Neal Schon recently posted a rare interview with Steve Perry on Instagram to highlight his significance to Journey.
In the interview, Perry explained the band’s origins, saying, “Journey came from San Francisco. The group was built around Neal Schon by a gentleman named Herbie Herbert and Gregg Rolie.”
He added, “They kept on picking Neal in high school while he was just a kid and brought him in, and they built a band around Neal. I got to meet the guys later on because I had a childhood friend who knew their manager and through that connection, I got to meet Neal.”
For several days, Schon has been discussing his contributions to the formation of Journey on his social media. He shared his biography on Facebook, stating, “Schon began his musical career at a young age, showing prodigious talent on the guitar.”
He continued, “He joined Santana at the age of 15 and played a significant role in the band’s success during the early 1970s. In 1973, he co-founded the band Journey, which would go on to become one of the most successful and enduring rock bands of all time.”
His post went on, “As the lead guitarist of Journey, Schon played a pivotal role in shaping the band’s sound, contributing iconic guitar riffs and solos to many of their hit songs. His technical proficiency, melodic sensibility, and emotive playing style have earned him widespread acclaim from fans and fellow musicians alike.”
Neal has previously shared similar sentiments. In August, he wrote on X, “Neal Schon the original and only Founder in Journey that’s been there from the very early inception in 72 and have played on every single show / never canceled once! Co-wrote and played on every single album … Jon Cain I asked to join in 81.”
However, relationships within the band have become complicated. In December 2022, Schon issued a cease and desist order to Jonathan Cain after Cain played ‘Don’t Stop Believin” at a Donald Trump event. Schon argued that Journey should not be used for political purposes. In July 2024, Cain filed a lawsuit against Schon, accusing him of misusing the band’s credit cards, which resulted in the cancellation of a UK and Ireland tour.
