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Journey’s Neal Schon v. Everyone: Will Band Members Go ‘Separate Ways’?

The band is fighting over a member's Mar-a-Lago performance, suing over the group's Amex account, and hiring and firing managers. But it's still filling arenas.

By Steve Knopper

Steve Knopper

Early in Journey ’s 2022 arena tour, lead guitarist Neal Schon became convinced people were out to get him. So he stationed two off-duty police officers outside his dressing room, according to sources familiar with the tour. And at a Florida show last spring, Schon and his wife, Michaele , sent an assistant into keyboardist Jonathan Cain ’s dressing room to snoop around — to find what, the sources have no idea.

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Journey’s latest legal clash it’s over the band’s amex card.

From the outside, Journey’s business might seem easy — perform hits like “Wheel in the Sky,” “Any Way You Want It” and “Who’s Crying Now” in arenas and watch the money roll in. Most of those guitar-piano-and-whoa-oh-oh classics are from the ’80s, when Journey dominated rock radio and MTV, scoring eight multiplatinum albums and six top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles, and becoming a bridge between ’70s regular-guy bands like Boston , Styx and Kansas and the more dangerous-looking Bon Jovis and Mötley Crües of subsequent years.

Journey has sold more than 75 million albums worldwide, according to a recent lawsuit involving the band, and Billboard Boxscore reports a career gross of more than $352.5 million on sales of 7.6 million tickets. Journey has also cleaned up on synch licensing for decades — the iconic final scene of The Sopranos in 2007 famously used “Don’t Stop Believin,’ ” and the band’s songs have appeared in Caddyshack (“Any Way You Want It”), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (“Faithfully”) and last year’s season of Stranger Things (“Separate Ways [Worlds Apart]”). And the group’s 2022 tour was one of its biggest ever, nearly doubling the pace of its previous standalone tour in 2017, which took 67 shows to gross $31.7 million.

Recently, though, simmering, passive-aggressive, behind-the-scenes tension between Schon and Cain has blown up into dueling lawsuits and cease-and-desist letters, including one over Cain’s performance at Mar-a-Lago. Journey is hardly the only group to tour and make albums amid acrimony between band members; examples include Sam & Dave , The Kinks and Van Halen . But Journey’s personality conflicts have spread to its business far more than most, and sources say the Schons have run off business and road managers, accountants and longtime band members. In February, Journey’s longtime bank, City National, cut ties with the band, according to sources, hampering the group’s ability to easily pay its day-to-day touring expenses. Even Journey’s official webpage abruptly stopped operating for several weeks in early February before it recently reappeared.

At the Jan. 27 opening show of Journey’s 2023 arena tour, which runs through April, Cain and Schon stood at least 20 yards apart at all times, on opposite sides of the stage at the Choctaw Grand Theatre in Durant, Okla. The 3,000 fans singing along to hit after hit clearly energized the band, especially frontman Arnel Pineda , who sprinted and twirled around the stage. But Cain and Schon barely looked at each other, even when Cain sang these lines from “Faithfully,” the 1983 hit he wrote: “Circus life under the big-top world/ We all need the clowns to make us smile/ Through space and time, always another show.” Another show: Check. Circus life: Check. Shared smiles: Absent.

____________________

Neal Schon has been litigious for years. In 2007, he sued his ex-wife’s mother-in-law for blogging that he didn’t pay child support. The mother-in-law, who has since died, said she didn’t say that and the case was eventually dismissed. (After the publication of this story, Schon texted to point out that he had sued The Daily Mail for running a story based on the blog that referred to Schon as a “deadbeat dad,” which led to a settlement with terms that included a public apology from the British tabloid. “It was all false and damaging,” Schon said by text.) In 2019, he sued Live Nation, then-promoter for the band. And in 2020, along with Cain, he sued then-Journey drummer Steve Smith and bassist Ross Valory .

That lawsuit settled in April 2021 , for undisclosed terms, and Smith and Valory soon left the band, leaving Schon and Cain to publicly turn on each other in the months that followed. In October, Schon sued Cain in Superior Court in Contra Costa County, Calif., for “improperly” refusing him access to a corporate American Express account representing “millions in Journey funds.” In Cain’s Jan. 13 response, he accused Schon of “completely out-of-control” spending, charging the band’s American Express card for what Cain said were $1 million in personal expenses, including — in a single month last spring — $104,000 for jewelry and clothes, $31,000 to the Bergdorf Goodman department store and $54,000 toward his insurance premiums.

The dispute between Schon and Cain even involves Trump. Cain is married to the ex-president’s spiritual advisor, Paula White-Cain , and he performed “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” at Mar-a-Lago. He also appeared at a Las Vegas “Evangelicals for Trump” event three months before the 2020 presidential election. In December, Schon sent a cease-and-desist letter that called Cain’s Mar-a-Lago performance “deleterious to the Journey brand as it polarizes the band’s fans and outreach.” (Cain declined to comment and Pineda did not respond to interview requests.)

Journey Band Members Agree to Settle $10 Million Lawsuit and Go ‘Separate Ways’

This combative back-and-forth might suggest the central tension in Journey is between Schon and Cain, the remaining members of the group’s megastar era. But numerous music sources who have worked with the band over the years say the lead guitarist is obsessed with controlling the band with Michaele, a fan since childhood, who took an interest in Journey’s affairs soon after their 2013 wedding. The actual conflict, they say, isn’t Schon vs. Cain, but rather Schon vs. everyone. “He’s just an impossible human being,” says an industry source, who has worked with the band. “Jonathan, he’s a good guy: ‘I wrote “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” and I’m blessed.’ Neil’s just ‘I’m a superstar.’ ”

The source refers to a 2018 Tampa Bay Times concert review in which critic Jay Cridlin praised the band’s onstage tribute to the late Aretha Franklin . Schon directly emailed Cridlin afterwards, demanding he change the review — it was Schon who orchestrated the Franklin tribute, not the entire band, as Cridlin had reported. In a Times story he published later about his exchange with Schon, Cridlin wrote, “It seemed odd that Schon would go out of his way to make sure readers knew his bandmates had nothing to do with it.”

The son of a professional singer and a jazz saxophonist and composer, Schon was a teenage guitar hotshot in the early ’70s, when Eric Clapton invited him to jam with Derek and the Dominos onstage at Berkeley Community Theatre, near his home in the Bay Area. Word got around, and both Clapton and Carlos Santana made offers to Schon to join their bands. At 17, Schon picked Santana, then in its post-Woodstock prime, before forming Journey in 1973.

Four years later, frontman Steve Perry ushered Journey into its FM-radio golden age. Perry became the face of the band as Cain underpinned the songwriting with Broadway-style piano and melancholy verses, and Schon electrified the earworms, matching every catchy chorus and Perry high note with a melodic guitar solo.

Over the years, as happens with many successful rock bands, Journey’s business grew into a jigsaw puzzle of financial deals worked out over decades of negotiation. Perry, who quit for good in 1997, landed a deal in which he still makes 1/41 of the band’s net income from recording royalties and touring, after management fees and other expenses. Which means he pocketed roughly $400,000 in 2022 from Journey’s tour alone, according to sources, while sitting at home making TikToks about how much he loves Harry Styles . The remainder is then split among Schon, Cain and Pineda, a cover band singer from the Philippines, whom Schon discovered on YouTube in 2007.

In the early 2010s, according to sources, Schon became more litigious and started spending more money, when he became serious with the former Michaele Ann Holt, whose Oakton, Va., high school friends in the ’80s called her Rock Chic Miss, according to Washingtonian . A Journey superfan and once a Real Housewives of D.C. cast member, Michaele first became famous with her ex-husband, Tareq Salahi , as the White House gate-crashers who joined former President Barack Obama’s 2009 state dinner without an invitation. Two years after that, Salahi reported his wife missing to the police and appeared on TV, begging for her return. “I swear to God, I’m missing my wife,” he said through tears. “This is not a joke.”

It came out later, in Salahi’s divorce filings, that when he made that plea, he neglected to mention that he had already received a call about his wife’s whereabouts. It came from Neal Schon. As Washingtonian reported, Schon told Salahi, “This is Neal. I am fucking your wife.”

In 2013, Neal married Michaele, in a pay-per-view wedding that cost viewers $14.95. One of the three dresses Michaele wore was by Oscar de la Renta. Neal wore a long black coat without a tie. Sammy Hagar and Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir attended. So did Omarosa Manigault , the Apprentice villain who later worked in — and still later turned against — the Trump Administration. The San Francisco wedding, held in a white tent, had a winter-wonderland theme, with 36 crystal chandeliers and a four-foot-tall, berry-and-custard white cake. Paying customers could watch for up to 12 hours — more than six times the length of a typical Journey concert. Journey performed, of course, and a portion of the pay-per-view gross went to typhoon relief, a cause Pineda favored. The wedding cost between $1 million and $3 million, according to music-industry sources familiar with the band’s finances.

Journey Takes a Break From Feuding, Returns for Harmonious Concert at Oklahoma Casino

After Michaele left Salahi for Schon, the couple began getting Journey’s publicists to work for them. Emails from the time show Neal and Michaele calling and emailing a publicist late at night, to tweak language and order photos for press releases about Michaele’s divorce. When a publicist responded to an 11:30 p.m. email by saying his business hours were 9 to 5, Neal responded, “sorry we didn’t fit into your biz hours. Lol.” At one point, the publicist emailed, “I rarely answer calls from numbers I don’t have saved. Michaele’s 12:28 a.m response: “Are you still up?”

After she married Schon, ​​Michaele gradually became more involved in various aspects of Journey’s business: She asked to be copied on all band-related emails, according to multiple sources, and sometimes responded by CC’ing as many as 15 other addresses, including those of attorneys and other band employees.

In early 2021, after Smith and Valory settled their lawsuits and left the band, Schon became Journey’s manager.

By the time Schon started managing Journey, he and Michaele had spent six years scrutinizing trademarks and merchandise and ticket sales. And they came to one conclusion: Journey was getting screwed. That meant everyone had to go, so Schon fired or sued managers, accountants, bandmates and promoters, some of whom had worked with the group for decades. John Baruck , who managed the band for 20 years and oversaw its 2017 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the hiring of Pineda as lead singer and the band’s post- Sopranos renaissance? Gone. Peter Mensch , also one of Metallica ’s managers at Q Prime? Gone. Smith and Valory? Gone, when Schon and Cain jointly sued them for $10 million, claiming the two “launched a coup” to take control of the Journey name and “set themselves up for retirement.”

“I took the bull by the horns and started cleaning things up,” says Schon, 68, with matter-of-fact rock star charm on Zoom audio last summer, throwing in a “ha!” or two to illustrate the absurdity of the music business. “It was a mess, I have to tell you, business-wise. It was set up to be chaotic, so you would never be able to have a clue of how messed up it was.”

Schon and Cain took over as Journey’s co-managers in early 2021, splitting the standard 15% fee. (Cain shared some of his 7.5% with Pineda, according to sources.) The idea was to bring order to the business chaos. “I believe the government calls it ‘chaos merchants,’ ” Schon says, in a charming non sequitur, with a soft-spoken laugh. But Schon also created chaos of his own, sources say.

In 2019, the Schons filed a lawsuit against Live Nation, which promoted Journey’s tours, after Michaele alleged that a security employee at the band’s show at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind., “violently assaulted” her and threw her into a PA system while she was taking photos near the stage. ( Video on YouTube that seems to show the incident includes no evidence of violence, but it’s blurry, distant and missing several crucial seconds of the alleged confrontation.)

The Schons fired three different law firms that represented them in that case, including one that cited an “irretrievable breakdown of the attorney-client relationship.” They also stopped responding to discovery requests and court orders, prompting an Allen County Superior Court judge to mandate a court appearance. When they didn’t show up, the judge held the Schons in contempt and dismissed the suit last March.

