journey steve perry oh sherrie

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40 Years Ago: How Steve Perry Pieced Together ‘Oh Sherrie’

Steve Perry songwriting collaborator Randy Goodrum describes "Oh Sherrie" in the 2024 band biography Journey: Worlds Apart as "a perfect combination of all the moving parts working as they should – band, singer, production, melody and lyrics. It's a perfect record, in my opinion."

The song's beginnings, however, were anything but perfect.

"Oh Sherrie" started as a demo with studio aces Craig Krampf on a drum pad and Bill Cuomo on keyboards. Perry was in the midst of a rough patch with then-girlfriend Sherrie Swafford, and was struggling to convey his turbulent feelings.

READ MORE: Photos From Throughout Steve Perry's Career

Perry and Swafford remained "crazy in love," he later told the Tampa Bay Times , "and it was a very tough time because the band was peaking. ... The truth is that it's hard to navigate a relationship when you're in the midst of such a ride."

She went to bed early one night while Cuomo, Krampf and Perry kept working. There were small musical breakthroughs along the way, as Cuomo added a distinctive turn at the beginning and end on the Chroma, an electric harpsichord-type instrument.

Still, when he connected with Goodrum, the longtime Journey frontman only had a few loose phrases (including " hold on, hold on ") and some placeholder humming. Goodrum helped him match words to music, surprising Perry by instinctively echoing his sensibility and emotion.

Goodrum had a unique approach that helped the process to completion. In conversation, he'd gotten a general idea of who Perry and Swafford were like as people – and he sensed a certain amount of tension in their relationship. So he focused on that as the song's main point, rather than immediately trying to craft a hook. Then Goodrum worked to fit his words into the places where Perry had only hummed.

Perry suggested an a cappella beginning, which he connected with the old Four Tops song "Bernadette," where singer Levi Stubbs cried out her name all by himself . Perry would sing the opening " should have been gone !" in much the same manner.

By the end, Perry had somehow woven these disparate strands of creativity, drama and inspiration into a smash-hit solo debut single. "Oh Sherrie" entered the Billboard singles chart on April 7, 1984, and then roared to No. 3 – but not before rhythm guitarist Waddy Wachtel led Perry back to rock for a moment.

READ MORE: Re-assembling Steve Perry's Lost 'Against the Wall' Solo Album

During the sessions, Wachtel noticed there was an open spot in the recording, so he asked engineer Niko Bolas what Perry was planning. Informed that Perry intended to put a sax solo there, Wachtel blurted out, "Oh, no, he's not!" Wachtel then tore through the solo that appears on Perry's finished release. His reasoning was simple: Wachtel told Guitar Player that he thought of "Oh Sherrie" as a rock song, and rock songs required guitar solos: "A saxophone? Are you joking?"

Next came the iconic music video. Perry had connected with producer Paul Flattery after CBS video department executive Debbie Norman was impressed by his team's approach on a contemporary clip for Earth Wind and Fire star Philip Bailey's solo song "I Know." That signaled to Perry that Flattery was willing to try something different. The stripped-down emotion of his first-ever solo video would stand out in an age of rapidly spreading excess at MTV.

"Steve didn't want the ordinary video," Flattery says in Journey: Worlds Apart . "He didn't want, you know, the girls and tights and the flashing lights and leather and all that kind of stuff. He wanted something a bit more classy, something that reflected his song."

Watch the Video for Steve Perry’s ‘Oh Sherrie’

Completing the 'Oh Sherrie' Video Was a Struggle, Too

Flattery's team suggested the story-within-a-story approach that showed Perry pushing back against a typically over-the-top shoot in order to film a more straightforward plea to Swafford. The rejected high-concept portion had an Egyptian motif, "but we couldn't find anywhere in L.A. to shoot it," Flattery said. "So we changed it from being an Egyptian motif to being a kind of Shakespearean one."

They decided to film at Los Angeles’s architecturally appropriate Plaza Hotel, now known as The MacArthur, using stagehands and neighborhood folks as extras. "They actually fitted really well into those Shakespearean-type costumes," Flattery added. "I like to think of it as 'Richard III' — with Steve's hair."

The result became a longer-form video, with an unusual two-minute intro. "The thing was, [director] Jack [Cole] was all about making what he called 'mini-movies,'" Flattery said. "He was about making something that was not there in and of itself, just to sell the record. It was there to become a piece of entertainment they would want to watch. I don't recall the specifics, but nobody at the label at that time complained."

Perry's "Oh Sherrie" promotional clip would not be complete, however, until they made one final tweak to the script. "When we first cut the video, it didn't work — because, you know, you just saw Steve blowing up saying, 'I can't do this,'" Flattery said.

"So Jack pulled in an editor that was working in films, showed him all the stuff and the guy said, 'Look, it doesn't work because you have no sympathy for this guy. You just see him as a spoiled rock star.' What he did was, he re-edited the beginning to show multiple takes of Steve going through this kind of like ridiculous scenario — and then he finally blows up. That's what made it brilliant."

The video ends with Perry escaping into the California afternoon with Swafford in tow, as his overbearing director continues to plead for another take. She soon made a similar exit from public life, though Swafford's whirlwind brush with fame meant that reporters kept trying to make contact long after she split with Perry.

Swafford finally released a statement to Marc Tyler Nobleman in 2013, confirming that she had gone on to become an esthetician and yoga instructor. She said she never married and had no children. She cherished "my friends — including Steve — and my privacy," Swafford added. "It was so different for us! It was just love, nothing else!"

