Steve Perry Realizes ‘Unrealized Dream’ of Performing with His Late, Estranged Father on New Duet: ‘A Holiday Miracle’

The former Journey lead singer also released a heartfelt video that reenacts his relationship with his father, who passed away in 1998.

Steve Perry’s latest release features a special guest: his late father, Ray.

The former Journey lead singer, 75, dropped a cover of Bobby Darin’s “Call Me Irresponsible” on Thursday, Nov. 21, a song that holds significant personal meaning for him. The track includes Ray’s voice, which Perry was able to extract from an old cassette tape and combine with his own vocals.

Perry, who had been estranged from his father, shared that Ray used to sing him Darin’s song when he was a child. “Though my father is no longer with me, he is with me on this song, and we are together once again, doing something we always dreamed about doing,” Perry told PEOPLE exclusively. He explained that the song came from a cassette his father had sent him in 1993, where Ray was singing into a karaoke machine. Perry had thought the tape was lost, but he recently rediscovered it and was able to create a track around his father’s vocals, calling it a “holiday miracle.”

Perry also reflected on his father’s own singing talent, recalling how Ray would sing “Call Me Irresponsible” to him at bedtime. The emotional process of cleaning up the vocals from the cassette tape allowed Perry to once again sing with his father, who passed away in 1998 at the age of 79.

“Once that was done, a long-unfulfilled dream of singing with my father became possible,” Perry shared in his statement. “You see, my parents divorced when I was 7, and after that, my dad and I didn’t have much contact. Singing with him all these years later was an incredibly emotional experience. His voice sounded just like I remembered it from my childhood… Hearing him again brought tears to my eyes.”

Perry also released a poignant video for the song, which chronicles his entire relationship with his father through animations. The video begins with a young Perry saddened by his father’s departure, following his journey as a teenager who discovers a passion for music and eventually becomes a global star. Viewers witness Ray watching Perry on TV and see their reunion when Perry is an adult. The video continues with Perry visiting his father in the hospital and later at his grave. The story concludes with Perry finding the karaoke tape, leading to a powerful moment where father and son “sing” together through connected microphones.

“Call Me Irresponsible” is featured on Steve Perry’s new holiday album, The Season 3. The album, primarily recorded at Perry’s home studio, is an expanded version of his 2021 release, The Season.

“Singing these [Christmas] songs was something I always wanted to do, but out of respect and love for their original versions, I didn’t want to attempt them unless I truly believed I could bring my own emotional take,” Perry explained to PEOPLE when he released the first version of The Season.