There is little love lost between Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain and guitarist Neal Schon. Last month, Schon took legal action against Cain saying he hasn’t been granted access to financial records to Journey’s business dealings. Cain fired back saying Schon’s “reckless spending” is the root of the problem.
The battle between bandmates further escalated earlier this week when Schon served Cain a cease-and-desist letter for playing “Don’t Stop Believin’” at an event for former President Donald Trump in Florida.
Variety reported: “The members of long-running rock band Journey have long had fractious relations, but an inter-band cease-and-desist order is a new peak: Keyboardist Jonathan Cain, who performed ‘Don’t Stop Believin” for Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month with a backing ‘chorus’ including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kimberly Guilfoyle and Kari Lake, was served with a cease-and-desist order from an attorney for bandmate Neal Schon for that performance.”
Schon went on to say that Cain is free to express his personal beliefs, “[But] when he does that on behalf of Journey or for the band, such conduct is extremely deleterious to the Journey brand.”
Schon added: “Journey is not, and should not be, political. Mr. Cain’s unauthorized affiliation of Journey with the politics of Donald Trump has the band’s fans up in arms. … This has caused, and continues to cause, irreparable harm to the Journey brand.”
Cain shot back, blasting his bandmate: “Neal Schon should look in the mirror when he accuses me of causing harm to the Journey brand. I have watched him damage our brand for years and am a victim of both his and his wife’s bizarre behavior. Neal sued Live Nation twice, losing both times, and damaging our ability to ever work with them again. Neal outrageously tried to take away trademarks from Steve Perry. Neal and his wife continually insult the professionalism of numerous accountants, road managers and management firms with endless legal threats and their bullying, toxic and incoherent emails. Neal argues online with fans who don’t see eye to eye with him. And Neal and his wife recklessly spend Journey’s money until there is none left for operating costs. If anyone is destroying the Journey brand, it is Neal and Neal alone.”
Cain, Schon and former Journey vocalist Steve Perry share writing credit for “Don’t Stop Believin’”, which is one of the most recognizable and successful songs in rock history.