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Oh Sherrie by Steve Perry

Songfacts®:

• This was the first single from Journey lead singer Steve Perry's first solo album. The song is about his real-life girlfriend at the time, Sherrie Swafford, who also appeared in the video.
• Perry co-wrote this with the Nashville songwriter and Randy Goodrum, along with his drummer Craig Krampf and keyboard player Bill Cuomo. In our interview with Randy Goodrum , he told the story: "I'd gotten to know him and Sherrie, not really well, but I had a general idea of what they were like as people. I sensed a certain amount of drama in their relationship, to put it mildly. I like to find a premise and go with that, rather than a hook. And as long as I know what the point of the song, or the mission of the song is, then the lyrics usually just fall into place. So I focused in on that, it was me saying, 'Here is a relationship the way I perceive it between two people.' And when Steve gave me a scratch tape that had him singing what I call a 'la-la' track, which is when the singer just sort of sings nonsense, and non-words, I listened to his vocals, and listened to some of the vowels that sounded good on high notes, and some of the ones that sounded good in the middle. That's another little trade secret that I do when I get a scratch vocal. And I fashioned the lyrics around their relationship. And then, of course, I took it back to Steve, and showed him what I'd done. We made changes and tweaks here and there, and it ended up being the basic lyrics for 'Oh Sherrie.'"
• Goodrum told us about the song's striking intro, where after a short instrumental passage, Perry exclaims, "You should've been gone," starting his vocal with no accompaniment. "Bill Cuomo did that. The way I understand it, he sequenced that on a multi-tumbrel sequencer, plugged it into the console and recorded it. And there it was. It was programmed and used as the intro and the ending."
• Perry surrounded himself with very talented musicians and songwriters for the Street Talk album, including guitarist Waddy Wachtel and drummer Larrie Londin. Goodrum played keyboards on the album and co-wrote eight of the songs, including "Foolish Heart." He was surprised when Perry called him to work on the album, but very pleased with the results. Said Goodrum: "I think he was a real fan of 'Bluer Than Blue' and 'You Needed Me,' and some stuff I'd done before that. That whole album was a surprise, as if you were to walk down the street and see a $20 bill blow by. I thought maybe he'd made a mistake asking me to write with him, because maybe he was thinking of Randy Goodrich or something. Why would a rocker want to write with a guy who writes the kind of songs I've had hits with, which were mostly poignant ballads?"
• When this song took off, some fans wondered if he would return to Journey, or if the band would simply break up. Perry wasn't the first to explore a side project: guitarist Neal Schon released albums with Jan Hammer in 1981 and 1982, and drummer Steve Smith made a jazz album in 1983. Perry wasn't the group's first frontman; he joined three albums in. In their original form, Journey was more of a jazzy, progressive rock outfit featuring the virtuoso talents of their seasoned pros, including Santana veterans Schon and Gregg Rolie. Perry felt like he constantly had to prove himself within the group, but he was committed. He made this clear in an extra segment for the video of the last Street Talk single, " Foolish Heart ," where he shares some laughs with his Journey bandmates and says, "Let's go cut a track." The group released the album Raised On Radio in 1986, but that tour was their last with Perry. They fractured, and when they re-formed for the 1996 album Trial By Fire , Perry couldn't go on the road due to a hip condition. He was replace by a soundalike named Steve Augeri, and never returned to the band. Perry released a second solo album in 1994, but didn't make another until 2018 when he returned with Traces .
• The music video is a send-up of Hollywood film culture, where dumb ideas are always lurking. Directed by Jack Cole, it opens in an elaborate set with everyone dressed in costumes from the Renaissance age. Perry, who appears to be the king, halts production, declaring, "This is a love song, it has nothing to do with this." As the crew scrambles and squabbles, Perry goes into the stairwell and starts to sing. Cameras turn to him and record the action, including the scenes where the real Sherrie appears.
• Sherrie and Perry's love did hold on for a while, but they eventually split. Long after, Perry spoke well of her, saying they were "crazy in love" and that dating a rock star was no easy task. Sherrie Swafford kept a low profile in an effort to protect her privacy. The intrepid Marc Tyler Nobleman tracked her down for his "girl in the video" series. Swafford described herself as an animal lover and yoga instructor who never married or had children.
• 1984 was a big year for lead singers of popular bands to release solo albums. Tommy Shaw of Styx and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac also had solo efforts. >> Suggestion credit : Dawn - Highlands Ranch, CO
• More songs from Steve Perry
• More songs with girls' names in the title
• More songs written for a girl
• More songs that start with vocals
• More songs with videos containing dialogue
• More songs from 1984
• Lyrics to Oh Sherrie

