ROSS VALORY On Possibility Of Playing With JOURNEY Again: 'I Don't See That Happening'

During a September 9 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", ex-JOURNEY bassist Ross Valory was asked if he is "cool" with how everything worked out with his former bandmates, six years after he and drummer Steve Smith departed JOURNEY after being embroiled in a legal dispute with JOURNEY leaders Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would like to think that everyone is cool with that. We made what I think is a very reasonable settlement, and everyone moved on with their lives. I certainly have, and I believe that everyone else involved has just moved on. I'm no longer a part of the organization or the brand, so my position now, at best, is a casual observer. So it was many years ago, and we all move on. Everybody gets on with their lives."

Asked if he is amazed that JOURNEY has been able to successfully continue touring even after all the lineup changes, including the addition of singer Arnel Pineda following the departure of longtime JOURNEY vocalist Steve Perry, Ross said: "It's about the songs… Regardless of which band has too few how many original members, it's a matter of being able to go onto that stage and provide for, let's say the average ticket buyer, they want to hear the songs, they want to hear them like they heard them on the record. And as long as any band can do that, there's no reason to consider who's in the band and who's not, and JOURNEY's one of those bands that continues to do that. They bring the songs, and people dance, they close their eyes, they reminisce on each song and how they remember it and what their lives were like at the time, that they got married to it, they got engaged to it, they graduated from high school at a party to that music. And that's what the ticket buyers want. That's what the general public, when they go to a JOURNEY concert, they wanna hear the songs, and they do."

Valory also touched upon rumors of a possible JOURNEY reunion with some of the band's former members as part of JOURNEY's ongoing farewell tour. Asked if there is any circumstance under which he would jump back up on stage with JOURNEY even for a song, Ross said: "Not that I know of, no… And there's been rumors for years about Steve Perry returning, and he has to keep telling people, 'No, I'm just not doing it.' And you understand it from the fans' standpoint — that's what they really want. The hardcore fans want to see everybody together. But I don't see that happening."

Valory was part of JOURNEY from its inception in 1973 through 1985, then from 1994 to 2020, when he and Smith departed. 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 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 2024. The LP was produced by Valory and co-produced by Eric Levy and Jacob Stowe.