Former Journey frontman Steve Perry reveals why he left band at its height

Former Journey frontman, Steve Perry, reveals why he left the rock band and how he has rebuilt his life post-rock-and-roll. (CBS)

Former Journey frontman Steve Perry revealed in a new interview why he left the iconic band in the late '90s.

The rock 'n' roll star, who is set to appear Sunday on "CBS This Morning" in an interview with Tracy Smith, said he made the decision to leave the band after he fell out of love with music and wanted to embark on a new life journey.

The singer, who is known as the voice behind one of the band's biggest hits, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” also said that he was nursing a bad hip during the time he was considering leaving the band. Despite his bandmates urging him to fix his hip so they could continue rocking, Perry ultimately realized that it wasn't just his hip in the wrong place.

“It was really your heart, not your hip,” Smith says during the interview.

“It was really my heart,” Perry responds.

After leaving the band, Perry returned home to Hanford, Calif., and started a new life not centered on music.

“I stopped singing,” Perry tells Smith. “Completely, Tracy, I swear.”

And moving forward, the once-rocker found love with psychologist Kellie Nash.

Perry shared that the pair were connected through mutual friends, but at the time, sadly, Nash was battling late-stage breast cancer. Nash died in October 2012 and Perry credits her for inspiring him to make music again.

After mourning her death for two years, the former Journey member returned to the studio.

Though the singer has rediscovered his love for music, don't expect Perry to take a step back and reunite with his former bandmates. The 69-year-old told Smith that he plans to keep moving forward.

“I can only answer that question with the truth: that I love going forward. I love going to the edge of what’s next,” he says.

Perry's new album, “Traces,” is out now.