Comments: 39

• Vic Hernandez from Springfield Mo Usa I had the good fortune of Front Row, Center seats for San Diego's "Frontiers" show and both "Raised On Radio" shows. Herbie Herbert pushed the band and crew to unsustainable levels. The Video displays, the progressive deployment of VARI*LITES. Actually, the second S.D. RoR show replaced Buddy Rich as my all-time favorite concert.
• Dawnel F Gunn from Oakland Ca My cousin had the pleasure of living next door to u in your home town. I hope some day i would get the pleasure to meet u. I hope u get the chance to read all your fan mail. I feel that your a wonderful person inside and out. We love and care for u Steve please come back to us.
• Cheryl Collins from Lake City Sc Well l am so glad Steve is singing again. Sherrie stay private. People love to gossip. I know it happened to me you both have your lives to live. Me l will be glad when l am by my self never marry again. It is not for me men are cruel to me. I'm too soft. I guess God bless you both Steve Sherrie.
• Kris from Destin, Fl Actually if you listen to the lyrics carefully, instead of the script "Now I know just why you stay" that was to portrait a happy ending is changed by Perry to "Now I know you'l lie you'l stay" . Take a listen...
• Ghostgetter from Dallas, Tx And by the way Kid May have not been telling us everything because he also said this is why Perry says in the song after all your worth the steal when he doesn't say that. It says after all your words of steel.
• Ghostgetter from Dallas, Tx I don't know if anyone knows Who Kidd Kradick is and his national morning show but he is a well known radio host. I had listened to him one day say during Steve Perry's birthday a few years ago that during the 80s Kid took a first date of this hot chick to a Journey concert and went to meet Journey back stage well to make a long story short, Kid went home alone and she ran off with Steve Perry. The Girls name was Sherry and Kraddick ended the story by saying Happy Birthday Butthead thanks alot. lol
• Pamela from Lewiston, Me I love Steve Perry's voice...I too wish he'd come back. I was fortunate to see Journey in concert with him doing what makes us all happy. I'll never forget his stage presence that his voice commands...He gave me a memeory that they cant put a dollar sign on...I am grateful for that...I'll never forget what I saw and mostly what I heard...Thanks Steve
• Brian from Cincinnati, Oh Steve, please come back.look how many fans love you.they have loved you then and they will love you now. I pray that you will come back.I have, without a dount one of the greatest voices of all time. come on people are going to extremes to get you to sing again,they have a petition for crist sake. I beg with all my heart that you will return to the spotlight. PLEASE,PLEASE COME BACK
• Douglas from Cincinnati, Oh There were other lead singers from bands with solo albums in 1984; Dennis DeYoung(Styx), Christine McVie(Fleetwood Mac)... D. Davis, Cincinnati, OH
• Trublgrl from Ny, Ny This is a silly memory, but for some reason, all my griends and I were convinced "Sherrie" was actually "Shari Bellafonte", daughter of Harry Belafonte, who was on "Hotel" at the time, I think. She IS beautiful, but, our ears should have told us that was silliness!
• Jones from San Antonio, Tx Steve Perry's voice is amazing! Once I heard this song,I was DANCING!!!
• Connie from Greenwood, Wi I love this song, takes me back to high school days. My youngest son listens to the 80's music. For which he's 19. I love the way Steve Perry looked in his videos. Connie, Greenwood, WI
• Kate from Austin , Tx This is such a beautiful and romantic song. I LOVE it!! I never get tired of seeing how he stands on the stairs and serenades her in the video. Excellent!!
• Audrey from Stanford, Ky I have been a fan of Journey and Steve Perry since I was 18. I love the bands music also Steve Perry's solo albums to. there has never in my book been another voice to compare to his voice...it brings me alot of joy to listen to him....I wish that he would come out with some new music, and tour...I never had the oppt. to ever see him in concert. and that would be a dream come true to see him and hear that voice
• Jacque from Coarsegold, Ca, Ca If Steve Perry ever did a one night comeback, I'm the one that would want to have the privledge to hear "the voice" Journey still isn't the same without him. Just traveled to see Journey - 10/2008. One of your biggest fans- Jacque
• Patricia C. from Port Deposit , Maryland, Md first let me say - steve please don't keep us waiting any longer. we need to hear that voice once more,send us your love. we will be waiting for you with (open arms). with a voice like yours only you can make journey, and your fans come back to life. when you left so did we.now its time to come back to us faithfully ... you are what we need to fill that empty space in our hearts. if john lennon can give peace a chance then could you please give journey a chance. we love you steve. after all your voice can not be replaced no matter how hard they try. it's just not you, or journey. without you... we are lost. so what can i say except ... i love you and miss you. patricia.......
• Ryan from Eaton, In For all the people saying Journey can't/shouldn't continue without Steve Perry, remember: he's the one that left -- twice. You can't really blame them for moving on after the former lead singer made it quite clear that he had no interest in being part of a band anymore.
• Mary from Shreveport, La I love Steve Perry's Voice. He CANNOT be replaced no matter how much this new guy sounds like him, he is NOT Steve Perry. No one can replace him. He has the most unique voice and no one can surpass him in greatness
• Sally from Pontefract, United Kingdom Well i was a fan of Journey`s from the start and up until Steve Perry left. I followed Steves solo stuff after that butfeel lost without him still dashing about on stage or putting out some of those beautiful ballads that only he could sing. How dare Journey get a new singer and allow him to sing Steve`s songs...there`s really NO comparison..`The Voice` is the only one who can make you smile, laugh and cry all in the same few moments. His voice stirs happy and sad memories and no other singer has done that for me. Steve if you`re there, ive tried to contact you but the messages never seem to get to you so maybe this will. Just need to let you know what you mean to this aging rocker..haha.
• Sarah from Akron, Wv Steve Perry you probably dont even read these......But if i could have a wish from make a wish foundation it would be just to meet you.... My manager is jealous of you...because i love you...sarah
• Shannon from Bakersfield, Ca My mom knew sherrie swatford! I
• Aaron from Boston, Ma steve, you have one of the best voices ever. i <3 journey
• Sherri from Waco, Tx hi my name is sherri and I absolutely looove this song I grew up in the eighties and a local radio station plays a retro mix of saturday night 80's music while it is not the same it is still cool to listen to. this song is my anthem i feel like steve is singing just for me and i have always been a fan of journey but steve is journey so i am choosing not to listen at this time come back steve! anyhow, fellow 80's lovers out there email me anytime at [email protected].
• Teri from Ca., Ca I heard a live interview Steve Perry did, I believe it was the "Street Talk" interview. The story for this song goes something like this: The lyrics for this song came about when Steve and his writing partner Randy Goodrum were brainstorming trying to come up with something for a new song. It was late at night, and Sherrie Swafford kept coming in telling Steve to get to bed. He would tell her "Sherrie, hold on, hold on". After a while of saying this, something clicked and they decided to make a song out of his "sherrie, hold on". The lyrics for the song just flowed after that.
• Rockdawg from Eugene, Or Contrary to popular belief, Sherrie Swafford and Steve Perry had not broken up when this video was shot in 1984. They separated quite awhile later. (I believe it was a least a year later.) The break-up along with the death of his mother were contributing factors in his leaving Journey in 1987 when the Raised On Radio tour ended.
• Michelle Harris from Littleton, Co I also cant get past the fact that if they had married, she would be Sherrie Perry. Does any one know Sherrie's last name?
• Danci from Treetown, Ok The opening to this song was used as one of the "Psyche Outs" in the movie Baseketball. Oh yes, and I absolutely love this song.
• Michelle Harris from Littleton, Co I can tell you that I am most-likely the most jealous girl in the world when I see the "Oh Sherrie" music video. Well, at least he goes for blondes, eh? Good to know.
• Stephanie Miller from Easton, Pa steve you are so hot!!!!!god i wish you were mine!!just remember your fans are herre for you
• Patricia from Burlington, Canada Really good song from a great voice. I recently bought the DVD Journey's greatist Hits, It is so good to see Steve Perry sing and strut his stuff.
• Cheryl from Richmond, Va I've heard that eventhough their relationship failed, Steve gave all of the rights and royalties to this song to Sherrie. The gift "that keeps on giving", I'd say. Very classy Steve.
• Georgina from Laredo, Tx No matter how many lead singer Journey changes no one will never have steve perry wonderful singing voices
• Jennifer from Pascagoula, Ms Steve Perry has a good singing voice.I wish he would come back to Journey.His songs mean alot to me.I miss him alot.I would love to meet Steve Perry and the rest of the group.I also would like to see them in concert.
• Pete from Nowra, Australia one hit wonder here in Australai ..great voice, remember seeing and hearing him on the We are The world Video
• Vanessa from Grand Blanc, Mi I agree...I would love for him to sing to me like that. Steve has such passion when he sings that song. That is why I love it. When a singer has heart like that. Not just a band singing about a break-up that never happened. It happened and was real with him. You can feel it when he sings.
• Amanda from Islip, Ny If I recall correctly (from VH1's "Pop-Up Video), Steve and Sherrie had already broken up by the taping of "Oh Sherrie," yet she starred in it anyways
• Patricia from Port Deposit, Md first let me say that i love steve perry. now here is a guy with one heck of a voice. i do feel that he has been out of the lime light to long now and needs to start making more tv appearances, and more cd"s his voice is to die for. i wish i new steve perry and my name was sherrie i would have him sing to me all the time. the other guy who is the lead singer for journey is not steve perry.. that right there says it all... come on steve perry lets get busy your fans are waiting.. love you, patricia. one of those fans
• Keith from Slc, Ut If she had married him, she would have been Sherrie Perry. The music video was one of (if not the) first to spoof overproduced music videos.
• Sarah from Guess, Canada As a crazy Fleetwood Mac fan I must insist...It's spelt LindsEy Buckingham!

