not surprised [to finally get in], with all grace and gratitude there. It's an amazing thing to have achieved. But you know what? There's something very interesting. When [actor] Morgan Freeman got his first Oscar — I don't know, maybe he's gotten more sense — he had a very casual interview, and the guy said, 'Well, this has gotta be amazing, Morgan. Look at what you've got in your hands there. What does this mean for the future?' And Morgan said — not sarcastically or cynically — he goes, 'It may not get me my next film and it certainly doesn't get you a cab.' That might be a digression there, but to have the accolade of being in the Hall Of Fame, I think, especially adds to my ability to have the opportunity to reach more people. It's from the output of the industry that gets attention for me. And for that alone, I appreciate it."