Neal Schon Gets Honest on Journey Ending Their Ongoing Feud Over Money and Politics

While helping create the iconic band Journey, musician Neal Schon is also the last original member to stay with the group through its history. Outside of his time with the band, the guitarists also performed with Santana, Bad English, and Hardline. Although showcasing his wide range in music, Schon landed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thanks to his contributions to Journey. And while the band suffered controversy throughout the years, Schon recently discussed how he and Jonathan Cain argued constantly over the band, money, and even a visit to the White House.

Once on the brink of collapse, Journey somehow found common ground as they released their album Freedom in 2022 and headed out on the road with Steve Miller and Def Leppard. With the band back in action, Schon told Lyndsey Parker, “We just decided that the music is the music. We worked really hard and diligently on keeping this thing alive all these years, and just not let the other stuff get in the way and kind of keep it separate.”

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Neal Schon Wants Journey Out Of Politics

Thanking Journey’s original manager Herbie Herbert for some sound advice, Schon explained, “It was actually a rule that way before Jonathan was in the band, that we would never have politics involved in our music or any one religion – because [Journey’s music] is for everyone. Anytime you [get political] and you segregate, you’re going to lose fans – and why would you want to do that? Just keep it open for everyone to be able to enjoy your music as music.”

While hearing fans all over the world enjoy their music, Schon insisted he isn’t a fan of Journey being used for political rallies. “I’m not a fan of it. No, I’m not a fan of it. It’s just, I’m in the middle and I don’t want it to go one way or the other. I think we should remain neutral and let everybody enjoy what they want to enjoy – and I think it’s nobody’s business.”

Not wanting Journey’s history to be tied to any political party, Schon concluded, “I think that music is the greatest communicator of the world and that it shouldn’t have a label on it to be one way or another. It should be to be conveyed by everyone in their own way.”

(Photo by Rob Loud/Getty Images for Journey)