Journey’s Jonathan Cain Sues Neal Schon Over Spending
Lovin’, touchin’, spendin’.
Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Rob Loud/Getty Images, Denise Truscello/Getty Images
As once prophesied, the wheel in the sky keeps turnin’ … out lawsuits for the current members of Journey. According to Bloomberg Law, keyboardist Jonathan Cain has sued co-founding guitarist Neal Schon for allegedly racking up an Anna Delvey–esque lifestyle of lavish spending that has made him an outlier within the band. Among the points of contention in the court filing: Schon has ignored a $1,500-per-night hotel-fee cap in favor of accommodations ten times the price, maxed out a credit card with a $1 million limit, excessively used private jets for travel, created an unnecessary security job for a close friend, and blocked efforts to pay debts and expenses associated with Journey’s ongoing summer tour. The lawsuit notes that this public animosity between Cain and Schon is “impacting the band’s reputation throughout the music industry” and “such negative publicity may potentially impact the band’s fan base.” Numerous crew members have also departed from the tour “because of such tensions.” (Meanwhile, Steve Perry is somewhere else minding his damn business.)
A similar lawsuit between the duo was waged in early 2023, when Cain alleged Schon’s spending problem was exacerbated by his wife — a woman who used to be a Real Housewife and once famously crashed a White House state dinner. At the time, it became so contentious that personal guards were hired to prevent the musicians from provoking each other when they weren’t performing. Maybe they just need to kick back and enjoy some peak TV.