In early 2020, Schon and Cain filed their California Superior Court lawsuit against Valory and Smith, claiming the duo’s “coup” to take over one of the band’s business entities, Nightmare Productions Inc., “placed their own greed before the interests of the band, sowing discontent and discord, jeopardizing the future of Journey.” In a counter-complaint, Valory said Schon and Cain were “deceptive, misleading and false,” and that he and Smith tried to protect Journey from their bandmates’ attempts to trademark logos and song titles to use on merchandise for Schon’s side project, Neal Schon Journey Through Time, which toured briefly in 2019. (Valory, who is no longer in the band, did not respond to interview requests; reached on his cellphone, Smith said, “No, I won’t do a phone interview on or off the record, and if you don’t mind, I have to go.”)

Journey Hires Def Leppard Manager Amid Inter-Band Turmoil

After Schon’s enthusiastic Zoom interview last summer, he declined all further requests to comment. Skip Miller , his attorney, responded to an email list of questions by saying, “Please be advised that your email, and the questions and matters therein, are largely incorrect.” He would not specify which parts were incorrect, but said: “As the band’s founder and leader, Mr. Schon puts Journey above all else. Unlike another band member, he doesn’t think Journey should be involved in politics on any side, red, blue or whatever.” Later, he added, “For Neal Schon, it’s all about making great music for Journey’s fans.”

Journey’s blockbuster 2022 ended with Schon suing Cain, his final remaining bandmate from the “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” years. Schon v. Cain , the legal dispute over the band’s American Express account, is pending in California Superior Court, and representatives for both sides would not comment. By early December, Def Leppard manager Mike Kobayashi confirmed Journey had hired him to take over management from Schon and Cain.

By early February, sources say, Kobayashi was no longer manager.

Over Zoom last summer, Schon says he became suspicious of the people handling Journey’s affairs before he started doing it himself. At one point — he won’t give the date or context — he asked band accountants how many fans attended each amphitheater show he played. “You did OK,” came the response, according to Schon. “You didn’t do as well as two years ago, when you had 19,000. You had 18,500, or 17,000.” His conclusion: The band’s representatives were lowballing him.

So, Schon says, “I would pay guys in the parking lot and say, ‘How many cars are here tonight?’ And they’d say ‘Dude, they’re plus-five miles out’ — that means about 23,000. With a band like Journey, that has hits like Journey has, you can’t just try to squash them down in a box and make them believe that they’re no longer big.”

During Journey’s business purge of the last few years, one of the managers Schon fired was Irving Azoff , the uber-manager who represents the Eagles , John Mayer , Jon Bon Jovi , Gwen Stefani and others. Azoff wouldn’t comment for this story, but in his lawsuit against Live Nation, Schon says he developed a “medical condition” and criticizes Azoff for nixing “continued off-duty law enforcement protection” for the Schons during the band’s tour. In exchange for forgoing personal security, Azoff agreed to provide the Schons with private-jet transportation, according to the lawsuit. (Neither Azoff nor Baruck — Azoff’s former college roommate, who worked at his management company for years — would comment.)

Azoff’s team, Schon says on Zoom, “ended up doing some great things,” but frustratingly kept the band in amphitheaters when he insisted to managers for years that Journey should be headlining arenas. “What I did was follow my gut instinct, and it was just time to move on,” he says. “We tried Q Prime for a second, and it seemed like it was going to be alright, but, you know, politics come into play.” (A rep for Q Prime declined to discuss Journey.)

By then, Schon thought, “We don’t need these guys, man,” as he remembers telling Cain. “I swear to God, I’m mostly doing everything, anyway.”

Over the last few years, as Schon and Cain managed Journey, they had help from CAA agent Jeff Frasco and AEG Live CEO Jay Marciano . (Neither would comment for this story.) On Zoom, Schon lists Journey’s switch from sheds to arenas as his top accomplishment as manager, and some in the concert business agree. “It’s a much bigger statement for a band to headline an arena than a single day at an amphitheater,” says New York promoter John Scher , who booked the band in the ’80s. “Could they be doing better with a different manager? They seem to be doing OK now.”

Schon’s other business priority is Journey trademarks. He says he was amazed to learn that since 1973, Journey hadn’t trademarked its name or logo, despite selling T-shirts for years at venues, as well as retailers from Walmart to Neiman Marcus. After the Schons realized this, in 2019, Neal and Cain registered 20 of the band’s song titles with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, for use on T-shirts, caps and hoodies. (Since Journey’s songs and the recordings are already protected by copyright, this would only cover the song titles for use on merchandise.)

“I’d introduce myself to the CEO and I’d say, ‘I’m Neal Schon, the founding member of Journey, and I now own the trademark for all Journey material. And you guys have kind of gotten yourself in a weird position here, because you’ve been selling tons of Journey merchandise for decades, and we’re seeing peanuts, and I’d like to have an electronic audit,’ ” Schon recalls. “Then a legal team would get on the phone with myself and my wife and they’d say, ‘Well, you know, we weren’t really selling it under the name Journey.’ And I’d go, ‘Well, that’s kind of laughable. I have boxes and cases of stuff in my living room and it’s just from your store and it all says Journey on it.’ ” (A Walmart spokesperson said the company was “not aware of any unlicensed Journey-branded products being sold by Walmart.” A Neiman Marcus spokesperson said he would “need to look into” Schon’s claims, then didn’t respond to follow-up inquiries.)

In fact, the Journey “mark” has been the subject of many years of negotiation among past and present band members. In 1985, the band’s company Nightmare Productions licensed it to a separate partnership, Elmo Partners — Perry, Schon and Cain — according to the complaint in Schon v. Valory .

Ex-Journey Frontman Steve Perry Files to Block Former Bandmates’ Song Title Trademarks

In a September filing to cancel the trademarks with the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office’s trial and appeal board, Perry declared that Schon and Cain sold the rights to the songs they co-wrote and once owned. As of 2019, according to Merck Mercuriadis , CEO and managing partner of U.K. song-investment firm Hipgnosis, his company owns all recording royalties and publishing that previously belonged to Schon, Cain, Valory, Smith and Herbie Herbert , an early longtime manager who died in 2021. Perry argued that Schon and Cain no longer retained the standing to trademark the songs. Plus, the trio’s 1985 Elmo agreement requires “unanimous agreement and consent” among Schon, Cain and Perry to use a trademarked song for T-shirts or other products.

In his filing to cancel the Schon-Cain song trademark action, which cost him $12,000 in fees, Perry accused the duo of making knowingly “false or misleading” statements. In January, Perry abruptly dropped the motion to cancel the trademarks. Schon used the occasion to rip his current bandmate — Cain — on Twitter: “So much for [Cain] trying to throw me under the bus as he claimed I was blatantly trying to rip off [Perry] while collecting the checks for the very diligent work my wife and I did to protect our Merch.”

While federal trademark registration can be important, Journey already had other ways to assert its rights to logos or song titles associated with the band that appear on merchandise. The band could have protected its holdings through “common-law rights,” says Michael N. Cohen , a Beverly Hills, Calif., an intellectual-property lawyer who specializes in trademarks and represents classic rock bands: “Just by virtue of using the mark, you’ve acquired some degree of rights, but those rights are limited.” In other words, Journey has always had the right to make merchandise deals — just by being Journey.

With Kobayashi gone, Schon seems to have taken over again as manager — with the help of Michaele, whom he recently praised on Instagram for serving as the band’s road manager in 2022, even though the band employed experienced road managers throughout the tour. (Kobayashi didn’t respond to requests for comment.)

By February, Journey may have also lost its bank, and with it the ability to easily pay employees and cover expenses on the road. (A representative from City National declined to comment.) As manager, though, Schon understands an important thing about Journey: If the band puts out a new album every now and then — like last year’s Freedom , which didn’t do nearly as well as its classic ’80s material — the arena dates will keep rolling in.

“Let’s be honest: There’s no new Journey fans,” says Brock Jones , a veteran Nashville and Philadelphia promoter and consultant. “It’s about playing the right markets, playing the right rooms, pricing the right tickets and making sure the package is correct.”

At the Choctaw Grand Theatre, before boisterous fans singing along to every “na-na,” Cain manned his red piano at stage right, while Schon soloed constantly at stage left. After the finale, “Any Way You Want It,” the six band members lined up and group-hugged and fist-bumped, happy to perform again after several months off for the holidays. But Cain and Schon stood at opposite ends of the line. They did not hug each other. They did not bump fists with each other. Finally, Schon bounded off-stage — by himself.

Additional reporting by Bill Donahue.

Journey’s 10 Best Songs

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Here's Why Journey Just Fired Two Of Their Band Members

For at least two people out there, it's time to finally stop believin'. In the wake of salacious accusations that bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith were engaged in an "ill-conceived coup d'etat" to usurp control of the band's name and relevant IP, both musicians will be sailing away from Journey . Band stewards Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain told Valory and Smith "We'll be alright without you" in a series of court filings with the Superior Court of Contra Costa County in California.

The filings allege that both erstwhile Journeymen attempted to seize control of a band business entity called Nightmare Productions. According to reporting on the website Ultimate Classic Rock , Valory and Smith believed this entity contained the rights to the name "Journey", and that by taking control of Nightmare Productions they might also gain control of valuable IP.

Never walk away...unless you try to stage a coup against your bandmates

Schon and Cain's decidedly un-rock n' roll civil complaint alleges as follows: "in 1998, Schon, Cain and Perry entered into a written agreement providing Schon and Cain the sole, exclusive, irrevocable right to control the Journey Mark, including the Journey name. They are, therefore, authorized to perform together as Journey, with or without anyone else." Even though Smith and Valory had been members of Journey previously, their services included only a few songwriting credits for which they were handsomely compensated by the corporate Journey entity. As far Schon and Cain are concerned, that entitles them to exactly diddly squat. Who's crying now?

This isn't the first time Valory and the band had to go their separate ways. An original member of Journey, Valory got canned in 1985 over creative differences. But the wheel in the sky keeps on turning, and Valory was welcomed back with open arms a decade later. In light of all the bad blood on the pages of those court filings, another reunion seems unlikely. "With their actions, Smith and Valory have destroyed the chemistry, cohesion and rapport necessary for the band to play together," the documents stated. That sounds like we'll probably see Valory back with Journey around the same time Liam and Noel Gallagher launch that "Brotherly Love" Oasis reunion tour (i.e. never).

Journey members past and present resolve legal dispute, reach ‘amicable settlement’

Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain reach ‘amicable’ agreement with former Journey members Steve Smith and Ross Valory

The legal wrangling between Journey ’s Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain and former members Steve Smith and Ross Valory have been resolved. 

Drummer Smith and bassist Valory were sacked from Journey on March 3, 2020 following claims that they had attempted to stage a "corporate coup d'état" to gain control of one of the band's business entities, Nightmare Productions. Following their dismissal, Schon and Cain sought to claim $10 million in damages from the duo, stating that the pair had “destroyed the chemistry, cohesion and rapport necessary for the band to play together.”

Valory fired back on April 17, 2020 by filing legal papers of his own at California’s Contra Costa County Superior Court, calling the allegations “baseless,” and Schon and Cain’s actions “outrageous”, claiming that pair caused “him to suffer severe emotional distress.”

Thankfully, all this unpleasantness has now been laid to rest. 

A statement released today from Journey’s management, Q Prime, reads:

‘The members of the band Journey who were parties to a recent lawsuit (Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Steve Smith and Ross Valory) are pleased to announce that they have resolved their differences and reached an amicable settlement agreement. Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain acknowledge the valuable contributions that both Ross Valory and Steve Smith have made to the music and the legacy of Journey. Ross Valory and Steve Smith wish their former bandmates well and much success in the future. Journey looks forward to continuing to tour and make new music for their dedicated fans around the world.’