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Who Is The Steve Perry Song Oh Sherrie Really About?

Steve Perry became famous for being the frontman for the rock group Journey . While they had success with songs like "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Open Arms," it was their over-the-top video for the song "Separate Ways" that really pushed them to the forefront. His emotional, soaring voice was a draw for fans — it really helped them connect even more with the music. "Don't Stop Believin'" has been an anthem for many, including some sports teams. Perry had been with the band since 1977, per AllMusic . Then the frontman took a break to record his own music. 

People of a certain age may remember this particular Perry song, "Oh Sherrie," which was the first one from his 1984 debut solo album. It starts off with a brief musical introduction, and then he immediately belts out, "Should've been gone!" That sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is about his love for his then girlfriend, Sherrie Swafford, per Song Facts . How the song came about is an interesting story in of itself. 

Oh Sherrie is about a real girlfriend

When it came to recording the album, Steve Perry enlisted a Nashville songwriter named Randy Goodrum to write this song, per Song Facts . Goodrum saw that there was drama in the relationship between Perry and his girlfriend. He was smitten with her at the time and wanted to write something about his appreciation for her sticking with him despite the difficulty of dating an internationally famous rock star, especially during the 1980s, when things could get quite ribald backstage. 

At the end of the music video, a woman comes into the station where Perry is singing. That is actually Swafford, herself. She apparently never married anyone and has been keeping a low profile since the 1980s, living a normal life. 

Per AllMusic , after his solo success, Perry rejoined Journey for a 1987 album, but they disbanded shortly after. They have reunited several times since, but Perry has not toured with them. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. While he did come to the stage with his former band members, he didn't perform with them that night. The reason, via Ultimate Classic Rock , was not due to jealousy or infighting. He felt it was current Journey singer Arnel Pineda's moment. 

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Steve perry’s ‘oh sherrie’: where is she now (video).

Although their love didn't last beyond the '80s, the Journey singer and his former muse remain friends.

By Michele Amabile Angermiller

Michele Amabile Angermiller

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For those of us who grew up during the 1980s, the love story of Journey lead singer Steve Perry and his girlfriend, Sherrie Swafford , was the Romeo and Juliet of our teenage time.

Beginning with power ballad “Open Arms” and on through the megahit “Separate Ways,” among other Journey classics, there was no doubt Perry and Swafford were crazy about each other — so much so that when Perry released his first solo album, 1984’s Street Talk , he serenaded his lady love in the video for “Oh Sherrie,” an MTV favorite.

The song — another monster ballad celebrating the joys and pains of being in love — was given new life via the Broadway production of Rock of Ages , in which lead character Drew (played best by Constantine Maroulis ) belted the chorus (“Oh, Sherrie / Our love / Holds on”) to his love interest. But what happened to the real-life Sherrie?

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Like a line straight out of “Faithfully,” loving a music man ain’t always what it’s supposed to be — and it turned out the pressures of touring finally ended the romance. Since then, little was heard of Swafford. Until now.

Marc Tyler Nobleman , author of the blog Noblemania , caught up with Swafford while researching an article locating all of the women who originally appeared in the “Separate Ways” video . While Swafford declined a full interview, she acknowledged that Nobleman is the “only person [who] has ever received a response.”

However, she did give a brief statement to the blogger about what she’s been up to.

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“MTV, VH1 [contacted me and] I did nothing and hoped they thought it was the wrong number! I am an esthetician, teach yoga, never married, no children. Love my animals, planting flowers and life. Cherish my friends (including Steve) and my privacy. It was so different for us! It was just Love, nothing else!”

In a November 2011 interview with the Tampa Bay Times , the now-64-year-old Perry, who no longer tours with Journey, sweetly recalled his time with Swafford, telling the paper: “Sherrie and I were crazy in love, I can tell you that. And it was a very tough time because the band was peaking. And if any woman out there thinks that it would be real exciting to be the girlfriend of somebody in a band like that and that it would be all peaches and cream, the truth is that it’s hard to navigate a relationship when you’re in the midst of such a ride.”

