‘Not Journey… Steve Perry is Journey!’: CNN Hosts Call Out Band on NYE Show
“Best of Journey” album cover via Sony UK – Story by Anne Erickson
CNN New Year’s Eve co-host Andy Cohen gets tipsy and calls Arnel Pineda-fronted Journey ‘Not Journey’ on live TV
CNN hosted its annual New Year’s Eve special last night (Dec. 31) to ring in 2022, and per usual, the show’s guests got a little, well, tipsy. Hosts Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen traded jolly banter all night long, and at one point, the topic shifted to music.
Down the street, ABC was broadcasting its annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest show from New York City’s Times Square. You could say the shows are rivals, so Cohen got a little dig at the broadcast and one if its star acts.
After classic rockers Journey performed their hit songs “Any Way You Want It” and “Don’t Stop Believin'” in Times Square, Cohen popped up on CNN’s special wearing a streamer that he said fell on him from Journey’s stage.
“Wow, I just got doused with confetti!” Cohen exclaimed. “Journey is appearing on ABC. If it’s not Steve Perry, it’s not Journey!”
He later added, once again, “You get it? Not Journey!” Anderson replied, “That’s not true.” Cohen wouldn’t let it go. “It’s propaganda!” he said, adding, “It’s propaganda! Not Journey… Steve Perry is Journey!”
Cohen admitted to being a bit drunk on Twitter the morning after, tweeting, “Um, I was a bit overserved last night…” Check out the banter below.
My new hero! ???
Happy New Year @Andy
I reiterate, Steve Perry IS #Journey! pic.twitter.com/LSOTShqCMz— Spoonie TV ?? ?? (@MeAndMyRemote) January 1, 2022
That marked the end of the Journey debate, but it definitely set a mood for the rest of the night. ABC kept hyping up the band’s performance, which happened right before midnight in on the East Coast, and it also marked the only rock performance of the night. Meanwhile, CNN’s headliner for the night was Katy Perry performing from her Las Vegas residency.
More than 30 years have passed since Perry took the stage with Journey. Their final show together happened Nov. 3, 1991, at an all-star tribute concert for promoter Bill Graham. Arnel Pineda has stepped in as the band’s lead singer since 2008.
In other news, Journey will hit the road on their Freedom Tour beginning Feb. 22 in Pittsburgh. The event runs through mid-May. They’ve also been working on a new album, with details forthcoming.
No one better to sing us into a NEW YEAR than @JourneyOfficial!
We’re still partying LIVE on ABC! ? #RockinEve pic.twitter.com/swClUWKidW— New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (@RockinEve) January 1, 2022
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