Classic Rock wishes all four men continued success with their various endeavours. 

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Journey members Steven Smith, Ross Valory fired, bandmates embroiled in lawsuit over trademark

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Two members of Journey have been kicked out of the band amid the filing of a lawsuit over its trademark.

The legendary band's bassist, Ross Valory, and drummer , Steven Smith, were kicked out of the group after guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jon Cain filed a lawsuit against the two, accusing them of attempting a "coup" to gain control of the band's trademark, according to a complaint obtained by Fox News.

Schon and Cain accuse their former bandmates of declaratory judgment and breach of fiduciary duty and are seeking damages in excess of $10 million.

AEROSMITH RESPONDS TO DRUMMER JOEY KRAMER'S LAWSUIT, SAY IT WOULD BE A 'DISSERVICE' TO LET HIM PLAY AT GRAMMYS

Bassist Ross Valory, keyboardist Jonathan Cain, and founder and guitarist Neal Schon of the band Journey are seen at Prudential Center on June 15, 2018 in New Jersey. (Brian Ach/Getty Images for Journey)

According to the complaint, Schon and Cain accuse Valory and Smith of attempting to take control of the trademark last month by "improperly" holding meetings with shareholders and the board of directors of one of the band's corporate entities named Nightmare Productions. In these meetings, Smith was voted to replace Cain as board president and Valory was voted to replace Schon as secretary, the outlet said.

Schon and Cain claim their former bandmates incorrectly assumed they had rights to the Journey name.

"Smith and Valory erroneously contend that Nightmare Productions controls the Journey name. They hope to use Nightmare Productions to hold the Journey name hostage and force Cain, Schon and Nightmare Productions to provide them with wind-fall payments for their retirement," the complaint states.

STEVEN TYLER SENDS TRUMP CEASE-AND-DESIST LETTER OVER PLAYING AEROSMITH SONGS AT RALLIES

Founder and guitarist Neal Schon of the band Journey is seen at Prudential Center on June 15, 2018. (Brian Ach/Getty Images for Journey)

It continues: "Smith and Valory are wrong that Nightmare Productions controls the Journey name. Cain and Schon, through an entity named Elmo Partners, hold all rights to the Journey name."

The plaintiffs cite two trademark registration numbers and cite a trademark license agreement from 1985 to prove their ownership of the band name.

The two band members further claim Valory and Smith want Nightmare Productions to "pay them a share of Journey touring revenue in perpetuity under the guise of a licensing fee while they perform absolutely no work for the band."

Schon and Cain accuse their former pals of concocting a "malicious" and "very ill-conceived" scheme in order to "set themselves up for retirement."

JOURNEY'S NEAL SCHON SLAMS BANDMATES OVER TRUMP MEETING

Bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith of the band Journey are seen at Prudential Center on June 15, 2018. (Brian Ach/Getty Images for Journey)

Journey formed in 1973 and quickly became known as one of the world's most successful rock bands, with 10 platinum albums, 18 Top 40 singles and over 75 million albums sold worldwide, a press release from the law firm representing Schon and Cain states.

Schon and Cain officially removed Smith and Valory from Journey in a letter dated March 3, the release explains.

Attorneys for Valory and Smith did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.

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Skip Miller, attorney for Schon and Cain, provided a statement on their behalf in a news release this week.

“This is not an action that Neal and Jon wanted to bring against two men that they once considered their brothers, but the devious and truculent behavior of Steve and Ross left them reluctantly with no choice but to act decisively. Journey will continue on with great success by ridding the band of disruptive members and replacing them with top musicians; and most importantly, by keeping its essential members—Schon, Cain and Pineda—fully intact.”

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Journey Reaches 'Amicable Settlement' In Lawsuit Over Band Name

By Andrew Magnotta @AndrewMagnotta

April 1, 2021

Journey has reached an "amicable settlement" with two former band members fired last winter amid accusations of a corporate coup d'état to take over rights to the band name.

In March of 2020, Journey founder Neal Schon and longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain fired longtime bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith from the band after the rhythm section allegedly launched an attempt to wrest control of the band's trademarks.

Lawyers for Schon and Cain said at the time that Valory and Smith were angling to fund their retirements with the action.

The four Rock and Roll Hall of Famers exchanged a flurry of lawsuits and countersuits last year, and now 13 months later the foursome has reached an agreement, Rolling Stone reports . The terms have not been disclosed.

“The members of the band Journey who were parties to a recent lawsuit (Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Steve Smith, and Ross Valory) are pleased to announce that they have resolved their differences and reached an amicable settlement agreement,” the band told Rolling Stone in a statement. “Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain acknowledge the valuable contributions that both Ross Valory and Steve Smith have made to the music and the legacy of Journey. Ross Valory and Steve Smith wish their former bandmates well and much success in the future. Journey looks forward to continuing to tour and make new music for their dedicated fans around the world.”

After Valory and Smith were ousted last year, Journey announced a new lineup featuring keyboardist Jason Derlatka , Grammy-winning drummer Narada Michael Walden and the return of one-time bassist/producer Randy Jackson , who was previously in the band from 1985-'87 following Valory's first departure.

With the new lineup in place behind frontman Arnel Pineda , Journey began work on what will be the band's 15th studio album , expected to arrive later this year.

Journey has had plenty of personnel issues boil over publicly in recent years, but those have primarily been between Schon and Cain . Both men said they patched up their most critical differences by the end of the last Journey tour.

While classic-era singer Steve Perry was not involved in the litigation, he initially supported Smith and Valory's attempt to expand the board membership of Journey's Nightmare Productions company to include the both of them, Journey's former manager Herbie Herbert and himself.

Asked about the lawsuit last fall by Rolling Stone , Perry said he was unsurprised at the drama between his former bandmates . "There was never any 'Kumbaya' with [Journey]," he said.

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Journey reaches “amicable settlement” in legal battle with ex-members ross valory and steve smith.

Journey has settled its legal differences with two former members, bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith , who were ousted from the group last year after they were accused of plotting what was described as “an ill-conceived corporate coup d’état” in an alleged effort to gain control over the band’s name.

According to Rolling Stone , Journey, which is led by founding guitarist Neal Schon and longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain , have reached an “amicable settlement agreement” with Valory and Smith after both parties sued each other in 2020.

“The members of the band Journey who were parties to a recent lawsuit [Schon, Cain, Smith and Valory] are pleased to announce that they have resolved their differences,” the group said in a statement to Rolling Stone . “Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain acknowledge the valuable contributions that both Ross Valory and Steve Smith have made to the music and the legacy of Journey. Ross Valory and Steve Smith wish their former bandmates well and much success in the future. Journey looks forward to continuing to tour and make new music for their dedicated fans around the world.”

The statement also reiterates that Valory and Smith are no longer members of Journey. As the band announced last May, original American Idol judge Randy Jackson , who played bass for Journey during the mid-1980s, has returned to the lineup in place of Valory, while veteran drummer, songwriter and producer Narada Michael Walden has replaced Smith. Arnel Pineda continues to serve as the group’s frontman.

Interestingly, Jackson also stepped in for Valory when he first joined Journey in 1985.

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Journey’s Bassist Ross Valory Opens Up About the Band’s Saga — And His Adventurous Solo Album

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

Ross Valory has dreamed of making a solo album ever since he started gigging around San Francisco in the late Sixties, but other projects kept getting in the way. He was in the process of amassing original songs in 1971 when the Steve Miller Band brought him into the fold to play bass on Rock Love . Later, he teamed up with ex-members of Santana to form the Golden Gate Rhythm Section. Within a few months, they changed their name to Journey .

The upside to all this is that Valory has finally been able to finish his solo LP All of the Above, which arrives April 12. “I took the energy and the focus of what I was doing on tour with Journey and began recording my own material,” he tells Rolling Stone via Zoom from his home in East Bay, California. “All of these songs have been waiting. Some of them go back decades. I wanted to finish what I started.”

Growing up in Lafayette, California, Valory heard his parents playing Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and Andy Williams around the house at a young age. He sang with a men’s chorus while in high school, competed in a cappella tournaments around the state, and learned to play clarinet, ukulele, and guitar. He didn’t pick up the bass until he was 16 and a new kid at school invited him into his soul band under the condition he learn the instrument.

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Valory has done very few interviews over the years, preferring to let his bandmates tell the story of Journey. We took this opportunity to hear the saga from his perspective, and learn all about the creation of All of the Above.

You were briefly in the Steve Miller Band prior to Journey. What was your experience like making Rock Love ? Rock Love was very experimental. Steve Miller was going through his last throes with Mercury Records. So to him, Rock Love was an obligation. It didn’t matter whether they promoted it or sold it or not. But he met his contract, so he was very experimental.

And [drummer] Jack King and I, having come from the experimental music scene of San Francisco, were very agreeable to that. So Rock Love is probably the one-off album of Steve’s career. It’s unlike anything else he did before or afterwards.

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You were a supergroup of sorts. This was a time when a lot of supergroups were forming. Known members of bands would get together and do an album project and even do a tour. But there was also a stigma attached to the supergroup thing. It was becoming very unpredictable. A lot of supergroups were getting together, they’d make an album, and then they’d split. They wouldn’t even play, or they’d do half a tour and then split up. So the supergroup idea only worked so far for us.

You guys made three records. You toured a ton. Did you start to get frustrated that the records weren’t selling better despite all the hard work? Actually, it’s quite the opposite. All three of those albums went gold, and gold in those days means 500,000 copies. The standard changed in later years to $500,000 worth of product. But for each of those three albums to sell 500,000 copies is no sharp stick in the eye. However, we were signed with a major record label who goes, “Okay, that’s fine, but let’s look at the long term here. Let’s see how we can sell more records.”

And so the band appreciably and agreeably was able to adapt, and it changed to a more popular music, song oriented, vocally oriented format, and the eventual arrival by 1978 of Steve Perry .

What’s your first memory of Steve Perry? I was in the position to actually hear the demo album that he had done with the band he had been working with prior to Journey, the Alien Project, in which the bassist had died in a car accident and the project fell apart. I had the opportunity to listen to that cassette, and I was simply amazed by it. What a voice.

Did you feel a spark the first time you played with him? Absolutely. Some of the first songs we developed were “Lights” and “Wheel in the Sky.” It was absolute magic.

“Wheel in the Sky” was partially credited to your wife at the time, Diane Valory. My now ex-wife was a part composer along with Gregg Rolie, Neal Schon, and Robert Fleischman, who briefly was in the band before Steve Perry. He began to work that song up until Perry’s involvement.

Why did Gregg Rolie leave the band? I think he just got tired of slogging it out. It was his second career after a lengthy one in Santana, and so it was time for him to bow out.

How did the addition of Jonathan Cain change the sound of the group? He completely added the magical combination that we already had with me, Neal, and Steve Perry. He had a different style of playing for sure. It solidified everything. That was obvious on Escape and Frontiers , which was some of the best work we ever did.

Were you stunned when the group suddenly scaled up into arenas and landed these giant hits on the radio? There was something that we all felt, especially with Steve Perry’s arrival. We knew that this was going to work. It was just intuitive, a gut feeling. But I must tell you, to be driving in a car and have the radio on and to hear “Wheel in the Sky” play was momentous. And then beyond that, to be performing in the larger venues and having audiences that were attuned to what we were doing and loving it was also momentous.

The tour schedule back then was pretty grueling. You went out for months and months without any breaks. Did it ever start to burn you out? I can’t say grueling, but it was certainly a lot of work. So many people have this impression of rock stars where it’s all la-dee-da and martinis by the pool. Not really. It’s a whole lot of work. And Journey was so busy from 1972 through at least 1984 or so. It was a lot of work. It can be tiring, especially for a singer.

