Jonathan Cain Accuses Neal Schon of Destroying the Journey Brand
Jonathan Cain has released a statement in response to Journey bandmate Neal Schon's recent cease-and-desist order, which demanded that he stop playing the group's songs at political rallies supporting former President Donald Trump.
Last month, Cain, who is married to Paula White, the former chair of Trump's evangelical advisory board, appeared at an event at Mar-a-Lago, where he performed "Don't Stop Believin'" with a backing "chorus" that included Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kimberly Guilfoyle and Kari Lake.
According to Variety, Schon's cease-and-desist stated that "although Mr. Cain is free to express his personal beliefs and associations, when he does that on behalf of Journey or for the band, such conduct is extremely deleterious to the Journey brand as it polarizes the band's fans and outreach. Journey is not, and should not be, political."
A representative for Cain initially responded with a statement saying "Schon is just frustrated that he keeps losing in court and is now falsely claiming that the song has been used at political rallies." Schon later acknowledged the statement on Twitter, writing, "Now he’s claiming I keep losing in court? Infuckingsane. Get off the Kool-Aid."
Cain has now released a more in-depth statement that reads, "Neal Schon should look in the mirror when he accuses me of causing harm to the Journey brand. I have watched him damage our brand for years and am a victim of both his —and his wife's — bizarre behavior. Neal sued Live Nation twice, losing both times, and damaging our ability to ever work with them again; Neal outrageously tried to take away trademarks from Steve Perry; Neal and his wife continually insult the professionalism of numerous accountants, road managers, and management firms with endless legal threats and their bullying, toxic, and incoherent emails; Neal argues online with fans who don't see eye to eye with him; and Neal and his wife recklessly spend Journey's money until there is none left for operating costs. If anyone is destroying the Journey brand, it is Neal — and Neal alone."
Schon's cease-and-desist letter is the most recent activity in a series of legal disputes between the two musicians. Last month, Schon sued Cain for allegedly restricting his access to information about a band credit card; Schon claimed he had tried to gain access without invoking legal action for many months but his attempts were unsuccessful. Cain responded, claiming that it was Schon who was responsible for "enormous personal charges" on the account.
Journey is slated to begin their 50th-anniversary tour, which Schon has insisted will not be impacted by any legal proceedings, on Jan. 27 in Durant, Okla. A preliminary hearing for Schon's lawsuit against Cain is scheduled for March 3.