Watch Perry’s iconic video below:

Twitter: @THRMusic

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Flashback: Steve Perry Declares His Love for ‘Oh Sherrie’

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

The Medieval trumpet sounds at the beginning of the “Oh Sherrie” video signify the beginning of a royal wedding sometime in the distant past, but they also mark the launch of Steve Perry ‘s brief, but memorable solo career. “Oh Sherrie” – the first single from his 1984 solo debut Street Talk –  was written in honor of his real-life girlfriend Sherrie Swafford. In this post- Thriller era, music videos were getting increasingly elaborate, which Perry mocked by beginning the clip dressed as a prince in an ancient church before ripping the crown off and telling the director it had nothing to do with the song.

“What about the kidnapping of the princess?” asks the exacerbated director. “What about the flaming forest of doom scene? Steve, what about the battle to the death between good and evil?” If you ask us, this sounds like a pretty cool video. Also, maybe the time to object to all this is before sets are made, extras are hired and a small fortune has been set. A flaming forest of doom doesn’t sound cheap. Didn’t he see storyboards? The director flew over from England for God’s sake.

The nutty video isn’t the only thing bothering Perry this hectic morning. A publicist tells him she’s set up some TV interviews, and she introduces him to Jackie from something called Video Rock Magazine. Jackie (who seems to come from the Aimee Mann school of fashion) has some pretty great color for her piece considering she just saw him walk off an expensive video set, but Perry doesn’t even say hello.

As the publicist expressed some justifiable worries they’re going over budget, Steve plops himself down on a stairwell and finally begins to sing “Oh Sherrie.” It’s a song about a tumultuous relationship, and he grips the banister in pain as he belts it out. But then suddenly the real-life Sherrie Swafford enters the picture. She sees Perry singing about how she’d be “better off alone” and pauses a bit, overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment. But as he begins begins playing a broom like a guitar Sherry is won back by that Perry charm and cracks a big smile. Meanwhile, Jackie from Video Rock (totally missing this great moment for her article) and the crew of the video are sitting around twirling their thumbs. Perry is thinking about nothing but Sherry though. The broom bit was enough to make up for all their past drama, and they walk off arm-in-arm, ignoring the shouted pleas of the director.

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The song became a huge radio and MTV hit, rising to #3 on the Hot 100. Later that year, “Foolish Heart” reached #18. This must have seriously freaked out Journey , but two years later he came back to the band for Raised On Radio. In a gross violation of the Phil Collins/Genesis Rule (which states that solo songs must never get played at band concerts), Perry made them do “Oh Sherrie” on the supporting tour. Neal Schon probably played it through gritted teeth, but he likely felt lucky that Steve was willing to come back at all. When the tour ended Perry had the option of recording another solo album or continuing on with Journey. He opted to do neither, essentially disappearing for nearly a decade. He briefly returned in the mid-1990s for a solo album, a solo tour and a Journey album before vanishing once again.

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For what it’s worth, we have great sympathy for Jackie from Video Rock Magazine. We’ve tried to interview him about Journey’s impending induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and pretty much got the same treatment. Journey is getting inducted in two months. The band has been very clear that they want to reunite with him for the evening, but Perry has given no indication that he’s even coming, let alone singing “Don’t Stop Believin'” with Journey for the first time in 30 years. If he was still dating Sherrie she might be able to talk him into it, but they broke up years ago. It turns out she was indeed better off alone. 

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Saturday, July 13, 2013

The girl in the video: “separate ways (worlds apart)” (1983) and “oh sherrie” (1984).

You are the only person [who] has ever received a response! MTV, VH1 [contacted me and] I did nothing and hoped they thought it was the wrong number! I am an esthetician, teach yoga, never married, no children. Love my animals, planting flowers, and life. Cherish my friends (including Steve) and my privacy. It was so different for us! It was just Love, nothing else!

Real research question: if you know the Annie Hubbard who was in 1984 Night Ranger video “Sister Christian,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman Real research question: if you know the woman — even just her name—in 1986 Cinderella video “Shake Me,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman Real research question: if you know woman—even just her name—in ‘87 Richard Marx video “Should’ve Known Better,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman

30 comments:

Great series! Journey on Beavis and Butthead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6WplQoHeHs

Thanks Michael! Added that link above.

This was awesome to read!

I heard that Sherrie Swafford did in fact get married and had children, something that she had wanted with Steve, but never attained. I heard from various sources that she was very happy living her life with her family and a private life at that.

thanks for sharring that info. i still believe steve perry is the best singer for journey....

Kimberly - are you saying you heard this from people who knew Sherrie?

Kimberly,had heard that Sherrie had married and had kids to0 but that seems to be just like all of the other stuff that comes out of the rumor mill. Since this came from Sherrie, now we know the truth.

Sherrie told the truth...never married, no children, very private. Beautiful inside and out! Fact.

I miss Steve Perry when I heard his music. I love that music and his voice. In the Journey.

Muchas gracias por compartir esta historia.Steve I LOVE YOU.

My dad (at least, his back) appears in the 4th picture. He's the one all the way to the right.

Wow! glad I ran across this...the girl/image in Separate Ways seems kind of straight faced snobbish in the character she portrayed. Margaret Oldsted Menendez seems like the sweetest person you could ever meet, so very down to earth. Being a Journey fan I really enjoyed reading the behind the scenes info. Adding this to my song facts & trivia notes.

I produced the "Oh Sherrie" video and when Steve Perry said he wanted Sherrie, his girlfriend, as "Sherrie," I tried to dissuade him. My experience was that rock stars who did use their girlfriends, went on to hate the video after they broke up with them. In fact, in the first takes of the ending, Steve says to her "I kinda love you" as we went on it became "I kinda like you" (which was used). She was nice and it's still one of my favorite videos I made (and it's "prequel" Strung Out"). I even appear in the "Oh Sherrie" video as the "writer" throwing the script in the air after Steve rebels against the video's concept.

Such awesome era! Thanks for the memories, the Love, the pain, the missing, the aching, the hoping a return...hope you are all happy.

Kimberly Marconi - Margaret Oldsted Menendez, the girl in the video Separate Ways, got married to her high school sweetheart at 21 and they are still married today and they have 4 grown children.