When the group took that break after 1983 and Steve had those solo hits, did you think the band was over? No, I didn’t. But certainly people had their own solo projects that they wanted to pursue. I didn’t think it was over at the time.

How did you find out that you and Steve Smith were out of the band in 1986? Well, that was something that Herbie imparted, but it was pretty evident that the majority of the players wanted to take a different direction, a different approach in style, and that was their prerogative.

Steve Perry said later that it was a mistake and he regrets it. Well, good for him. But you can look back at all that…it’s so long ago. There’s no judgment at this point. It was probably a wrong move, but it was a short move. It was one album and one tour. There were some good songs on that album, and it did keep the band’s brand alive.

Why didn’t the band last longer? We were the first band signed to Interscope Records. They loved the album. They did pretty well promoting it. We landed a very good spot opening up for Bryan Adams for an entire tour. But then again, it was a Bryan Adams crowd, and I can’t say that the audiences were entirely tuned into the Storm and its music, but as the tour progressed, it started to really work.

Then we went back and recorded the second album and presented it to Interscope, and they said, “This is great. This is brilliant. It’s even better than the first one. But while you were away, we no longer have a promotional department for that kind of music.”

The industry decided way back then, “We don’t want to sell this. We’d rather get new bands that we can get a lot less expensively and that we can get a piece of their publishing on. And if it doesn’t work, we have not lost an investment. And if it does, we are in the money.” That’s a very cynical but accurate outlook of what the industry was at the time.

A few years later, you reunited with Steve Perry and Journey for Trial by Fire. What a pleasant surprise. What a great idea. And it was by the efforts of John Kalodner, a major exec at CBS/Sony. It’s a project that I’m very proud of with some great music. What a great occasion to bring those people back together and accomplish what we did.

It was the thing everyone wanted to see, which was the five of you back in a room together. Yeah. There was some good material with “When You Love a Woman,” Message of Love,” and “If He Should Break Your Heart.” Unfortunately, Steve was suffering from systemic arthritis that attacked his hips. He just could not continue well enough to do the subsequent tour. So the project for the five of us ended with the recording of the album and the one video for “When You Love a Woman.”

Steve Smith decided that without the original members, it would not be worth his while. But there’s another aspect there. Steve is a major jazz artist. So that’s when we brought in Deen Castronovo from Bad English. And Steve Augeri, to answer your question, I think was a great, great candidate.

You guys toured like maniacs and really built the band up again. Right. It was just reinventing ourselves. We continued to work with Steve Augeri until 2006 when his voice failed. Now I should comment about this to give perspective on why and how something like that happens. At that point, we were not flogging it as much as we were in the old days. We were paying more attention to spacing out the number of shows, especially the number of consecutive shows in a week, to give the singer a break.

There are about 18 hits that any given audience would generally like to hear. To perform all of those songs in one night, four to five nights a week, is something that not even Steve Perry could have done.

This is not to disrespect his talent and his strength in those days, but to perform all of those hits in one night, I wouldn’t want the job. It is no surprise that Steve Augeri’s voice failed. That’s a big workload.

Many fans felt Steve Augeri was lip-syncing in his final shows. Is that true? Oh, that’s not true. But that’s the old Milli Vanilli thing. Not at all.

You brought in Jeff Scott Soto after that. He’s a great singer, but maybe not quite right for that material. Jeff is a fine singer and a great entertainer, but it just was a little different. And in the process of writing new material for another album, Jeff and the other writers didn’t really fall into sync. There was not enough in common. So Jeff certainly stepped in and did what he did on short notice. What a guy.

And then suddenly the band is on Oprah and seemingly everywhere. It was just this crazy resurgence. Yes, it was. All that time and energy in building the band’s presence and validity from 1998 to around 2008, that played a big part in it. I think all the time and energy spent by all of us, including Steve Augeri, really helped. The arrival of Arnel is striking and notable, but it is really based on all the footwork we had done to work our way back into the industry.

Did you talk to Steve Perry during the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction? I sure did. I went and paid a little visit. He had a little room in the back. And what a pleasant experience that was. On a side note, there was a very brief soundcheck, and I was having problems hearing my own instrument. There was distortion and glitches in the system, and the soundcheck ended before I could sort that out. It was like, “I’m sorry, we’re out of time.” So the performance likewise was equally difficult for me.

That’s just the way it goes. It was like, “Gee, here it is. This is the moment, and I don’t have time to fix a problem.” That’s a distraction from the greater magic of that night.

A few years later, all these feuds erupt in the press between members of the band. You were largely on the sidelines, but it must have been painful to watch. Yeah. It was painful for everybody involved.

Do you regret visiting the Trump White House with Arnel and Jonathan? Not at all. My intention there was to privately have a VIP tour of the White House, regardless of who was sitting in the Oval Office. That’s what I wanted. It was an opportunity. I wanted to see the White House and get the special tour, which I did. It was amazing. I didn’t see any of it as a political statement or an alignment, whatever.

Do you miss the concerts and being part of the band? Of course. What an amazing experience. I am so blessed to have spent the better part of 50 years in a band that’s remarkable. All the fine players and singers that have come through the room that I had the privilege of performing with, including the current players. These are all brilliant, talented people, whether they are present in the band or not. What an experience, from this experimental fusion band into one of the top-rated popular bands. This is a band that reinvented itself twice. But to answer your question, certainly I miss it. I miss performing, and eventually I will be doing so on my own.

Tell me about the history of your solo album All Of The Above. It goes back a long time, and it does stem from all the influences I’ve taken on since childhood. I was very busy for decades with Journey and other bands. The material that I’d been writing over the years since 1970 began piling up on the back shelf and were just sitting there. Many of these songs were complete or at least a solid concepts for songs. And I decided about 10 years ago, “Why wait till I retire? Why not get started now?” So I took the energy and the focus of what I was doing on tour with Journey, and began recording my own material here in the East Bay 10 or 12 years ago.

Who plays on it with you? It begins with [keyboardist] Eric Levy. He’s an amazing talent that played in the [jazz fusion band] Garaj Mahal. He’s been performing with Night Ranger for many years. The first song we recorded together for the album was “Wild Kingdom.” And he’s the only player besides myself who appears on all the songs.

He came in, and Eric and I had put together a demo of the arrangement. Karl brought in Walfredo de los Reyes Jr., a fine Cuban-American drummer who had played with Santana before. And both of them laid down the basic tracks for that song. Eric and I worked our parts up, and then we brought in Marc Russo of the Yellowjackets and the Doobie Brothers to do the saxophone work.

What’s the oldest song on the album? “Tomland” goes back to about 1970.

Pretty amazing you’ve been working on this stuff for well over 50 years. There’s the date of inspiration or inception, and then there’s the date of recording that could be decades apart. And the order of the songs in the album is not chronological either.

It’s largely a collection of original instrumentals, but you also include a cover of War’s “Low Rider.” That was just almost willy-nilly. It just so happened that I had the availability of Les Stroud, the harmonica player who’s better known as Survivorman on television. He happened to be rolling through town. I got his harmonica parts laid down. I also had the benefit of having [drummer] Greg Errico from Sly Stone. That’s the perfect guy for that kind of song. It just all happened very, very quickly.

After all these years or being in a band, how did it feel to finally be the one calling the shots? There’s so many aspects of the project, in terms of not just writing and arranging the songs, but also publicizing it. I’m familiar with all of that, but it’s surreal because I’m doing it on my own. I’m talking to a guy from Rolling Stone right now. It’s not like this is my first rodeo, but it’s my first rodeo by myself.

Are you going to tour it? Not at this time. Right now I’m in the process of promoting the album. I’m also at the same time, in my off hours, working on the new material, so there’s this balance there. I’d love to play shows, but I am not yet equipped to do that. I would want it to be right. I would want it to be sophisticated. I would want to have the right players for the right songs in the same room at the same time.

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Are you contact with any of them? No. We’ve all moved on. That’s not to say that I couldn’t or wouldn’t. It just happens to be that way at this time. They continue to play and they will do well. I wish everyone the best.

Is it a strange thought that they’re onstage most every night with someone else playing your parts? It’s not strange anymore. It’s become something that was a long time ago. I’m immersed into something now that’s equally fulfilling to me.

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JOURNEY Fires Drummer STEVE SMITH And Bassist ROSS VALORY

Legendary rockers JOURNEY have fired drummer Steven Smith and bassist Ross Valory .

The news of the split was broken in a press release from Los Angeles-based law firm Miller Barondess, LLP , which has filed a lawsuit "to ensure that the band continues on its great success of more than 40 years." According to the lawsuit, Smith and Valory had attempted a "corporate coup d'état" to gain control of one of the band's business entities, Nightmare Productions .

The complaint, filed in California Superior Court, accuses defendants Smith and Valory of sowing discord among the band members by engaging in self-dealing and selfishly putting their interests ahead of the band's. The lawsuit seeks to enjoin a scheme by defendants to possess the rights to the JOURNEY name and be paid without actually performing, and also seeks damages in excess of $10 million. If Smith and Valory had been successful, it would have brought an end to a legendary band that has brought so much joy to millions of people all over the world. Given the circumstances, Schon and Cain "were left with no alternative but to take decisive action for themselves and JOURNEY 's fans," the press release states.

JOURNEY , formed in 1973, is one of the most successful rock bands of all time, with ten platinum albums, eighteen Top 40 singles, and over 75 million albums sold worldwide.

Schon , the only remaining founding member, who has played at every performance since the inception of JOURNEY , along with Cain and former lead singer Steve Perry , formed the core of JOURNEY and were responsible for the band's meteoric rise to prominence in the 1980s. Together, they wrote several of the most well-known rock songs in the world — including "Don't Stop Believin" , the best-selling digital track from the 20th century, with over seven million copies sold in the United States, and the second most downloaded song of all time.

In 1985, pursuant to a trademark license agreement, Nightmare Productions, Inc. , one of the band's corporate entities, provided an exclusive, irrevocable license of the JOURNEY mark to Schon , Cain and Perry . Under the trademark license agreement, the license continues "until the date upon which none of Stephen Perry , Neal Joseph Schon , or Jonathan Cain is actively engaged in a professional music career utilizing the name ' JOURNEY .'"

After Perry left the band in 1997, Schon and Cain continued to perform as JOURNEY .

In 1998, Schon , Cain and Perry entered into a written agreement providing Schon and Cain the sole, exclusive, irrevocable right to control the JOURNEY mark, including the JOURNEY name. They are, therefore, authorized to perform together as JOURNEY , with or without anyone else.

Smith and Valory were members of JOURNEY at various times during the band's history. Collectively, they only have a very few song credits on JOURNEY albums. Nevertheless, they were "compensated generously for many years," the press release claims.

Recently, however, Smith and Valory allegedly attempted to launch an ill-conceived corporate coup d'état to assume control of Nightmare Productions because they incorrectly believe that Nightmare Productions controls the JOURNEY name and mark. "They hoped that, by taking over Nightmare Productions , they can hold the JOURNEY name hostage and set themselves up with a guaranteed income stream after they stop performing," the press release adds. " Smith and Valory began their campaign to take control of Nightmare Productions in December 2019 by conspiring to oust Schon and Cain from control."

As detailed in the complaint, their campaign culminated on February 13, 2020, when Smith and Valory held improper shareholder and board of directors meetings of Nightmare Productions . During those meetings, the defendants and their allies voted to give Smith and Valory control of the board, removing Cain as president and replacing him with Smith , and removing Schon as secretary and replacing him with Valory .

