Journey’s Neal Schon has shared a reassuring update on Deen Castronovo, saying the drummer is doing well and eager to return after a medical emergency during the band’s Tulsa concert.
Neal Schon said in his recent update: “UPDATE! Deen is doing great! He can’t wait to see you in San Antonio, TX! Come out and help welcome him back! Your prayers truly worked. God Bless you All. We will see you tomorrow night San Antonio!”
Jonathan Cain previously said during the last night’s show after Castronovo’s health emergency: “We’re gong to see what happens as this progresses. It’s an unfortunate situation. We’re very sorry. We’re hoping it’s only a delay, but please — I’m sorry. Don’t worry. Have your prayers ready. Have your prayers ready for Deen Castronovo, everybody. Thank you.”
Journey’s Neal Schon shared an update on drummer Deen Castronovo’s health, one day after Castronovo suffered an unspecified medical emergency during the band’s live concert in Tulsa, Oklahoma and reportedly hospitalized, and Schon revealed that Deen is doing well at the moment.
Schon’s message arrived roughly a day after the scare that stopped Journey’s set in Tulsa, and it carried a mix of relief and gratitude aimed at both the fans and the drummer himself. The update also pointed straight ahead to the tour’s next stop, with the guitarist clearly counting on Castronovo’s quick return to the road rather than an extended absence. A look back at what happened in Tulsa, the drummer’s long history with the band, and the schedule that follows helps explain why the news was met with such relief.
Castronovo was helped off the stage after Journey had performed only two songs at Tulsa’s BOK Center on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, and the show paused while he was transported to a hospital. The concert eventually resumed with drum technician Steve Toomey filling in behind the kit.
Schon returned to the stage about ten minutes later and told the crowd that Castronovo had been taken to the hospital, adding that the substitute drummer Toomey was “very good.” Cain addressed the audience during the pause, telling them, “Our drummer is having a medical emergency, right now, at this very moment, so we’re going to see what happens as this progresses.”
Schon also dedicated the rest of the Tulsa performance to his bandmate. “This concert is for Deen. I think he’s going to be fine,” he said.
Castronovo is no newcomer to the band. He played with Journey from 1998 until 2015, when the group dismissed him following an arrest in a domestic-violence case. He later pleaded guilty, received supervised probation, and was ordered to complete drug rehabilitation, before returning to Journey in 2021.
The next date on the calendar was already set. Journey was scheduled to perform at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 — the show Schon referenced in his update. The Tulsa set finished with Toomey, the band’s drum technician, substituting for Castronovo.
The band has not disclosed the specific nature of Castronovo’s medical emergency, and no changes to the remaining tour dates have been announced.
