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Journey guitarist Neal Schon has extended an olive branch by reaching out to connect with the band’s former frontman Steve Perry, who left the group in 1998.

"Great Steve Perry interview,” posted Schon on Facebook, referencing a link to a 2012 interview with the singer (here). “I hope we can can reach out to each other and connect once again. We had amazing chemistry together. I love him with all the love and admiration you could even have. Steve let’s talk soon."

Journey had their most successful commercial period with Perry, who joined the group in 1977; a string of multi-platinum albums followed, and the band eventually went on hiatus between 1987 and 1996.

Following the release of the 1996 reunion album, “Trial By Fire,” Perry injured his hip while hiking in Hawaii before a tour could begin, resulting in the need for hip replacement surgery when he was diagnosed with a degenerative bone condition.

Perry hesitated rushing in to have surgery for the issue, holding the group’s plans up for almost two full years before they presented the singer with an ultimatum: get the surgery done so they could tour, or a replacement singer would be brought in to the lineup.

Perry refused the request, and Journey hired Steve Augeri in 1998, followed by Jeff Scott Soto in 2006 and, in 2007, Filipino YouTube discovery (and Perry sound-alike) Arnel Pineda, who helped revitalize the band while their 1981 smash, “Don’t Stop Believin,” emerged as one of the biggest-selling songs of the new digital era.

Last month, Perry revealed that he recently underwent treatment for skin cancer.

"Three weeks ago a routine mole was taken off my face and the lab report came back Melanoma skin cancer,” wrote Perry on his Fan Asylum page. “I've had two surgeries in two weeks to remove all the cancer cells and I've been told they think they got it all and no other treatments are required."

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