With control of Nightmare Productions , per the complaint, Smith and Valory incorrectly believe they can seize control of the JOURNEY name and force Schon , Cain and Nightmare Productions to provide them with wind-fall payments after their retirement; they want to be paid a share of JOURNEY touring revenue in perpetuity under the guise of a licensing fee while they perform absolutely no work for the band.

The very purpose of Nightmare Productions was to facilitate JOURNEY . Smith and Valory instead used Nightmare Productions "as a tool to destroy the fabric of the band, undermining the very reason for Nightmare Productions ' existence," the complaint says.

With their actions, Smith and Valory have destroyed the chemistry, cohesion and rapport necessary for the band to play together. JOURNEY can only tour successfully and succeed creatively if it is united and the band members trust one another. The actions taken by Smith and Valory shattered that trust.

As a result, Schon and Cain removed Smith and Valory from JOURNEY. By letter dated March 3, 2020, Schon and Cain provided notice to Smith and Valory that they are no longer members of JOURNEY ; and that Schon and Cain have lost confidence in both of them and are not willing to perform with them again.

With Schon and Cain holding the exclusive license to the JOURNEY mark, including the JOURNEY name, Smith and Valory have absolutely no rights to the JOURNEY mark and cannot perform using the name JOURNEY . But JOURNEY will continue on with Schon , Cain , longtime vocalist Arnel Pineda with a new rhythm section undertaking a sixty-plus-city tour of North America in May. JOURNEY will announce their new bassist and drummer imminently.

Schon and Cain are represented by Skip Miller , Mark A. Barondess and the lawyers at Miller Barondess, LLP in Los Angeles. Per Miller , who is lead counsel: "This is not an action that Neal and Jon wanted to bring against two men that they once considered their brothers, but the devious and truculent behavior of Steve and Ross left them reluctantly with no choice but to act decisively. JOURNEY will continue on with great success by ridding the band of disruptive members and replacing them with top musicians; and most importantly, by keeping its essential members — Schon , Cain and Pineda — fully intact."

Journey Complaint by BayAreaNewsGroup on Scribd

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Steve Perry Sides With Fired Rhythm Section Ross Valory and Steve Smith In Journey

via Cal Vid/YouTube

An Unexpected Turn of Events

Former Journey frontman Steve Perry has ended up siding with fired bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith. Guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain filed a lawsuit against their rhythm section after alleging that the pair “attempted to launch an ill-conceived corporate coup d’état to assume control of Nightmare Productions.” The suit also states, “Smith and Valory began their campaign to take control of Nightmare Productions in December 2019 by conspiring to oust Schon and Cain from control.”

Apparently, Nightmare Productions held a board meeting on February 13 in San Rafael, California. Steve Perry and the man who assembled Journey, first manager Herbie Herbert, were both present. And both of them sided with Valory and Smith.

The board voted to install Smith as president and Valory as secretary and expand the members to six. While Schon wasn’t there, Cain was but he abstained from voting. A few weeks later, they fired both members and sought $10 million in damages. In a letter sent to Valory and Smith on March 3, attorney Louis Miller wrote: “You have absolutely no rights to the Journey mark and are not authorized to use the Journey mark in any way. Effective immediately, you are no longer members of the band Journey and cannot perform under the name Journey.”

Meanwhile, Journey is set to replace Valory and Smith and continue with their tours.

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Journey – The Brilliant Band Members, Stories & Struggles

The best part was watching Journey grow into this monster. The band was huge, playing these enormous gigs – Neal Schon

Key Takeaways From the History of Journey Band

Table of Contents

• Journey’s success and fame can be attributed to their journey of growth, evolving from a jazz-heavy progressive rock fusion band to a mainstream rock sensation.
• Guitarist Neal Schon, a founding member, played a crucial role in the band’s inception and continued to be a driving force throughout their career.
• The addition of Steve Perry as lead vocalist brought commercial success to Journey, with albums like “Infinity” and “Escape” achieving significant chart positions and producing hit singles like “Wheel in the Sky” and “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
• The band faced challenges and conflicts, resulting in significant lineup changes, a temporary hiatus and legal disputes. But, they managed to reconcile and continue their musical journey with new releases and a dedicated fan base.
• The band’s legacy is a reminder that success in the music industry often comes with personal and financial sacrifices, but their passion for music has kept them going, even in the face of challenges.

In The Road Not Taken , Robert Frost popularised the idea that the choices that an individual makes and the path that they choose to follow determines who they will eventually become and whether they’ll fall by the wayside of fate, or end up changing the world.

Neal Schon, guitarist extraordinaire and sole remaining original member of Journey, was according to Bobby Whitlock who first met him in 1970, and played with him briefly when he jammed with Derek And The Dominoes, always going to succeed thanks to his incredible talent and drive. 

Even though Schon didn’t end up joining Eric Clapton and Whitlock in their short-lived supergroup,  he did impress another guitar legend enough for him to take the teenage virtuoso under his wing and give him his first high-profile, paying job as a guitarist. 

That musician was Carlos Satana who believed in the then seventeen-year-old Schon enough to ask him to become a full-time member of his band. 

What does Santana have to do with Journey, one of the world’s biggest-selling and most famous hard rock bands?

Well, without the former the latter wouldn’t exist, and if Carlos hadn’t brought Schon into the fold, the band that would go on to sell eighty million records over the course of their, so far forty-eight-year career might not have followed the path that they found themselves on.

From Caravanserai To Journey

Schon stayed with Santana for two years and was part of the line-up that recorded Santana III and Caravanserai and after leaving the band at just 19 years old, found himself teaming up with a fellow Santana veteran, Greg Rolle under the guidance of Herbie Herbert.

A self-proclaimed flower child and Grateful Dead fanatic, Herbert was also Santana’s manager, and by default became Rolle and Schon’s manager when they left the band and the foundation on which he was planning to build his next project, a group of talented musicians who could serve as the backing band for any established artist in San Francisco who needed or required their services. 

The Golden State Rhythm Section, which also included former Frumious Bandersnatch members Ross Valory and George Tickner and Tubes drummer Charles “Prairie” Prince was, on paper at least, a great idea.

The musicians all had a flawless pedigree, and when they played together they gelled instantly, the problem with the band was the concept. After they played their first two shows, The Golden State Rhythm Section realized that the idea of being a backing band just didn’t work for them and that they wanted to stretch their creative wings and fly. 

And the name? That wasn’t working for them either but by the end of their first show in Hawaii, and after an abortive radio show contest to find them a new name was swiftly brushed under the carpet and forgotten, the solution to their moniker problem appeared out of the ether when one of their roadies suggested that they call themselves Journey . 

Journeying To Next 

Someone up there must have liked what they heard, as the newly named Journey’s debut mainland show was at a sold-out Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco in front of ten thousand people on New Year’s Eve, 1973.

From there, they jumped straight on a plane and flew back to Hawaii to play another gig, but before they returned to the Bay Area to play a showcase gig for Columbia Records, Prairie Prince left and returned to the Tubes and was replaced by Aynsley Dunbar.

That’s right, THE Aynsley Dunbar from The Mothers Of Invention and David Bowie’s band. As we’ve already said, somebody up there must have really, really liked what Journey was doing. 

Whoever it was up there that had taken a shine to the embryonic Journey wasn’t their only fan, Columbia Records liked what they heard too, and in November 1974, the American rock band formed together in the studio to record their debut album (also called Journey ) which was released in June 1975.

It entered the Billboard Chart at one hundred and thirty-eight, which was more than a little impressive, and while the direction of the debut bore little resemblance to the band that they would eventually become less than half a decade later, it did ensure that Journey became a fixture on the map that the rock hungry audiences of America regularly looked to for direction. 

The band then took their jazz-heavy progressive rock fusion out on the road to play to anyone and everyone they could to promote their debut to, and after the tour, George Tickner left as the touring schedule that the band had undertaken was just a little too much for him. 

Their hard work began to pay off though, as Journey’s sophomore album, Look Into The Future which was released in January 1976, entered the Billboard Top One Hundred shortly after it hit the record shop racks. Granted, it entered the chart at Number One Hundred, but it did make the cut. 

While the band was happy with their sure but steady progress, their label wasn’t quite as thrilled. 

When Journey recorded their third album, Next in 1977 they tempered their sound and made it a little more commercial in order to try and appeal to a broader audience, but even with a slightly more melodic approach, when it was released, Next entered the chart at Number Eighty-Five, and like it’s predecessors, sales began to fall after the initial week of release.

It seemed as though Journey had reached the height of their fame , and despite the band being “happy” with where they were, Columbia Records were seriously beginning to reconsider their investment. Something had to change, and it had to change fast if Journey wanted to stay with their, still relatively new, label. 

The Evolution Of Journey

Even Schon, who wrote most of the band’s early material, later admitted that he thought that their first three records were self-indulgent and should have been more focused than they were.

In an effort to appease their label and increase their record sales, Journey asked singer Robert Fleischman to join the band, reigned in some of their wilder musical impulses, and softened their sound even further.  Adopting a similar approach to bands like the, at the time, wildly popular Boston they hit the road with Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and ELP. 

But everyone in the Journey camp wasn’t enamoured with Fleischman, and following a series of disagreements with Herbie Herbert, the singer was replaced by Steve Perry who Journey’s manager had met after hearing a demo by Alien Project, Perry’s old band. 

Perry joined the band just in time to record their fourth album, Infinity with them, which was produced by Roy Thomas Baker, who had flown in after working with Queen .

It was a vastly different album for the band, but the addition of Perry coupled with their new direction and having Baker at the helm paid dividends, and Infinity entered the Billboard Chart at Number Twenty-One in January 1978 and gave the band their first hit single, Wheel In The Sky, which entered the Billboard Hot One Hundred and eventually climbed to Number Fifty-Six.

It was enough to convince the band that their new musical direction was the right one to pursue and more than enough to persuade Columbia Records to keep them around. 

Change isn’t always easy, and Aynsley Dunbar wasn’t as keen on Journey’s new direction as the rest of his bandmates were, and following an awkward and difficult tour to promote Infinity , he was sacked by Herbert and replaced by former Montrose drummer Stevie Smith.

With Dunbar firmly in their rearview mirror, Journey with Smith in tow recorded their fifth album, Evolution in 1978 and released it in March 1979. It did slightly better than Infinity reaching Number Twenty in the Billboard Chart, but it did something that its forerunner didn’t. It gave Journey their first Top Twenty hit. 

Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ climbed to Number Sixteen and made sure that every rock fan with a radio in America knew who Journey was. They weren’t just a name on the map anymore, they were a rock and roll destination that an entirely new generation of fans decided to pack their bags and head directly toward for an extended vacation. 

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow 

The Evolution tour was a revelation for the band and was so successful that it saw them having to increase the size of the stage show and the venues that they were used to playing. It also added roughly five million dollars to the band’s bank balance, which just confirmed their status, both to the band and their label, as bonafide rock stars. 

By the time they recorded their sixth album, Departure, Journey was firing on all cylinders, and armed with 19 songs they embarked on a mission to solidify and magnify their success.

They succeeded and the resultant twelve-song record (the seven “weakest” numbers were dropped during the final mix) gave the band their first top ten album and their first top ten hit, as the lead single Anyway You Want It reached number eight in the Billboard Hot One Hundred. 

It was also the last Journey record that founding member Greg Rolle would play on, as he left the band shortly after the end of the Departure tour, to spend more time with his family and work on his own solo career.

But Rolle didn’t leave Journey high and dry, as he pointed them in the direction of the man he thought should replace him, and the individual who would help to shape the future sound of the band, Jonathan Cain. 

Escaping To The Frontier 

With Cain onboard, Journey’s meteoric rise to the upper echelons of rock and roll superstardom continued unabated, and their next record Escape was their most successful to date and remains a firm fan favorite.

