The Journey Social Media Drama Continues
A new social media missive from Journey’s Neal Schon has deepened the divide between the guitarist and bandmate Jonathan Cain, even as the group is still out on the road for its spring/summer tour.
The pitched battle between the two began last weekend with a volley from Schon about Cain, and it escalated over the weekend as Schon posted a message that “Jon Cain is trying in press to removing my name from songs I wrote…Don’t Stop Believin with (Steve) Perry and Cain…Well I am removing him from my life. No dark funk energy and using Journey to sell his personal gain and take from poor people…Journey remains. With Love & Light. Our souls are free in that.”
Schon’s previous messages established that he and Cain differ over the band’s musical direction, Cain’s born-again religious beliefs and politics after Can’s wife, minister Paula White-Cain, delivered an invocation at Donald Trump‘s presidential inauguration in January.
Schon’s message set off a rash of fan reaction, including a message of support from Toto’s Steve Lukather saying, “I send love and my very best…It aint easy being in a band. I KNOW. Hang tuff. Your guitar says it all.”
Cain has not yet responded to the latest message; After Schon’s first explosion he wrote, “A heart of gratitude leaves no room for complaining. For it is impossible to truly be thankful and filled with negativity and ungratefulness at the same time.”
Amidst all this, Journey is on the road with dates booked through July 30, as much as Schon and Cain appear to want an, er, escape from each other.
Gary Graff is an award-winning music journalist who not only covers music but has written books on Bob Seger, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.