Great article, Thank You!

What town was she living in when her and Steve dated?

Fun Fact, Margaret's sister-in-law, Barbara Menendez (Ganucheau) has just written a cookbook of New Orleans recipes done vegan. Called Vegan Dawlin'.

Did anyone ever tell you you look just like Gene Wilder?

I always loved Steve & Sherrie together as a couple 💖 They were so in LOVE with each other & they always looked so happy! 💖2018: they are both single..I wonder if there's ANY chance of a Steve/Sherrie reunion?!😊

i thought of it a hundred times.. maybe they could rekindle the sweet moments they had back then.. love might just be one the air again, and there's nothing wrong with it...

Steve's new album "Traces" is absolutely great,Finally he is back and oh a tour would be so great hes around 70 years old now but watching his new videos he sure doesn't look it, oh a fun fact in his video no more cryin the younger lead guitarist is Clint Eastwood son cant remember his first name though,anyway this was a great read

Sherrie was from Bakersfield, Ca. Her parents were next door neighbors of my mother's. She was already out of the house but would visit her parents and younger sister. Steve Perry came with her as well. After one of these visits her parents showed us a picture of Steve, Sherrie and them together. Her parents eventually moved from their house on Driller Ave but continued to send my mother a Christmas card every year.

No offense to anyone, but the Sherrie video is much better. It's funny, I also liked Sherrie's hair better than the short hair look (which was super hip at the time) in Separate Ways. Hadn't seen the Sherrie video in a long time. Wish I could go back to 1984 again. Some really interesting tidbits in the article & comments. Thanks everyone for your information.

I would love to know when sherrie's birthday is I tried to Google it but it's very difficult to find

I'd love to go back again to 1984 too! Love you Steve Perry! 😘😘❤️

Omgosh I came here specifically looking for the separate ways haircut ! I was describing to a younger person how cool it was and how I always wanted that haircut every time I see the video. I wonder why Margaret didn't like it.

Oh me too, I wish I could have been in a video with Steve. At least meet him..

You are so lucky to have met and worked with Steve perry . I love him. I miss him with journey but he will be forever my favorite person

Sherrie sounds like she was a real handful, but Margaret is truly a class act. This was a fun read.

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Entertainment, sherrie swafford - the legacy behind steve perry "oh sherrie".

Sherrie Swafford is a yoga teacher and esthetician who rose to fame as a result of the person she was dating. Steve Perry, her partner, is a legendary singer and songwriter who is revered by fans across the United States and beyond.

.zklaml-y51p0m{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-decoration-thickness:1px;}.zklaml-y51p0m:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.zklaml-y51p0m:hover::after{content:" #";opacity:0.6;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;} .zklaml-1p7ut1l{color:undefined;} Quick Facts About Sherrie Swafford

Who is sherrie swafford.

Whatever Happened To Steve Perry's Girlfriend Sherrie Swafford?

Sherrie Swafford Relationship

Steve Perry - Oh Sherrie (Video)

.zklaml-x8t943{position:absolute;font-size:170px;color:#c7c7c7;-webkit-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none;pointer-events:none;z-index:0;display:block;margin-left:-33px;width:97px;height:38px;line-height:116px;}@media (min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 768px){.zklaml-x8t943{top:-20px;left:33px;}}@media (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 10000px){.zklaml-x8t943{top:-7px;left:-32px;font-size:200px;}} “ .zklaml-sr0jhn{position:absolute;font-size:170px;color:#c7c7c7;-webkit-user-select:none;-moz-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none;pointer-events:none;z-index:0;display:block;}@media (min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 768px){.zklaml-sr0jhn{bottom:-42px;right:87px;width:12px;}}@media (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 10000px){.zklaml-sr0jhn{bottom:-40px;right:-63px;font-size:200px;}} „ .zklaml-1l9orbh{z-index:1;position:relative;} .zklaml-4behl4{padding:0;margin:0;max-width:950px;box-sizing:border-box;font-size:16px;line-height:21px;font-family:Sarabun;padding:0;margin:0;max-width:950px;box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:40px;z-index:1;position:relative;}@media (min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 768px){.zklaml-4behl4{padding:0 24px;}}.zklaml-4behl4::before{content:'';margin-bottom:-0.3743em;display:table;}.zklaml-4behl4::after{content:'';margin-top:-0.2382em;display:table;}@media (min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 768px){.zklaml-4behl4{padding:0 24px;}} I can tell you that Sherrie and I were madly in love. And it was a particularly difficult time because the band was at its peak. And if any woman out there thinks that being the girlfriend of someone in a band like that would be exciting and all peaches and cream, the truth is that it’s difficult to navigate a relationship when you’re in the midst of such a ride. .zklaml-12wqhsn{font-family:adobe-garamond-pro,serif;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant-numeric:lining-nums;line-height:1.45;overflow-wrap:break-word;font-size:16px;line-height:21px;font-family:Sarabun;display:block;text-align:end;margin-bottom:0;font-weight:600;}.zklaml-12wqhsn::before{content:'';margin-bottom:-0.3743em;display:table;}.zklaml-12wqhsn::after{content:'';margin-top:-0.2382em;display:table;} - Steve Perry

“ „ 1985 was a horrible year for me since it was the year my mother died and the year I split up with the love of my life.I believe that when you love someone, you never stop loving them; you simply have to accept it. That’s not good. It’s just something you have to face, and it might not be the right time or it might not be right at all. But the hardest part is that once you fall in love with someone, you’re there and if you pull out, you never truly were. - Steve Perry

“ „ I’m an esthetician who also teaches yoga. I’ve never married and have no children. I enjoy my animals, gardening, and living life. Keep my friends (including Steve) and my privacy in mind. It was a completely different experience for us! It was all about love, nothing else! - Sherrie Swafford

Did Sherrie Swafford And Steve Date When She Was A Toddler?

Perry and sherrie remain close friends, sherrie swafford net worth and career, interesting facts about sherrie swafford.

