Neal Schon Teases Potential Return of Co-Founding Journey Member
In a tweet this week, Neal Schon, the guitarist of Journey who's the last remaining original member of the influential arena rockers, teased the return of a fellow Journey co-founder to the band.
Schon's post emerged amid a legal tangle between him and current Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain. The two are opposing each other in a lawsuit centered on the band's finances. On Sunday (Nov. 27), Schon offered a not-so-veiled clue that he wants early Journey keyboardist Gregg Rolie to replace Cain. (Cain himself supplanted Rolie in 1980.)
See the tweet near the bottom of this post.
"[Two] original founding members," Schon wrote alongside a photo of him and Rolie on Twitter. "I think my brother Gregg Rolie should join us for [the] 2023 tour. What do you think, friends? He will spice it up, and we will have a great variety of songs to choose from."
Journey's 2023 "Freedom Tour" celebrating the 50th anniversary of the band is set to begin in January. Another rock band that was big in the '80s, Toto, will support them.
The legal battle between Schon and Cain hinges on an American Express card associated with Nomota, the company they established in 1998 to handle Journey's business dealings. In October, Schon filed a lawsuit against Cain, claiming the keyboardist "improperly restricted" his access. Subsequently, Cain accused Schon of misusing the card, alleging "excessive spending and [an] extravagant lifestyle."
Earlier this year, former Journey lead vocalist Steve Perry, who sings on the band's hit singles such as "Don't Stop Believin'" (1981) and "Open Arms" (1982), filed suit against Schon and Cain alleging trademark infringement. Journey was formed in San Francisco in 1973 by former members of Santana, Steve Miller Band and Frumious Bandersnatch.
See Journey's tour dates under the tweet.
Neal Schon Tweet - Nov. 27, 2022
Journey + Toto 2023 North American Tour Dates
Feb. 4 – Allentown, Pa. @ PPL Ctr
Feb. 5 – Charlottesville, Va. @ Jones Arena
Feb. 8 – Savannah, Ga. @ Enmarket Arena
Feb. 10 – Columbia, S.C. @ Colonial Life Arena
Feb. 11 – Greensboro, N.C. @ Greensboro Coliseum
Feb. 14 – Lexington, Ky. @ Rupp Arena
Feb. 17 – Knoxville, Tenn. @ Thompson-Boling Arena
Feb. 19 – Bossier City, La. @ Brookshire Grocery Arena
Feb. 22 – Austin, Texas @ Moody Ctr
Feb. 23 – Lafayette, La. @ Cajundome
Feb. 26 – Jacksonville, Fla. @ Vystar Veterans
March 1 – Washington, D.C. @ Capital One Arena
March 3 – State College, Pa. @ Bryce Jordan Ctr
March 4 – Hartford, Ct. @ XL Ctr
March 8 – Montreal, Quebec @ Bell Ctr
March 9 – Quebec, Quebec @ Videotron Ctr
March 12 – Toronto, Ontario @ Scotiabank Arena
March 13 – Ottawa, Ontario @ Canadian Tire Centre
March 16 – Buffalo, N.Y. @ KeyBank Ctr
March 17 – Atlantic City, N.J. @ Boardwalk Hall
March 20 – Champaign, Ill. @ State Farm Ctr
March 21 – Moline, Ill. @ Vibrant Arena
March 24 – Sioux Falls, S.D. @ Premier Ctr
March 25 – Lincoln, Neb. @ Pinnacle Bank Arena
March 28 – Des Moines, Iowa @ Wells Fargo Arena
March 31 – Tulsa, Okla. @ BOK Ctr
April 1 – Memphis, Tenn. @ FedExForum
April 4 – San Antonio, Texas @ AT&T Ctr
April 7 – Springfield, Mo. @ Great Southern Bank Arena
April 8 – Wichita, Kan. @ Intrust Bank Arena
April 11 – Casper, Wyo. @ Wyoming Center
April 13 – Boise, Idaho @ ExtraMile Arena
April 14 – Spokane, Wash. @ Spokane Arena
April 17 – Eugene, Ore. @ Matthew Knight Arena
April 19 – Stockton, Calif. @ Stockton Arena
April 22 – Bakersfield, Calif. @ Mechanics Bank Arena
April 23 – Fresno, Calif. @ SaveMart Ctr
April 25 – Palm Springs, Calif. @ Acrisure Arena