Critically acclaimed and voted the best AOR (Album Oriented Rock) album of all time by the readers of British Heavy Metal Bible Kerrang! In 1988, Escape was Journey’s first album to soar straight to the top of the album charts when it was released in July 1981. 

It also gave Journey four top ten singles, Still They Ride On, Open Arms, Who’s Crying Now, and arguably the song that the band will be remembered for long after they and every single one of their first, second and third generation of fans are long gone, Don’t Stop Believin’.

Described as being the perfect rock anthem by music critic Mike DeGagne, Don’t Stop, despite what the bands fans and critics alike think, wasn’t Journey’s biggest hit. 

It wasn’t even the biggest hit on Escape, but thanks to the power of rock radio, and then-newcomer on the block, MTV it’s still the song that everyone remembers.

If you ask anyone to sing a Journey song , they’ll start smiling and either humming or singing Don’t Stop, as the tune has become a cultural phenomenon that has ensured that the band will never be forgotten. 

Escape led to Journey having to found their own fan club, it enabled them to support the Rolling Stones and pushed them to record a song for the soundtrack to Disney’s 1982 Science Fiction spectacular, Tron.

Journey had managed to do what few hard rock bands before them had done. They’d successfully crossed over into the mainstream and had become one of the most famous bands in the world. 

And the Journey ride didn’t stop there. It didn’t even pause for breath, and in the middle of their 1982 tour to support Escape , they returned to the studio to record their eighth album Frontiers, which like Escape before it, went straight to the top of the Billboard album chart when it was released in February 1983, spawned another four ( Separate Ways, Faithfully, Send Her My Love and After The Fall ) top thirty singles and went on to sell six million copies.

And the tour that the band undertook to support it saw them playing the sort of venues that only the NFL could fill and included a sold-out show in Philadelphia that saw eighty thousand rabid Journey fans singing along with the band. 

Raised On Radio 

Fearing that if they continued at the same sort of pace they’d burn out, Perry, Schon, and the other members of the band decided to take some time off in 1984.

During the lull in Journey activities, both Steve Perry and Neal Schon recorded and released solo albums, with Schon deciding to frame his as a band effort rather than using his own name to release the resultant record. 

The release of the solo, and sideband in Schon’s case, records did lead to some speculation in the music press that Journey might be over, to which Schon responded by telling the interviewer that the band was too important to all of the members to let go and the reason that they’d taken time out was ton esquire that it could, and would continue. 

When the band confirmed, following a conversation between Schon, Perry, and Cain, that they’d be returning to the studio to record a new album in 1986, their fans and the press heaved a collective sigh of relief.

Raised On Radio proved to be a difficult album to make, as singer Perry assumed production duties and a few months into making the record, with the assistance of Herbie Herbert he fired long time bass player Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith, citing the age-old musical differences as the reason for their termination.

With a record to complete, Perry and Herbert drafted Randy Jackson and Larrie Londin to help Journey finish their ninth album. 

When the record was finally released in April 1986, despite yielding five singles and the top ten hit Be Good To Yourself and climbing to Number Four on the Billboard Chart, Raised On Radio was seen as a reluctant, rather than a triumphant success it failed to attain the same commercial high as Journey’s previous release. 

So Long Steve Perry

Undaunted by the commercial performance of Raised On Radio (which still sold millions of copies, but didn’t sell the additional millions that Columbia hoped a Journey record would), Journey hit the road for a sold-out stadium tour in 1986 that finally culminated in Alaska at the beginning of 1987. 

Things weren’t all great in the Journey camp though as Herbie Herbert and Steve Perry had continually clashed throughout the tour and by the time it was over, neither man wanted to spend any time in the other company.  A line needed to be drawn in the sand, and Perry was the one who picked up a stick and drew it. 

Perry decided that enough was enough, and told Schon and Cain that he wanted out, but the keyboard player being the most pragmatic member of the band told that rather than quitting, he should just take some time out. The singer agreed, and Journey decided that it was time that the band and its members needed to go on a break. 

Eight Years And A Few Bands Later

What was initially supposed to be a short time out, eventually turned into an extended eight-year hiatus, during which Schon, Cain, and Perry only played together once in 1991 at a Bill Graham memorial show.

As 1995 crawled into view, Steve Perry called Schon and Cain and told them that he’d be willing to return to Journey as long as Herbie Herbert wasn’t involved with the band anymore. Cain and Schon promptly fired their friend and manager and hired Eagles manager Irving Azoff to replace him. 

With a new manager in place, Journey, including the previously fired Stevie Smith and Ross Valory reunited and began to write and record their tenth album, Trial By Fire.

Even though the record delivered the top twenty hit single When You Love A Woman , when it was released in October 1996, it woefully underperformed and is still one of Journey’s worst-selling albums.

The band, especially Schon, rightly blamed the record’s lack of success on the fact that it was heavy on ballads and didn’t include the sort of uptempo, high-energy, hard rock anthems that the band’s fans expected them to write, record release, and play. 

And playing had also become a contentious issue for the band. Perry, following a hiking accident in Hawaii, had discovered that he needed a hip replacement and had kept putting the surgery off.

The singer, as it would later be discovered was also plagued by a number of other physical ailments, and rather than giving the band’s fans anything less than one hundred percent, he kept delaying the band’s muted tour plans.

Journey couldn’t tour to promote their record, which meant that the record, as far as the band being able to get out and play the songs from it for their fans was concerned, was dead in the water. 

Back On The Road

It had been more than twelve months since the band had released Trial By Fire, and as Perry was still reluctant to commit to any firm touring schedule, following a difficult conversation with Cain, Steve Perry stepped away from Journey for good and went into semi-retirement. 

Worried that the band wouldn’t be the same without Perry, Smith also announced that he was leaving Journey. In the aftermath of two of its longest-serving members leaving the band, Journey, or rather the other members of the band, set about finding replacements for their departed comrades. Deen Castronovo, a musical acquaintance of Schon and Cain became Journey’s new drummer while former Tyketto and Tall Stories singer Steve Augeri were brought in to replace Perry. 

The band finally started touring again in 1998 after contributing a new track to the soundtrack for the film Armageddon and as the millennium dawned they once again entered the studio to record their eleventh album, Arrival which was finally released in April 2001.

Whether it was due to the climatic shift in the musical landscape, or the fact that the band’s fans were just older and had moved on from their wild teenage rock and roll years, their latest opus failed to make the mark that the band hoped it would. It entered the Billboard Chart at Number 56, and its lead single fared even worse.

The future wasn’t as bright as it had once seemed and Journey, following a brief tour in 2001, decided to take 2002 off to rethink their future. 

From Then Until Now

Aguri’s tenure in the band was brief due to his deteriorating health, and he was eventually replaced by Jeff Soto from Talisman while the band was on tour with Def Leppard in 2006. Soto spent less than a year in Journey before he in turn was replaced by Arnel Pineda in 2007, who is still a member of Journey and is their second longest-serving vocalist. 

In recognition of their incredible contributions to the music industry, Journey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

Just when it looked like things were finally getting back on track with the band, it was following an ongoing dispute Journey fractured into camps with the official band being led by Schon and Cain and an unofficial version being led by Valory and Smith.

That’s when things started to get ugly with both parties threatening to sue each other and hurling lawsuits around like they were going out of fashion. It was an incredibly dark period in the band’s history that was finally resolved in April 2021, and both parties when the legalities were concluded were able to walk away feeling as though they had won a partial victory.

Success, as far as Journey is concerned, is an incredibly costly experience, both personally and financially.

Following the conclusion of their ongoing legal battle, Journey released a single The Way We Used To Be in June 2021 and Neal Schon has promised that the release will shortly be followed by a new album.  And when it does appear, we’ll be the first in line to buy it, as just like their millions of other fans, we’ll never stop believin’ in Journey. 

Journey Band Members Timeline

As you now know, Journey has had several notable members throughout its long and successful musical journey. From the early days to the present, the band has seen talented musicians come and go. Let’s take a look at the timeline of the prominent members, categorized by their respective roles in the band.

Founding Members of Journey:

1. neal schon (guitarist).

• Joined Journey in 1973 as one of the founding members.
• Continues to be an integral part of the band’s lineup till today.
• Known for his exceptional guitar skills and iconic solos.

2. Gregg Rolie (Keyboardist, Vocalist, and Drummer)

• Also a founding member of the band in 1973.
• Contributed as the main vocalist, drummer, and keyboard player.
• Played a significant role in shaping the band’s early sound.

3. Ross Valory (Bassist)

• Joined the band in 1973 as a founding member.
• Known for his melodic bass lines and occasional backing vocals.
• Has had intermittent periods with the band, but remains an important member.

4. George Tickner (Guitarist)

• One of the founding members who played guitar.
• Actively contributed to the band’s early years until his departure in 1975.

Drummers from Journey:

1. prairie prince (1974-1978).

• Joined the band, replacing Prairie Prince.
• A renowned drummer from The Mothers Of Invention and David Bowie’s band.
• Contributed to Journey’s early success and played on their debut album.

2. Aynsley Dunbar (1973-1974)

• Joined Journey in 1974 after the departure of their original drummer.
• Was an established musician and brought his solid drumming skills to the band.
• Left the band in 1978, but played an essential role during their formative years.

3. Steve Smith (1978-1985, 1995-1998)

• Known for exceptional drumming skills during Journey’s most successful era.
• Featured on albums like “Escape” and “Frontiers” among others.

4. Larrie Londin (1985-1986)

• Temporarily replaced Steve Smith during his departure from the band.
• A short but notable tenure in Journey.

5. Mike Baird (1986-1987)

• Filled in for Londin during Journey’s “Raised on Radio” Tour.

6. Deen Castronovo (1998-present)

• Officially joined the band in 1998, known for versatile drumming and vocals.
• Served as the band’s drummer until 2020 when he was briefly replaced by Narada Walden.
• Rejoined Journey in 2021, becoming the current member.

7. Narada Walden (2020–2022)

• Temporarily filled in for Deen Castronovo as the band’s drummer.
• Made notable contributions during his tenure with Journey.

Lead Singers of Journey:

1. steve perry (1977-1998).

• Joined Journey in 1977 and became the band’s lead vocalist.
• Known for his powerful and distinctive voice, he played a pivotal role in the band’s success.
• Perry’s tenure with the band lasted until 1998 and included hit albums like “Escape” and “Frontiers.”

2. Steve Augeri (1998-2006)

• Joined Journey as the successor to Steve Perry.
• Fronted the band for nearly a decade, releasing albums like “Arrival” and “Revelation.”
• Departed from Journey in 2006 due to health issues.

3. Jeff Scott Soto (2006-2007)

• Joined Journey as the lead vocalist following Augeri’s departure.
• Performed with the band for a short period covering various international shows.

4. Arnel Pineda (2007-Present)

• Became Journey’s lead vocalist after being discovered through YouTube.
• With his remarkable vocal range, he helped the band regain popularity with new audiences.
• Continues to captivate audiences worldwide as Journey’s current frontman.

Keyboardists of Journey:

1. stevie “keys” roseman (1980-1983).

• Filled in for Rolie during Journey’s Departure Tour.
• Assumed keyboard duties temporarily.

2. Jonathan Cain (1980-present)

• Joined Journey in 1980 and became an essential member.
• Took over keyboard duties and co-wrote many hit songs.

Bassists and Guitarists from Journey:

1. steve perry (1978 – 1987, 1995 – 1998).