• Sherrie Swafford and Steve Perry met when they were both teenagers in California. They dated on and off for about a decade in the 1970s and 1980s but eventually broke up.
• Swafford was a hairdresser when she was dating Perry, and he wrote the song "Oh Sherrie" about her. The song was a hit in 1984 and reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
• Despite the success of "Oh Sherrie," Swafford did not seek the limelight and has kept a low profile over the years. She has not given any interviews or made public appearances related to her relationship with Perry.
• Swafford has a son named Shamaree, but it is not known if Perry is the father. There have been rumors and speculation about this, but neither Swafford nor Perry has confirmed or denied it.
• Swafford's current whereabouts and occupation are not publicly known. It is unclear if she has maintained any contact with Perry or other members of Journey over the years.

People Also Ask

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Steve Perry

Who Is Steve Perry?

Steve Perry played in several bands before joining Journey in 1977. The band achieved tremendous pop rock success with its 1981 album Escape , which featured the now-classic "Don't Stop Believin'." As the group's lead singer, Perry became one of the era's most famous singers. He also had some hits on his own, including "Oh Sherrie." Perry left Journey in 1987, and except for a brief reunion, he remains a solo artist.

While attending high school in Lemoore, California, Perry played drums in the marching band. He tried college for a while, performing in the choir, but eventually abandoned school for his musical dreams. Hoping to break into the business, he moved to Los Angeles for a time. There, he worked a number of jobs, including singing on commercials and serving as an engineer in a recording studio. All the while, Perry played with a number of different groups as a vocalist and drummer. He seemed to be on the edge of a breakthrough with the group Alien Project, when it suddenly disbanded — tragically, one of its members was killed in a car crash.

Journey: "Oh Sherrie" and "Don't Stop Believin'"

In 1977, Perry caught his big break, landing a gig as the vocalist for Journey, which began performing as a jazz rock group in the early 1970s, in San Francisco. With Perry on board, the band moved more toward mainstream rock, and began to see some chart success with the first album with Perry, 1978's Infinity . The band's ode to San Francisco, "Lights," became a minor hit as did "Wheel in the Sky" and "Anytime."

Journey broken into the Top 20 with "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" on their next album, Evolution (1979). Buoyed by such hits as "Open Arms," "Who's Crying Now" and "Don't Stop Believin'," Escape (1981) became the band's first No. 1 album, selling more than 7 million copies. While the band was hugely popular with music fans, many critics were less than kind.

By the early 1980s, Journey had emerged as one of rock's top acts. Perry proved that while he may have been short in stature, he possessed one of the era's biggest and most versatile voices. He was equally adept at ballads, such as "Open Arms," and at rock anthems, such as "Any Way You Want It." Behind the scenes, Perry helped write these songs and many of the band's other hits. He penned their most enduring song, "Don't Stop Believin'," with guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain.

Journey continued to be one of the era's top-selling acts, with 1983's Frontiers . The album featured such songs as "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" and "Faithfully." To support the recording, the band undertook an extensive world tour. Around that time, Journey also became the first band to license their music and likenesses for a video game.

With 1986's Raised on Radio , Journey enjoyed another wave of success. However, Perry was ready to part ways with his bandmates. Perry left the band in 1987 after the album tour. In a statement to People magazine, Perry explained: "I had a job burnout after 10 years in Journey. I had to let my feet hit the ground, and I had to find a passion for singing again." Perry was also struggling with some personal issues at the time; his mother had become very sick, and he spent much of his time caring for her before her death.

Perry reunited with Journey in 1996, for the reunion album Trial By Fire , which reached as high as the No. 3 on the album charts. But health problems soon sidelined the famous singer—a hip condition, which led to hip replacement surgery—and his bandmates decided to continue on without him.

Solo Projects

While still with Journey, Perry released his first solo album, Street Talk (1984). The recording sold more than 2 million copies, helped along by the hit single, "Oh Sherrie." Burnt out after splitting with Journey, Perry took some time out before working on his next project.

Nearly a decade later, Perry re-emerged on the pop-rock scene with 1994's For the Love of Strange Medicine . While the album was well-received—one ballad, "You Better Wait," was a Top 10 hit—Perry failed to reach the same level of success that he had previously enjoyed. In 1998, he provided two songs for the soundtrack of Quest for Camelot , an animated film. Perry also released Greatest Hits + Five Unreleased that same year.

Recent Years

While he has largely stayed out of the spotlight, Perry continues to be heard in movies and on television. His songs are often chosen for soundtracks, and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" even played during the closing moments of the hit crime-drama series The Sopranos in 2007. In 2009, a cover version of the song was done for the hit high school musical show Glee , which introduced a new generation to Perry's work.

According to several reports, Perry began working on new material around 2010. He even built a studio in his home, which is located north of San Diego, California. "I'm finishing that room up and I've written a whole bunch of ideas and directions, all over the map, in the last two, three years," Perry told Billboard in 2012.

In 2014, Perry broke from his self-imposed exile from the concert stage. He appeared with the Eels at several of their shows. According to The Hollywood Reporter , Perry explained that "I've done the 20-year hermit thing, and it's overrated." His return to performing "has to do with a lot of changes in my life, including losing my girlfriend a year ago and her wish to hear me sing again" — referring to his romance with Kellie Nash, who died in late 2012 from cancer.

Although Perry and his old bandmates had long since ventured in separate directions, the group did reunite for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2017.

In the meantime, the singer began recording again. On August 15, 2018, he released his first new song in 20 years, the ballad "No Erasin." The track arrived ahead of his new album, Traces , his first full-length studio recording since For the Love of Strange Medicine in 1994.

Regardless of what the future holds, Perry has already earned a place in rock history. Rolling Stone magazine named him one of music's top 100 singers. According to American Idol judge and former Journey bassist, Randy Jackson, Perry's voice is one of kind. "Other than Robert Plant, there's no singer in rock that even came close to Steve Perry," Jackson said. "The power, the range, the tone—he created his own style. He mixed a little Motown, a little Everly Brothers, a little Zeppelin."

