For years and years, there have been rumours/legends around Edmonton that Steve Perry - the amazing voice of Journey in the early '80s when the band had its big hits Don't Stop Believin', Open Arms and Any Way You Want It - sang with the popular Edmonton band Privilege before he joined Journey.
Having hooked up with band leader Andy Krawchuk on Facebook, I asked Andy what that was all about.
It's true! Here's the story of Steve Perry and Privilege - from the mid-'70s, when Privilege was spending much time in the USA.
"Let's see if I can remember this," wrote Andy from the United Kingdom, where he has lived for a long time.
"I met Steve (Perry) when our band, which had changed its name from the A&W Lords to Privilege, were recording in Bakersfield, California at the recording studio belonging to our producer Gary Paxton.
"Steve was a starving drummer doing session work, but he was also in a band. He loved our horns and came to see us in Hollywood when Privilege was warming up for the Ike and Tina Turner Review at PJ's.
"We developed a nice friendship. Unfortunately I had to cut it short as we had a gig at the legendary Pussycat A Go Go in Las Vegas.
"Once we got back to Canada, Steve gave me a call.
"He wanted to join Privilege. At that time Randy Broadhead was our vocalist, but I was thinking about Randy and Steve, both great singers, being like a Righteous Brothers combo, with crushin' harmonies.
"We were planning a cross-Canada tour and invited Steve to come. He did. He sang with us across Canada but it was getting cold and he really had a problem with winter, California boy that he was.
"By the time we got to Montreal he'd had enough of our weather. Plus he got the offer to join Journey.
"The rest is history. But Steve should sure sing a mean Sherry!"
There's a whole pile more reminiscences from the early '80s Edmonton rock scene on this blog site, in the blog "Remembering Edmonton's hot downtown clubs/restaurants of the early '80s" https://www.hicksbiz.com/Home/tabid/56/entryid/209/Default.aspx The dozens upon dozens of comments are an amusing stroll down memory lane when so many of us were in our late '20s!