• Many fans might not know that Perry also played guitar on some of the band’s tracks
• His contributions as a guitarist added depth and creativity to Journey’s music

2. Steve Smith (1978 – 1985, 1995 – 1998)

• Steve Smith also proved his proficiency as a guitarist during his time with the band
• His ability to switch between drums and guitar added a dynamic element to their performance

3. Randy Jackson (1986 – 1987)

• Randy Jackson’s diverse musical background brought a fresh perspective to Journey’s sound
• Jackson later became a well-known TV personality and one of the judges on American Idol.

4. Todd Jensen (2021-Present)

• Joined Journey as a bassist for their Las Vegas residency, starting on December 2021.
• A seasoned musician with an impressive resume, having played with artists like SEQUEL, HARDLINE, and HARLOW.
• Filled in on bass for Journey during the six shows of their residency

Throughout the band’s history, Journey has seen multiple personnel changes, but their music and legacy have continued to resonate with fans across generations. These talented individuals have each made significant contributions, leaving an indelible mark on the band’s evolution and success.

Frequently Asked Questions about Journey

Q1: what is journey’s net worth.

As of July 2023, Journey Band’s net worth is $8.87B.

Q2: Is Arnel Pineda still with Journey?

Yes, Arnel Pineda is currently the lead singer of Journey.

Q3: Are any of the current Journey members originals?

No, none of the current members of Journey are original members. The original members of Journey include Gregg Rolie, Neal Schon, Ross Valory, and George Tickner.

Q4: When was the last time Steve Perry sang with Journey?

The last time Steve Perry sang with Journey was in 1991. After leaving the band in 1998, he rejoined briefly for a reunion album and tour in 1996-1997, but they parted ways again after that.

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Journey Fires 2 Band Members After They Allegedly Attempt to Hijack Band's Name

Two members of the band Journey have been fired from the group following an attempted coup, [...]

By Michael Hein - March 5, 2020 01:31 am EST

Two members of the band Journey have been fired from the group following an attempted coup, according to a report by TMZ . The outlet obtained a lawsuit filed by lead guitarist Neal Schon and keyboard player Jonathan Cain, alleging that long-time bassist Russ Valory and drummer Steve Smith got them embroiled in a "scheme." There is no word yet on what the group's line-up will look like going forward.

Schon and Cain reportedly filed a lawsuit claiming that Valory and Smith tried to take control of the band's corporation, Nightmare Production, Inc. They claim that Valory and Smith believed the move would effectively give them access to the Journey brand name, and all the lucrative opportunities that came with it.

The result was Schon and Cain firing Valory and Smith from the group. The rhythm section was reportedly looking to retire soon anyway, but now their retirement scheme has apparently soured their relationship with Journey on the way out.

The lawsuit documents note that the band name Journey is already licensed to a corporation called Elmo, which was set up in 1985 by then-lead singer Steve Perry, along with Schon and Cain.

The lawsuit seeks damages from Valory and Smith for breach of fiduciary duty, totaling at least $10 million. So far, there is no word on Journey's planned tour for this summer, where they were set to perform alongside The Pretenders.

Journey formed in 1973 from former members of the bands Santana and Frumious Brandersnatch. The original line-up included Schon, Valory, guitarist George Tickner, drummer Prairie Prince and Gregg Rolie on keyboards and lead vocals.

The band has had 15 members in total, and three more in brief touring stints. Its most successful phase was during Perry's tenure as lead vocalist, between 1978 and 1987. The songs most fans are familiar with, including "Don't Stop Believin'" were written and released during this time.

That run finally came to an end when Perry's mother became ill, and he was sparse in recording sessions. The group disbanded, going on an indefinite hiatus for nearly a decade. When the regrouped in 1995, Perry was on-board, recording Trial by Fire with the rest of the lineup. However, Perry injured his hip while hiking soon after, meaning he could not perform for quite some time. In 1998, the band finally decided to go on without him.

Now, with the firing of Valory and Smith, the only official members of Journey remaining are Schon, Cain and Arnel Pineda. Pineda is a singer form the Phillipines who joined Journey in 2007, with a remarkably similar vocal range to Perry. He has been performing with the group internationally ever since.

Two members of Journey fired after legal battle over the band’s name

• Published: Mar. 04, 2020, 2:03 p.m.

LAS VEGAS, NM - MAY 03: Singer Arnel Pineda (L) and guitarist Neal Schon of Journey perform during the first night of the band's second nine-show residency at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on May 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Getty Images

• Sean Adams | [email protected]

Two members of the rock group Journey have been fired from the band following legal disputes over the rights to the name of the band.

According to court documents filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, longtime band members Ross Valory and Steve Smith attempted a “corporate coup d'état” against guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain by attempting to buy Nightmare Productions, a corporate entity connected to the band.

In response, Schon and Cain have fired Valory and Smith.

“As a result, Schon and Cain removed Smith and Valory from Journey ,” the court filing states. “By letter dated March 3, 2020, Schon and Cain provided notice to Smith and Valory that they are no longer members of Journey; and that Schon and Cain have lost confidence in both of them and are not willing to perform with them again.”

The same documents state that Nightmare Productions has no legal claim to the band, and that Schon and Cain have a written agreement from former Journey singer Steve Perry that grants them exclusive rights to the name and trademark Journey logo.

The band was originally founded in 1973, with Schol and Valory as founding members. Steve Perry joined in 1977 as lead singer, with Smith joining in 1978 and Cain in 1980. The band went through several lineup changes throughout the years, with Schon and Cain remaining as members throughout. Arnel Pineda has performed with the band as lead singer since 2007.

Journey is scheduled to perform in Hershey on September 11 along with The Pretenders.

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Neal Schon Explains Why Journey Fired Jeff Scott Soto

Journey guitarist Neal Schon explained why the band dismissed former lead singer Jeff Scott Soto, saying he "didn't sound right" to them.

Soto, who sang on Yngwie Malmsteen 's first two solo albums in the mid-'80s, replaced Steve Augeri in Journey in December 2006 after Augeri began suffering throat problems on the road. (Augeri had replaced classic-era singer Steve Perry in 1998.) But Soto's appointment lasted less than a year, and, in December 2007, Journey hired Arnel Pineda , who fronts the band to this day.

When asked about his firing by Argentinian journalist Lucas Gordon, Soto said (via  Blabbermouth ): "The problem is I don't know. That's the problem. If I knew what the problem was, if I knew the reason why I got fired, then at least I could be at peace with it; I could find a way to discuss it or talk about it. But I'm not legally supposed to talk about it. ... It got to the point where we had to take it [to] legal side of things."

Soto added that he "signed a document that I wouldn't talk about anything negative, anything bad about them. And I don't wanna talk negative." The singer said he simply wanted an answer as to why he was let go. "If I was told why I was fired, if I was told, 'Your voice sucks,' if I was told I killed one of the guys' dogs, if I made somebody in their family angry, if I was told the reason why I was fired, I could make peace with it. But to this day, 14 years later — whatever it is — I don't know. I don't have the answers."

Schon responded to Soto's claims in a Facebook comment on the Blabbermouth article. "It was unfortunate, but Steve Augeri’s voice gave out," the guitarist wrote. "We were in the middle of [the] Def Leppard tour, so I was working with Jeff on [a] side project and suggested he come in and help [finish] the tour. It went well but all were not sold on him being the lead singer after writing a tune and listening. Both [keyboardist Jonathan Cain ] and I agreed it didn’t sound right - or, better put, what we wanted. I hope this satisfies this ongoing drama. It didn’t work out."

Soto previously lamented that he was not listed as an official member of Journey in the band's website bio. "There’s zero mention, there’s zero attention brought to the fact that I was even in the band and I did those tours,” he said in 2019. “I was officially made a member of the band. And then for them to act like it didn't exist or to say that they wanted a signature sound, and I was only supposed to be a hired gun and just to get them through the tour, that kind of bums me out."

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Journey Should Probably Go Their Separate Ways

Maybe, just sometimes, not believing in things any longer can be the best idea. Journey have reached an unbelievably dysfunctional point of their lineage as a band, Billboard reports , which stems from a slow burn of issues ranging from the legal to the petty. The main source of strife is allegedly coming from founding member Neal Schon and longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain, both of whom are still actively touring with the band as of this month. According to Billboard, the duo’s mutual animosity began during Donald Trump’s presidency, when Cain, who is married to Trump’s “spiritual adviser,” performed a private set at Mar-a-Lago — a move that Schon declared in a cease-and-desist letter to be “deleterious to the Journey brand as it polarizes the band’s fans and outreach.” In 2021, Schon went on to sue Cain for “improperly” not allowing him access to the band’s American Express credit card; Cain fired back in January 2022, saying Schon had a pathological spending problem and charged $1 million of personal expenses for himself and his wife, a former Real Housewives of D.C. star who crashed a White House state dinner in 2009. Schon v. Cain is now currently pending in a California court.

The duo’s Journey infighting crescendoed that same year during an arena tour. Schon allegedly hired off-duty police officers to guard his dressing room during performances and, at one tour stop, had an assistant snoop around Cain’s room. Cain caught the assistant and retaliated by hiring off-duty police officers as his own guards. “That’s just the level of pettiness and control and conspiracy they came to believe in,” a source explained.

In an interview with Vulture last year, Schon briefly discussed a Journey legal issue that related to the ongoing saga of gaining control of the band’s official trademark. “We’ve never owned our own trademark. All these years, many people lied to us. My wife and I finally got to the bottom of it after investigating for years,” he said . “We were fought hard by everybody, but we managed to obtain the trademark.” A silver lining to the problem, Schon said, was that it allowed him to open up a discourse with former member Steve Perry, who left the band in the mid-’90s. “We’re talking and getting to know each other again,” he told us, “though not trying to get together musically again, but he’s learning who I am now, through a portion of our business that I’m kind of controlling now.” But is he doing it … faithfully?

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2 river flood warnings in effect for brantley and columbia counties, entertainment, members of 'pablo cruise' share 51-year journey, meaning behind group's name.

Bruce Hamilton , The Morning Show anchor

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Pablo Cruise, which formed in 1973, had eight studio albums and five singles that reached the top 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Among their biggest hits were “Whatcha Gonna Do” and “Love Will Find a Way.”

The group is in town to perform at The Florida Theatre , opening for Don Felder at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Two of the original members of Pablo Cruise, Cory Lerios and David Jenkins, joined us on The Morning Show to talk about their journey that began 51 years ago and the fact that there really isn’t a band member named Pablo Cruise.

But, “Pablo and “Cruise” have a very real meaning for the band’s members

Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.

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Bruce hamilton.

This Emmy Award-winning television, radio and newspaper journalist has anchored The Morning Show for 18 years.

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‘Ramblin’ Man’ Dickey Betts’ musical and life journey traces all over Florida

The “Ramblin’ Man” of the Allman Brothers was a Florida man, too.

Dickey Betts, a founding member and a lead guitarist of the trailblazing Southern rock group he formed with brothers Gregg and Duane Allman in Jacksonville in 1969, died Thursday at his Osprey home in Sarasota County , according to band management.

Betts was 80.

Betts wrote the band’s sole Top 10 single, “Ramblin’ Man,” in 1973 — a song that peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 that fall, held out of the top spot by “Half Breed,” a campy story song hit by Cher. The detail amuses trivia watchers because a couple years later in 1975 Gregg Allman would marry Cher in what became one of pop culture’s most unlikely of unions.

The Allmans had many adventures on the road both in and out of Florida and Betts split from the group in 2000. But there was plenty of Florida man in this ramblin’ man from the start of his career through the end.

In fact, the Betts name in Florida dates back to the Civil War.

Betts’ Florida history

Here are some of Betts’ Florida connections.

▪ Betts was born in West Palm Beach on Dec. 12, 1943. He was raised in Bradenton. His family’s roots in Florida date back to the southeastern Manatee County community of Myakka City, about the time of the Civil War, according to the Sarasota Herald-Trubune.