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Steve Perry
• Birth Year: 1949
• Birth date: January 22, 1949
• Birth State: California
• Birth City: Hanford
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Steve Perry was the lead singer of pop rock band Journey from 1977 to 1987. He is known for having a wide vocal range, which can be heard on such popular hits as "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Oh Sherrie."
• Astrological Sign: Aquarius

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Steve Perry Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/steve-perry
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: July 23, 2020
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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Hear the Journey Tune Steve Perry Re-Recorded With Steve Lukather's Son

Not long after their 2022 wedding, Trev Lukather (son of Toto guitarist Steve Lukather) and Madison Cain-Lukather (daughter of Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain) were playing some vintage tunes on a road trip. They came across Journey's 1986 song "It Could Have Been You," which neither of them had ever heard. "We were just blown away," Trev Lukather tells Rolling Stone . "I loved the funkiness of it, and Steve Perry's vocals were just insane. We kept playing that song on repeat."

It was the start of an unlikely series of events that led to Perry singing on a new version of the song with Trev Lukather's new band the Effect, which features Nic Collins (son of Phil Collins) on drums. It's the leadoff single from the Effect's debut LP, landing sometime later this year. "They did an amazing version of it," Perry tells Rolling Stone . "In my opinion, it's completely current, refreshed, and ready to go out there and do some damage."

Trev Lukather was just 9 years old when he first met Perry at the studio of songwriter Randy Goodrum, co-writer of Perry's 1984 solo hits "Foolish Heart" and "Oh Sherrie." They reconnected 11 years later, once again via Goodrum, when Trev came to Steakhouse Studios in North Hollywood to play on one of his father's solo albums. They started chatting, and Trev invited Perry into his car to hear some music he'd created on his own. "He was like, ‘Oh my gosh, man, this is great,'" Lukather recalls. "‘When are you going to be in the studio next?' He wound up coming by the studio. And from that moment on, Steve has just been a mentor to me, along with my dad, and just a dear brother."

As every Journey fan knows, Perry doesn't have a great relationship with Jonathan Cain or his other former bandmates. They haven't worked together in nearly 30 years, and almost certainly never will again - even though a reunion would be a wildly lucrative endeavor. But he couldn't be more fond of Cain's son-in-law. When Trev pops into our Zoom call, Perry lights up and starts gently teasing him about his long, messy, blond hair. "The hair's on fire, Trev," he says. "It's looks lovely."

"It's bedhead, bro," Lukather responds. "I wake up like this, as people say."

The conversation quickly drifts to Perry's initial impressions of the young Lukather. "When I hear somebody that's musically got talent, just God-given talent and not somebody who wants to be something, but truly has got this drive in them, I can't stay away from it," says Perry. "And that's what happened when I heard Trev play the first time. I thought, ‘Jesus, man, this kid has taken his DNA to the next level.'"

Early in their relationship, after watching Lukather shred on the guitar, Perry gave him a crucial piece of advice that stuck with him. "He was like, ‘Let me ask you a question," Lukather recalls. "‘What do you want in the front row: guys or girls?' I was 20. I was like, ‘Steve, of course I want girls in the front row.' He said, ‘Stop playing that and play front row licks.' That's three words that I'll remember for the rest of my life. And he said, ‘Sing with that guitar. If you sing with that guitar, you will have girls in the front row. If you shred, you'll have guys in the front row.'"

"It was the best advice ever given to me," Lukather continues. "As you see on Instagram and TikTok, there are plenty of shredders. There are 8-year-old shredders that will out-shred anyone on this planet. But there are few guitar players that sing and play melodic solos. I think of David Gilmour, Neal Schon, my pop. These guys have melodic forces on the guitar that stood out amongst the shred. And so when Steve said that to me, it changed my life. That's the direction where I went for the rest of my playing."

The years that followed weren't always easy, however. He recorded an entire album with an early band, but they broke up before it ever came out due to behind-the-scenes drama. The bitter situation soured him on groups until he randomly came across singer Emmett Lee Stang's cover of "In Your Eyes" on Instagram. He sent him a DM, they got on the phone, and decided to try making music together. Around that time, he connected with Nic Collins on a trip to Miami. "We first met at a Phil Collins concert in 2018," says Lukather. "And when went out for dinner years later with his girlfriend Isabella, we were instant bros."

Lukather, Collins, and Stang dubbed themselves the Effect, and they released the singles "Toxic Envy," "Something Wrong," and "Unwanted" last year. When they started thinking about songs to cut for a full album, Lukather played Collins and Stang "It Could Have Been You." "They were like, ‘What is this?'" Lukather says. "Their reaction was the same as mine. That's what sparked the idea of redoing it. I thought it would be sacrilegious to try to touch the greatest hits of Journey. Leave that to the gems that they are. But I was like, ‘This could be something that we can make our own and be really cool.'"

They invited Perry over the hear a new version they worked up. Before they knew it, Perry was adding his own vocals. "They had reimagined it so beautifully that I just had to do my best to fall into what felt right for the track and what felt believable for where they took it," says Perry. "They had already stacked the parts that were there, and I added some embellishments and some inversional choices against their chord arrangements… All I did was follow the sketches of the backgrounds they already put in there. That's because Trev and Emmett are both great singers."

In Perry's mind, the finished version is vastly superior to the Journey original back in 1986. "It's not an easy thing to do," he says. "I was told a long time ago, if you can't beat the original, don't cover it. They not only beat it, they reimagined it. The inversions are different, but this is where the sensitivity reveals itself to me…they didn't go far enough away to where it wasn't complementary to the original power of the melody that I wrote. It was super complementary, but different. You can't know how difficult that is to do, but they did it."

Days after the song hits, the Effect are kicking off an American tour opening for Billy Idol. In the summer, they head to Europe for a series of headlines dates and festival gigs, including a spot at the Isle of Wight Festival. "We're going to close the show every night with ‘It Could Have Been You,'" says Lukather. "It'll give us a chance to jam out and really have this huge ending. It's also a great story, obviously, which I'm going to lay onto the crowd before we play it."

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