▪ Betts Road, named for the family, is just east of Bradenton in Myakka City.

READ MORE: Get ready to cruise the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway with a Margaritaville license plate

▪ Betts formed a band, Second Coming, with bassist Berry Oakley, in Jacksonville in the late ‘60s. The pair would soon meet with the Allmans and form that band in the same locale in 1969.

▪ The Allman Brothers Band’s second album, “Idlewild South” that featured Betts compositions “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and “Revival,” with Tom Dowd producing, was the first of the group’s numerous albums to be either partly, or wholly, recorded at Criteria Studios in North Miami. Dowd preferred producing in South Florida. The Allmans also cut “Seven Turns” at Criteria in 1990, and mixed their 1995 live album, “2nd Set,” at Criteria.

▪ Betts recorded his second solo album “Dickey Betts & Great Southern” in 1977 at Criteria. He wrote the closing track. “Bougainvillea” with actor Don Johnson who, in seven years, would achieve worldwide fame as Sonny Crockett on NBC’s crime drama, “ Miami Vice ” for a five-season run from 1984 to 1989. Betts played guitar on Johnson’s high-profile debut album, “Heartbeat” on an upbeat track called “Love Roulette.” Johnson’s “Heartbeat,” released in 1986 amid the star’s “Miami Vice” fame, was also recorded at Criteria.

▪ The Allmans recorded their 1994 album, “Where It All Begins,” their last studio album with Dowd as producer, at Burt Reynold’s studio in Jupiter. Five of the 10 songs, including the title track, were Betts compositions. This was Betts’ last album with the band.

▪ Betts died on April 18, 2024, at his home in Osprey.

©2024 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Dickey Betts, hit-crafting mainstay of Allman Brothers Band, dies at 80

He was a founding member of the group and wrote and sang ‘ramblin’ man,’ which became the band’s only major top-10 success.

Dickey Betts, the singer-guitarist who co-founded the genre-defining Southern rock group the Allman Brothers Band and wrote several of the group’s most enduring compositions, including “Ramblin’ Man,” died April 18 at his home in Osprey, Fla. He was 80.

His family announced the death on his website but did not cite a cause. His manager, David Spero, said Mr. Betts had cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He had been treated in 2018 for a brain injury following a fall in his backyard and canceled a tour following a stroke.

“Ramblin’ Man” (1973), which some bandmates initially deemed too country for their repertoire, became the group’s only top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The lyrics, set against a bouncy, upbeat melody, expressed the resigned and unrepentant wanderlust of a man “born in the back seat of a Greyhound bus rollin’ down Highway 41.” “When it’s time for leavin’,” the song went, “I hope you’ll understand that I was born a ramblin’ man.”

Mr. Betts wrote several of the group’s most enduring compositions, such as the jazz-inflected instrumental “ In Memory of Elizabeth Reed ” and the pastoral love song “ Blue Sky .”

The Allman Brothers Band built its style on guitar interplay between leader Duane Allman and the highly melodic fretwork of Mr. Betts, whose influences included Romani jazz musician Django Reinhardt and bluesman B.B. King.

Allman and Mr. Betts would play a theme in harmony before cutting loose with their own solos or answering each other’s licks in a call-and-response style. By the mid-1970s, a wave of Southern rock acts including Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Marshall Tucker Band, the Charlie Daniels Band and the Outlaws borrowed heavily from their twin-guitar format.

At their popular peak in the 1970s, the Allman Brothers Band played nearly 300 concerts a year, grossed between $50,000 and $100,000 a show, and crisscrossed the country on a private Boeing 720. When not touring, they shared quarters in a Tudor-style mansion in Macon, Ga.

The band survived the 1971 death of Duane Allman following a motorcycle accident, then broke up twice — largely because of increasing acrimony between singer and organist Gregg Allman (Duane’s brother) and Mr. Betts. Both men struggled with substance abuse.

Mr. Betts blossomed as a singer and songwriter on the Allman Brothers’ 1973 release “Brothers and Sisters.” During the recording sessions, founding bassist Berry Oakley died after a motorcycle crash. Pianist Chuck Leavell and a new bassist, Lamar Williams, joined the lineup to finish the recording.

In a retrospective review, Rolling Stone magazine praised Mr. Betts for “increasing the country light and buoyancy in the Allmans’ electric-blues stampede” with his songs such as “Ramblin’ Man,” “Pony Boy” and “Jessica.” “ Pony Boy ,” an acoustic showcase for Mr. Betts’s slide guitar, recounted family lore about a hard-drinking uncle who rode a horse home from a tavern to avoid a DUI.

Fatherhood inspired “ Jessica ,” an instrumental showcase for his nimble fretwork.

“With ‘Jessica,’ I knew what I wanted to do, but I couldn’t quite find it,” Mr. Betts told Guitar World magazine. “Then my little daughter, Jessica, crawled into the room, and I just started playing to her, trying to capture the feeling of her crawling and smiling. That’s why I named it after her.”

The next year, he recorded an acclaimed solo album, “Highway Call,” credited to Richard Betts, with guest appearances by fiddler Vassar Clements and steel guitarist John Hughey. Several songs acknowledged a yearning for a simpler rural life that perhaps was a reflection of the strain of relentless touring.

Critics dismissed the band’s next album, “Win, Lose or Draw” (1975), on which many of its members recorded their parts separately, as below the band’s standards. That same year, Gregg Allman married pop singer Cher and moved to Beverly Hills. Then in 1976, Allman, caught up in a federal drug case against a supplier, testified against the band’s roadie in a plea bargain for immunity. The band broke up.

Mr. Betts stayed busy, doing recording sessions for outlaw country performers Hank Williams Jr., Billy Joe Shaver and Gary Stewart, collaborating on songs with future “Miami Vice” TV star Don Johnson, and touring with his own band, Great Southern.

“There is no way we can work with Gregg again. Ever,” Mr. Betts told Rolling Stone.

But he did, first reforming the band with Allman in 1978. In later decades, he performed in the Allman Brothers Band alongside younger guitarists Warren Haynes (the two had worked together previously in Great Southern) and Derek Trucks, the nephew of drummer Butch Trucks — though he was often in and out of the band.

Forrest Richard Betts was born in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 12, 1943, and grew up in Bradenton, Fla. At 5, he played ukulele in his father’s bluegrass group. He later switched to mandolin then banjo and finally — as he was trying to impress girls — an electric guitar.

At 16, he left home to join a teen band that worked with a traveling circus.

“Our band would do like splits and we had basketball knee pads and we’d go sliding on our knees playing and then I’d pick the other guitar player up on my shoulders,” Mr. Betts told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. “So we did like 10, 12 shows a day. It was like Vaudeville or something except it was rock-and-roll. That was my first road trip.”

As his musical reputation increased, so did his wild streak.

The young guitarist sped around town on motorcycles wearing a jacket embroidered with an explicit phrase. When an Ohio-based band, the Jokers, came through town to hire him, Mr. Betts needed permission from a judge to leave the state. He had been placed on probation after he climbed a neighbor’s fence and shot a cow.

With bassist Oakley and keyboardist Reese Wynans, he joined a Jacksonville, Fla., band, the Second Coming. In 1969, Duane Allman, then a studio session musician for Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama, approached Oakley and Mr. Betts about starting a group with Gregg Allman. The Allman Brothers Band emerged from their jam sessions.

When the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, Gregg Allman was too inebriated to make the acceptance speech. The event proved to be a catalyst for Allman’s sobriety — but not for Mr. Betts.

The following year, there were rumors of a final band break after Mr. Betts allegedly put a gun to his wife’s head during an argument about his drug abuse. A stint in rehab followed.

In 2000, founding band members Allman, Butch Trucks and Jai Johanny “Jaimoe” Johanson fired Mr. Betts with a faxed letter that alluded to a decline in his playing.

Mr. Betts, who threatened a lawsuit and then settled out of court, maintained that the firing occurred after he asked for an accounting of band finances. Mr. Betts returned to leading his own band, often with his guitarist son Duane, who was named after Allman. Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks died in 2017.

Mr. Betts was married five times and had several children. A complete list of survivors was not immediately available.

In later years, Mr. Betts resided on the water in Osprey, Fla. He and his wife, the former Donna Stearns, frequently butted heads with their neighbors, the Bay Preserve, a nonprofit center that hosted weddings and sporting events on the water.

When a local rowing team would practice, Mr. Betts would fire up his power boat to send waves in their direction. At one point, Donna Betts was arrested after pointing a rifle at a crew team as it paddled by their house.

“They have 300 teenage kids come over there, and they’re arrogant as hell,” Mr. Betts told Rolling Stone in 2017. “They’re driving down the road and won’t get out of your way. You work your whole life to get a place like this, and they’re renting!”

This weekend, a home-grown orchestra concert for families

UCR faculty member Tim Labor has developed a concert based on 'Journey to the Center of the Earth'

Concertgoers will be treated to a high-spirited adventure when the UCR Orchestra and the UCR Chamber Singers, along with guest narrator Martha Demson, perform the world premiere of composer and UCR faculty member Tim Labor's “Journey to the Center of the Earth.”

Concerts will be 8 p.m., Saturday Saturday, April 20, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 21 in the University Theatre. The concert is free and open to the public. 

“Journey to the Center of the Earth” is the 1864 science fiction-adventure novel written by the French author Jules Verne. The story centers on the teenaged Axel Lindenbrock, the narrator, who lives in Hamburg, Germany with his uncle, Professor Otto Lindenbrock, an impetuous geologist. In a runic manuscript, the professor discovers directions to a passage in a dormant Icelandic volcano that leads to the center of the earth. When he reads the entrance will be revealed by shadows at noon for a few days in June, the professor dashes off for Iceland,  dragging along his skeptical and reluctant nephew.

Labor adapted “Journey to the Center of the Earth” because “it’s a piece I remember as a kid. It’s a magical story about finding something in history that leads you to something in the future.”

“It very visual. It has all those things kids love. It’s got treasure and things like that. It lets kids know, ‘adventure is just around the corner, discovering what other people left aside, but you can still be the one who discovers it, even though you are the kid,’” Labor continues.

 “Tim’s music is amazingly descriptive and partners closely with the narrator,” conductor Ruth Charloff said. “He establishes very vivid motifs early in the piece, so when he brings them back later it lets the audience and musicians know what is meaningfully going on underneath what is said. It’s exciting how he draws on so many musical styles.”

In his adaptation, Labor said the chorus has a personality all its own. 

“There is a comic aspect to the choir, which acts like a Greek chorus,” Labor said. “They respond to what the actors are doing and what the audience should be feeling at times. The comedic aspect is that you don’t expect a chorus like that to have its own character. It can mug for the audience and tell a story like a camp counsellor for kids around a campfire.” 

Martha Demson will join the performance as the narrator. She will dramatically narrate Professor Lindenbrock and his nephew Axel. Demson is the artistic director for the Open Fist Theatre in Los Angeles and an award-winning actor, producer, and director. 

 “She does so much with what really isn’t a lot of text,” Charloff said. “She uses her facial expressions and body to help make clear what we are talking about.” 

This concert is part of the Family Concert Series made possible by the Esther F. Hays Endowed Fund in Music.

“I meet people who are young adults now who say they attended one of our kids’ concerts,” Charloff said. “It’s such a wonderful thing to give to the community.” 

She promises this show will be as memorable: “It'll be a splashy event that will certainly be attractive to grownups as well as kids There is the joy of hearing a story, the joy of hearing a fantasy story, and the joy of seeing live musicians on a stage full of 80 people performing for an hour just for you.” 

Attendance is limited to 450 for each performance, and seating is first-come, first-served. Parking is also free; for parking and other event information, visit https://events.ucr.edu/event/journey-to-the-center-of-the-earth . 

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